



The Prisoner of Heaven
A Novel
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4.3 • 445 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
“A deep and mysterious novel full of people that feel real. . . .An enthralling read and a must-have for your library. Zafón focuses on the emotion of the reader and doesn’t let go.” — Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Carlos Ruiz Zafón creates a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, passion, and revenge, set in a dark, gothic Barcelona, in which the heroes of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game must contend with a nemesis that threatens to destroy them.
Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son named Julián, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a mysterious stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and threatens to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades in the city's dark past.
His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s and the early days of Franco's dictatorship. The terrifying events of that time launch them on a search for the truth that will put into peril everything they love, and will ultimately transform their lives.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Characters from The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game reconvene in Zaf n's newest literary thriller. When a stranger shows up at the struggling Sempere & Sons bookshop in Barcelona in 1957 to buy a rare and expensive volume, Daniel Sempere the son sets out to uncover the mysterious man's motives. The resulting mix of history and mystery drives this third installment in Zaf n's cycle about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a "sprawling labyrinth like the trunk of an endless tree." What Daniel discovers will implicate those he loves, has lost, and loathes from his soon-to-be-wed friend, Ferm n; to Daniel's mother, Isabella, who died under questionable circumstances; his father; his wife, Bea, and infant son, Julian; and a host of schemers, torturers, corrupt governmental officials, writers, and lovers, many of whom have changed identities, hurriedly penned secret missives, and stashed keys to hidden treasures. Zaf n's storytelling is deft and well-paced, and his vivid prose brings the cultural riches and political strife of Franco-era Spain to life. Though the book will undoubtedly please readers familiar with his other novels, as the introduction explains, the book is a "self-contained tale" capable of standing alone something it does with aplomb.
Customer Reviews
Special reading !
As all the books Carlos Ruiz Zafon wrote, this one is once again a beautiful one ! Hard to put down once you start it !
Imagination, sensibility and beauty together with deep knowledge of history and a great love for Barcelona makes a really unique work of art from each of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books.
Read this book...
And you will be transported to a Barcelona most of us have never experienced. Such a well written story of friendship, family and Spain, more than fifty years ago.
But I'm making it sound so silly, and this is not a silly book. It's very deep and moving, and I will read more by this author!
Wow
I got a hard copy for a dollar at Dollar Tree :)