Book Review - "El Juego del Angel" - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

NOTE - I read this book in Spanish, it's due out in English in June 2009

The book is beautifully written, there were literally parts I read two or three times for the sheer beauty of the writing. However, I just couldn't get into the story.

Unlike Ruiz Zafon's prior book, "La Sombra del Viento" ("Shadow of the Wind"), which I consider one of the best books I've ever read, I was never engaged with the characters. I found the story to be too long.

I thought it was too slow, had too many characters, had a confusing plot and had an unlikable (at least to me) protagonist. And then, he went all magical realism (not my best event!) on me. He completely lost me. By the end of the book I really didn't know what was going on, or why.

But again, the writing is just so beautiful that I pretty much finished the book just to keep reading the writing, not because of the story.

If you read in Spanish, and you enjoy beautiful writing - I recommend it.