The Prisoner of Heaven - by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Paperback)

About the Book

Acclaimed "New York Times"-bestselling author Zafon creates a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, and revenge, set in 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.

Book Synopsis

"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.

From the Back Cover

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.

Review Quotes

"Ruiz Zafon's visionary storytelling prowess is a genre unto itself." - USA Today for THE ANGEL'S GAME
"Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up THE SHADOW OF THE WIND. Really, you should." - Washington Post for SHADOW OF THE WIND
"Wondrous...masterful...THE SHADOW OF THE WIND is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as it young hero." - Entertainment Weekly, Editor's Choice for SHADOW OF THE WIND
"Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show...His novel eddies in currents of passion, revenge, and mysteries whose layers peel away onionlike yet persist in growing back. At times these mysteries take on the aspect of the supernatural. The figures appear beleaguered by ghosts until these give way to something even more frightening: the creak of real floors undermined by real rot and the inexorability of human destinies grimmer than any ghostly one could be...We are taken on a wild ride that executes hairpin bends with breathtaking lurches." - New York Times Book Review for SHADOW OF THE WIND
"Once again I have encountered a book that proves how wonderful it is to become immersed in a rich, long novel...This novel has it all: seduction, danger, revenge, and a mystery that the author teases with mastery. Ruiz Zafon has outdone even the mighty Charles Dickens." - Philadelphia Inquirer for SHADOW OF THE WIND
"The plot is labyrinthine, the characters and coincidences Dickensian, the whole echoing with literary flourishes and references. It's a bit like A.S. Byatt's POSSESSION and Arturo Perez-Reverte's THE CLUB DUMAS, with touches of Jorge Luis Borges, Umberto Eco, Ross King, Charles Palliser, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Bibliophiles will feast on its riches." - Orlando Sentinel for SHADOW OF THE WIND
"The story has heart, menace, torture, kindness, cruelty, sacrifice, and a deep devotion to what makes humans tick...THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN moves like a bullet train. There are few stops along the way, and the end of one section jumps headfirst into the next, leaving you no choice but to leap and not stop running (or reading in this case.)" - New York Journal of Books
"Gripping...suspenseful...The magic of the novel is in the wonderfully constructed creepy and otherworldly setting, the likable characters, and the near-perfect dialogue." - Booklist
"Invoking the atmosphere of Dumas, Dickens, Poe and Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafon retains his originality and will hold his rightful place among the storytelling masters of literature." - Book Reporter
"Zafon's storytelling is deft and well-paced, and his vivid prose brings the cultural riches and political strife of Franco-era Spain to life." - Publishers Weekly
"As in THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, Ruiz Zafon spins a fantastically elaborate plot." - New York Times for THE ANGEL'S GAME
"If you thought the true gothic novel died with the nineteenth century, this will change your mind. THE SHADOW OF THE WIND is the real deal...One gorgeous read." - Stephen King for THE SHADOW OF THE WIND
"[A novel] with the blissful narrative drive of a high-class mystery... Ruiz Zafón is a splendidly solicitous craftsman, careful to give the reader at least as much pleasure as he is evidently having." - The Guardian
"There is an air of magical realism to Zafón's tales. The prose is robust and the dialogue rich with smart irony. But mostly, reading Zafón is great fun." - Miami Herald
"A deep and mysterious novel full of people that feel real...This is an enthralling read and a must-have for your library. Zafón focusses on the emotion of the reader and doesn't let go." - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Perhaps his wittiest [novel] and the darkest to date, a stylistic feat that Ruiz Zafon handles deftly...Savor this book." - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"Ruiz Zafon's narrative twists and soars, part dream and part slippery reality brought to life in vivid detail...A book for story lovers: expansive, rich and slow to digest." - Denver Post for THE ANGEL'S GAME
"Absorbing...A literary centaur in which a meditation on the craft of writing is combined with a thriller." - Los Angeles Times for THE ANGEL'S GAME
"A thriller laden with Gothic elements...A pleasure to read." - Christian Science Monitor for THE ANGEL'S GAME
"A rip-roaring Gothic mystery...Will keep you glued to your deck chair" - Seattle Times for THE ANGEL'S GAME