Review: The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon |

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Harper; Reprint edition (July 10, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0062206281
Source: Publisher

Set in Barcelona in 1957, The Prisoner of Heaven shares the story of Daniel Sempere, his wife, Bea, and their new son. It is nearly Christmas and family friend Fermin Romero de Torres is about to be wed. One would think the mood would be jovial and celebratory but it is not. A strange man enters the Sempere family bookshop, purchasing one of the most valuable books in the shop. He leaves the book for Fermin, inscribing the following note inside: “For Fermín Romero de Torres, who came back from among the dead and holds the key to the future.” His visit sparks a rehashing of memories and a feeling of dread for Fermin, taking him back to the 1940s and his questionable past in captivity that eventually led him to working at the store.

Unlike Zafon’s previous works, Fermin is no longer the sidekick that provides a bit of comic relief, instead he is one of the central characters to the plot. Worried that he cannot wed legally due to issues that took place in the past, Fermin reveals the secrets that have weighed heavily on his heart to young Daniel. Daniel vows to do what he can to provide Fermin, a man that has done so much for his family, illegal documents of identity that will allow him to wed. The past that Fermin reveals to Daniel forces him to question a past he has grown to know as his own.

The Prisoner of Heaven allows readers to reunite with characters they’ve grown to love and a setting that has changed dramatically since his last novel. The most endearing part of this novel was that it added new dimension and another glimpse of the character of David Martín, the focus of The Angel’s Game. While not nearly as long or in-depth as Zafon’s previous books, this novel made up with a shortness in length with the volumes of information it shared in the sparse 288 pages. It creates a bridge between his two previous works, filling in lost details and tying up loose ends. It so wonderfully crafted the story of these characters that I found myself wanting to go back and reread the two previous books, using the knowledge I gained in reading this one.

While the author does state that each book should be able to stand on its own, I do recommend reading them in the order they were published. A fourth book is promised, one I am certain will be worth the wait and will return readers to the long, flourishing and complex prose previously witnessed in his previous books.

Bottom line: this novel just affirms my opinion that Zafon’s books are brilliantly woven, finely crafted novels, modern classics that must be read and savored to be enjoyed. They are an experience that this reader isn’t soon to forget. Highly recommended.

Thank you TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other tour stops along the way.