This novel struck me as something I wanted to check out because it was based in Barcelona and we had just returned from a trip in the city. The book was so much more that I imagined. I have to say first that this book was originally written in Spanish and a part of me wishes I had read it in Spanish as I think the language would have added even more to the story. 
 As I read the book, the dark tone it evoked was subtle, like rain drops before a big storm. As the book progressed I realized that I was reading a full on Gothic novel. The story is about a young man named Daniel who first comes across a book written by Julian Carax in the Cementary of Forgotten Books (a place I wish existed so I could visit it). Together with his father, Daniel owned a small bookstore in turbulent 1960s Barcelona and thus his fascination with the book. 
 One of my favorite characters of this book is Fermin Romero de Torres. A man who becomes Daniel's closest friend. Together with Fermin, Daniel sets out to answer a question that had bothered him since he went to the Cementary of Forgotten Books years before, who was Julian Carax? They wander the enchanting streets of Barcelona in search of this man's story and Daniel begins to see parallels in his own life to that Julian's. 
 The pace of the story telling is excellent and without being too dramatic (although eventually shit does go down) creates subtle cliffhangers that make you want to learn more and more about the mysterious Julian's life. The story is filled with so many tragic characters who you can't help but to feel great empathy for. One of the most rewarding things for me about this book was that the epilogue let you know exactly what happened to every characters you met throughout the story. Everyone's story (including secondary characters) was wrapped perfectly into a satisfying ending. This is my favorite book so far. I fully recommend it.