The Prince of Mist
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
★★★☆
I’m a huge fan of Zafon’s work. I’ve read and loved The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game, so picking up this young adult book was a no-brainer. It’s a wonderfully creepy ghost story. Even though I liked it, I know it won’t stay with me in the same way his other books have.
It’s the first book Zafon ever had published and it does feel like a first novel. His writing has certainly improved over time, which is wonderful, but because of that, it doesn’t have the same depth as his other books. I couldn’t sink my teeth into it in the same way, but it was meant for a much younger audience. It reminded me in parts of Gaiman’s Coraline and of The Dark is Rising series and I think it would be the perfect introduction to Zafon’s work for a 10-12 year-old.
On the audio, the performer was great, but the sound effects were incredibly distracting. I think a younger audience might enjoy them, but I wasn’t a fan. There’s music throughout and there’s odd extra noises. When it says someone screams, they play a scream, or when a door creaks in the text, you hear it creaking, etc. I didn’t need that additional drama and it sounded cheesy. So maybe with this one, skip the audio and grab a print version.
8 comments:
This is the one Zafon I haven't read and can't ever seem to find at the bookstore. It's probably because I had no idea it is YA.
I am tempted to try it anyways, just because I do like this author too. And yes, if I do, it will be the book. Thanks!
Brenna - It's nowhere near as good as the others, but I thought it was interesting to see the writing that eventually led him to write the books I love so much.
BookQuoter - Yes, avoid the audio!
I loved The Shadow of the Wind, and I loved the fact that I know many places he mentions because it's set in my home town :). Best regards from a new reader from Barcelona,
Marta
http://englishinbarna.blogspot.com/
Welcome Marta! I'm jealous you get to wander the streets of Barcelona every day. I've wanted to visit ever since I finished Shadow.
I didn't realize this was a YA novel! It almost makes me wish I'd read this before his others, as I think the expectation of greatness will just overpower the merit of this one.
She - That's what happened to me. If I had never heard of Zafon before I might have enjoyed this one more. But I love his other work so much, it's an unfair standard to hold it to.
I didn't like this as much as I loved The Shadow of the Wind. Thought it was just okay.
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