Genres
Description
"When boarding-school student Oscar Drai meets Marina, she promises him a mystery and takes him to a secret graveyard deep in Barcelona, where they witness a woman dressed in black lay a single rose atop a gravestone etched with a black butterfly. Their curiosity leads them down a dangerous path, and they discover a decades-old conspiracy that puts their lives in the hands of forces more sinister and mystical than they could have believed possible"--
Publication
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2014), Edition: First US Edition, 336 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member porch_reader
[The Shadow of the Wind] is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was excited to get [Marina] as an Early Reviewer selection. Marina was written before The Shadow of the Wind and has just been translated into English. The story blends elements of a typical coming-of-age story with a supernatural
This is a great story. It pulled me along, unfolding at just the right pace. Marina and Oscar are a lovely pair, wise beyond their years, but also a little reckless. The blend of the typical and the supernatural caused me to reflect on just where the dividing line lies between these two states. Nestled within the story of two children with very real problems and feelings, the supernatural felt like just another extension of the story, believable in its own way. But it is Zafon ability to capture the atmosphere of Barcelona that is my favorite element of this book. Barcelona is very much a character in its own rite in this story, as is established at the beginning of Chapter One:
"In the late 1970s Barcelona was a mirage of avenues and winding alleys where one could easily travel thirty or forty years into the past by just stepping into the foyer of a grand old building or walking into a café. Time and memory, history and fiction merged in the enchanted city like watercolors in the rain. It was there, in the lingering echo of streets that no longer exist, that cathedrals and ago-old palaces created the tapestry into which this story would be woven."
I also found myself drawn to the characters despair in the face of death of their loved ones, in their desperation to get them back. But as a wise doctor comments:
"The territory of humans is life. Death does not belong to us."
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mystery from years ago. Oscar, a boarding school student in Barcelona, enjoys exploring the far reaches of the city. On one of these walks, he hears haunting beautiful music and stumbles into the house of Marina and her widowed father, German Blau. As Oscar learns the Blau's tragic story, he and Marina also stumble across another tragic tale that involves love and loss, along with some truly horrifying elements that echo into the present. Marina and Oscar must figure out the missing pieces. This is a great story. It pulled me along, unfolding at just the right pace. Marina and Oscar are a lovely pair, wise beyond their years, but also a little reckless. The blend of the typical and the supernatural caused me to reflect on just where the dividing line lies between these two states. Nestled within the story of two children with very real problems and feelings, the supernatural felt like just another extension of the story, believable in its own way. But it is Zafon ability to capture the atmosphere of Barcelona that is my favorite element of this book. Barcelona is very much a character in its own rite in this story, as is established at the beginning of Chapter One:
"In the late 1970s Barcelona was a mirage of avenues and winding alleys where one could easily travel thirty or forty years into the past by just stepping into the foyer of a grand old building or walking into a café. Time and memory, history and fiction merged in the enchanted city like watercolors in the rain. It was there, in the lingering echo of streets that no longer exist, that cathedrals and ago-old palaces created the tapestry into which this story would be woven."
I also found myself drawn to the characters despair in the face of death of their loved ones, in their desperation to get them back. But as a wise doctor comments:
"The territory of humans is life. Death does not belong to us."
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LibraryThing member LizzieD
Bottom line on top: I don't read YA books. When I saw CRZ's name on the ER list, I requested it immediately without reading about it carefully. I find that I'm not able to think myself back into an eleven year-old mindset, so I was pretty dissatisfied with Marina. It's a bit of gothic horror
Otherwise, he hits every horror-of-its-kind trope.... mysterious, ruined house occupied by mysterious, beautiful people; mysterious, black-cloaked woman who visits mysterious cemetery regularly, leaving a rose on a grave; sewers; inhuman monsters; human monsters; mysterious medical formula; very young love.
I'm passing my copy on to a friend who will love it.
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adventure without much else to recommend it except for Zafon's writing, which manages to shine through even in translation, and Barcelona. CRZ's Barcelona is an endlessly fascinating, exotic, seductive place that puts a spell on me as surely as does Venice.Otherwise, he hits every horror-of-its-kind trope.... mysterious, ruined house occupied by mysterious, beautiful people; mysterious, black-cloaked woman who visits mysterious cemetery regularly, leaving a rose on a grave; sewers; inhuman monsters; human monsters; mysterious medical formula; very young love.
I'm passing my copy on to a friend who will love it.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
The internets tell me that this book was written before The Shadow of the Wind, which I think was Zafon’s break-out book internationally. Prior to that he was well known in Spain, but not much outside. This first US edition of Marina seems to indicate that has changed. My copy came to me through
Zafon writes modern gothic and he does it well. It’s not terribly original since he uses the usual tropes of the genre, but he injects enough individuality that it isn’t boring. Far from it. In this one we’ve got a couple of teenagers on the track of a mystery involving the tragic stories of 2 couples where the women were both singers. There’s a graveyard visitor who is literally hooded in disguise (and she uses a horse-drawn carriage). Crumbling mansions and a deliciously decrepit theater. Freaks and a doctor named Shelley. A sinister creature who reeks of rotten meat. Possessed puppets. Secret symbols. Cannibalistic butterflies. Abandoned tunnels beneath the city. Insanity. Gruesome surgery. Recluses. The whole thing drips with creepy atmosphere and dread. It’s wicked fun.
Sometimes Oscar was a bit too sophisticated for his years though, remarking about how he likes to observe how women size each other up at a first meeting. Really? at 15? And in a boarding school, how much opportunity would he have had? Also, Oscar and Marina are about the least sexually curious teenagers I’ve ever seen. There are a couple of chaste kisses and some esoteric longing on Oscar’s part, but that’s it. Weird. Especially in 1980 which is the year this whole story takes place.
I raced through it. At times I was reminded of Poe and some of his tragic tales like Ligeia. Then there was a Phantom of the Opera vibe. Then Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau. So if you like all those and can deal with high-flown tragedy filtered through a gothic style with a couple of dreamers for protagonists, this is your book.
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LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program, probably on the strength of my having 2 of his other books.Zafon writes modern gothic and he does it well. It’s not terribly original since he uses the usual tropes of the genre, but he injects enough individuality that it isn’t boring. Far from it. In this one we’ve got a couple of teenagers on the track of a mystery involving the tragic stories of 2 couples where the women were both singers. There’s a graveyard visitor who is literally hooded in disguise (and she uses a horse-drawn carriage). Crumbling mansions and a deliciously decrepit theater. Freaks and a doctor named Shelley. A sinister creature who reeks of rotten meat. Possessed puppets. Secret symbols. Cannibalistic butterflies. Abandoned tunnels beneath the city. Insanity. Gruesome surgery. Recluses. The whole thing drips with creepy atmosphere and dread. It’s wicked fun.
Sometimes Oscar was a bit too sophisticated for his years though, remarking about how he likes to observe how women size each other up at a first meeting. Really? at 15? And in a boarding school, how much opportunity would he have had? Also, Oscar and Marina are about the least sexually curious teenagers I’ve ever seen. There are a couple of chaste kisses and some esoteric longing on Oscar’s part, but that’s it. Weird. Especially in 1980 which is the year this whole story takes place.
I raced through it. At times I was reminded of Poe and some of his tragic tales like Ligeia. Then there was a Phantom of the Opera vibe. Then Frankenstein and The Island of Dr. Moreau. So if you like all those and can deal with high-flown tragedy filtered through a gothic style with a couple of dreamers for protagonists, this is your book.
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LibraryThing member cammykitty
This book is similar to the Printz award winning book Going Bovine, and if you know Going Bovine, I've just given you a spoiler. As a matter of fact, it is hard to talk about this book without giving spoilers. Fifteen-year-old Oscar Drai has gone missing from his boarding school for ten weeks and
The Gothic atmosphere of the story is beautifully done, or a bit over-the-top depending on your taste. He describes a section of Barcelona that once was wealthy but is now both crumbling and timeless. There he meets his fragile friend Marina and her aging father, and for a time, they become his family. The tale he tells is full of action and daring, reanimated dead, and deeds that the average fifteen year boy would say he could do but perhaps couldn't. There are a few consistency errors. When you get to the end, you'll understand the reason for the consistency errors. I haven't decided whether or not I like the end yet. I'm mostly on the like side.
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is found wandering around a bus station. He is sent back to the school, and the following narrative is his Gothic tale of his whereabouts. The Gothic atmosphere of the story is beautifully done, or a bit over-the-top depending on your taste. He describes a section of Barcelona that once was wealthy but is now both crumbling and timeless. There he meets his fragile friend Marina and her aging father, and for a time, they become his family. The tale he tells is full of action and daring, reanimated dead, and deeds that the average fifteen year boy would say he could do but perhaps couldn't. There are a few consistency errors. When you get to the end, you'll understand the reason for the consistency errors. I haven't decided whether or not I like the end yet. I'm mostly on the like side.
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LibraryThing member VioletBramble
Fifteen year old Oscar attends boarding school in Barcelona. He's not close to his family, so instead of going home over Christmas break he stays at school. He wanders around Barcelona at all hours. He finds an old house that he thinks is empty and goes inside. The house isn't empty. Eventually
While I didn't think this book was as good as Zafon's later work -- the style is different and the pacing and storytelling are kind of off- I did think the mystery was very good. I had no idea what was happening. Zafon maintained a creepy atmosphere throughout the book. And, as usual when reading Zafon, I wanted to travel to Barcelona to see if the city is as pretty as he describes.
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Oscar meets the occupants of the house; a young girl named Marina and her portrait artist father, German Blau. Oscar and Marina wander Barcelona looking to solve the mystery of the woman in black who leaves a rose on a grave every month. As they get more involved they uncover a deeper mystery that involves marionette people, medical experimentation and raising the dead. While I didn't think this book was as good as Zafon's later work -- the style is different and the pacing and storytelling are kind of off- I did think the mystery was very good. I had no idea what was happening. Zafon maintained a creepy atmosphere throughout the book. And, as usual when reading Zafon, I wanted to travel to Barcelona to see if the city is as pretty as he describes.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
I’m huge fan of Zafon’s work and will continue to read anything and everything he writes. This one was originally published in Spain in 1999, before The Shadow of the Wind, and is just now being released in the United States. I feel like that’s important information to have, because anyone
The gothic mystery is about a young boy who gets caught up in the midst of a strange and terrifying world. Along the way he meets a young girl named Marina and her kind father. Honestly the book is really scary, in my opinion much creepier than his later work. There are puppets and experiments on the dead that freaked me out a bit. Also, it bothered me that the first lines set up a mystery that doesn’t really live up to its own hype by the end.
The relationship between Marina and her father and our main character gave the story a depth the story desperately needed. The mystery itself wasn’t as good as The Shadow of the Wind, but you can see the early shades of his later work hiding in this book. The plot deals with the ultimate struggle between life and death. We all fight against it and fight to save those we love. It’s hard to accept our fate or the fate of the people who mean the most to us.
BOTTOM LINE: This precursor to Zafon’s more famous work is a must for devotees of the author. But if you’re new to his books just skip ahead and read The Shadow of the Wind to see if he’s up your alley.
"Days fell off the calendar like dead leaves."
"During those weeks I learned that one can live on hope and little else."
"The territory of humans is life," said the doctor. "Death does not belong to us."
**I received a review copy for an honest review.
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expecting the polished work found in his later novels might be a bit disappointed. This one still has his style of writing, but it is a less mature novel, better in theory than in execution. Really that’s good news because it means Zafon just keeps improving as a writer. The gothic mystery is about a young boy who gets caught up in the midst of a strange and terrifying world. Along the way he meets a young girl named Marina and her kind father. Honestly the book is really scary, in my opinion much creepier than his later work. There are puppets and experiments on the dead that freaked me out a bit. Also, it bothered me that the first lines set up a mystery that doesn’t really live up to its own hype by the end.
The relationship between Marina and her father and our main character gave the story a depth the story desperately needed. The mystery itself wasn’t as good as The Shadow of the Wind, but you can see the early shades of his later work hiding in this book. The plot deals with the ultimate struggle between life and death. We all fight against it and fight to save those we love. It’s hard to accept our fate or the fate of the people who mean the most to us.
BOTTOM LINE: This precursor to Zafon’s more famous work is a must for devotees of the author. But if you’re new to his books just skip ahead and read The Shadow of the Wind to see if he’s up your alley.
"Days fell off the calendar like dead leaves."
"During those weeks I learned that one can live on hope and little else."
"The territory of humans is life," said the doctor. "Death does not belong to us."
**I received a review copy for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member GretchenLynn
Another wonderful novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This book is almost two stories in one. The main character, Oscar, stumbles upon both a new friendship and a years-old mystery in Barcelona. Early on in his friendship with Marina she takes him to a cemetery and they witness a woman in black, who they
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then follow to a strange greenhouse. At the same time that Oscar gets to know Marina better, practically becoming part of the family, he also delves into the story behind the woman and what he found in the greenhouse. This story is a mix of a horror/thriller and a wonderful story of love and friendship, and is at turns terrifying, beautiful, and heartbreaking. Show Less
LibraryThing member EKAnderson
The beautiful prose in MARINA is enough to suck any lover of words into Carlos Ruiz Zafón's latest. The setting of Barcelona in the 80s is another great hook. And then there's the surrealism, the almost magically-real mystery. And the love story somewhat reminiscent of Alessandro D'Avenia's WHITE
Oscar is pretty much an average dude at a boarding school in Barcelona. But he's also a loner. And he mostly likes it that way. He's taken to sneaking out, spending weekends exploring the city. And on one such exploration he inadvertently a) experiences something that his rational brain can't explain and b) breaks into an old mansion that turns out to not be as abandoned as he thought. When he goes back to return the watch that he accidentally stole in a rush of panic, he meets Marina. And, together, Oscar and Marina begin to unravel the mystery that began with Oscar's encounter in her courtyard. And it's a mystery that gets weirder and weirder -- and, at the same time, lovelier and more grotesque.
Part Mary Shelley and part Maureen Johnson, MARINA is definitely a must-read for this summer...and fall. Fans of the classic Gothic will eat this novel up, and those looking to dip their toes into the genre won't be disappointed, either. Carlos Ruiz Zafón knows how to spin a tale, and MARINA is a tale well-spun.
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LIKE MILK, RED LIKE BLOOD, or Rainbow Rowell's ELEANOR & PARK. But, mostly, I think what makes MARINA a must-read (aside from, well, everything!) is the beautiful creep factor.Oscar is pretty much an average dude at a boarding school in Barcelona. But he's also a loner. And he mostly likes it that way. He's taken to sneaking out, spending weekends exploring the city. And on one such exploration he inadvertently a) experiences something that his rational brain can't explain and b) breaks into an old mansion that turns out to not be as abandoned as he thought. When he goes back to return the watch that he accidentally stole in a rush of panic, he meets Marina. And, together, Oscar and Marina begin to unravel the mystery that began with Oscar's encounter in her courtyard. And it's a mystery that gets weirder and weirder -- and, at the same time, lovelier and more grotesque.
Part Mary Shelley and part Maureen Johnson, MARINA is definitely a must-read for this summer...and fall. Fans of the classic Gothic will eat this novel up, and those looking to dip their toes into the genre won't be disappointed, either. Carlos Ruiz Zafón knows how to spin a tale, and MARINA is a tale well-spun.
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LibraryThing member BLBera
[Marina] was originally published in 1999, before [Shadow of the Wind]. However, it contains many of the elements we’ve come to expect from Ruiz Zafón: decaying mansions, mysterious girls and sinister strangers. Its subtitle “A Gothic Tale” is an apt description. It’s the story of
The story is fast paced and atmospheric; Barcelona’s spooky decaying mansions and sewers provide a fitting background to this Gothic tale. Told from the perspective of the adult Oscar, looking back on the events, we also get a sense of nostalgia for a lost childhood.
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fifteen-year-old Oscar Drai and his adventures in the Barcelona of the 1970s after he meets Marina. Marina takes him to the cemetery one Sunday, where they witness a woman in black placing a rose on a tombstone with no name. Solving the mystery of this woman quickly becomes dangerous.The story is fast paced and atmospheric; Barcelona’s spooky decaying mansions and sewers provide a fitting background to this Gothic tale. Told from the perspective of the adult Oscar, looking back on the events, we also get a sense of nostalgia for a lost childhood.
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LibraryThing member snash
Gothic is far from my normal reading, in fact, this is probably the first I've ever read. The things I found over the top - the eerie dark atmosphere, macabre scenes, etc are all hallmarks of the genre. Despite all, I found it very well written, the plot engrossing and generally entertaining.
LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
Zafon is like some sort of crazy chef, insisting on using the same five or six simple ingredients to create a totally different masterpiece each time he works. Here's his ingredient list...
- story set in Barcelona with lots of descriptions of old creepy buildings
- young wide-eyed protagonist with a
- an unsolved mystery from the past, typically set around the time of the Spanish Civil War
- an authority figure still hanging around trying to solve said mystery
- lots of crazy old characters willing to tell all they know in chapter-length chunks of exposition
- at least one or two unbelievably gorgeous women, one from the past and one a contemporary of our hero, and with a heart of gold
He takes these ingredients and adds in two or three heartrendingly beautiful passages that, like magic, completely draw the reader into this world that he's created - and it works every time.
All of that is present in this early effort from Zafon, and it all works again beautifully, except for the unsolved mystery part, which is the heart of all his stories. This mixed-up retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (he even names one of his old characters Shelley so you're sure to catch on) is so wildly beyond belief that it just never quite rings true enough to achieve the greatness that his other stories have. Thankfully within a couple of years he found the right mystery and created The Shadow of the Wind from the exact same ingredients and achieved perfection.
If you're a fan of Zafon's you'll enjoy this early effort that's only recently been translated - prepare to have your heart moved again and again by a master.
- story set in Barcelona with lots of descriptions of old creepy buildings
- young wide-eyed protagonist with a
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lot to learn- an unsolved mystery from the past, typically set around the time of the Spanish Civil War
- an authority figure still hanging around trying to solve said mystery
- lots of crazy old characters willing to tell all they know in chapter-length chunks of exposition
- at least one or two unbelievably gorgeous women, one from the past and one a contemporary of our hero, and with a heart of gold
He takes these ingredients and adds in two or three heartrendingly beautiful passages that, like magic, completely draw the reader into this world that he's created - and it works every time.
All of that is present in this early effort from Zafon, and it all works again beautifully, except for the unsolved mystery part, which is the heart of all his stories. This mixed-up retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (he even names one of his old characters Shelley so you're sure to catch on) is so wildly beyond belief that it just never quite rings true enough to achieve the greatness that his other stories have. Thankfully within a couple of years he found the right mystery and created The Shadow of the Wind from the exact same ingredients and achieved perfection.
If you're a fan of Zafon's you'll enjoy this early effort that's only recently been translated - prepare to have your heart moved again and again by a master.
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LibraryThing member -Eva-
On one of his "excursions" in Barcelona, 15-year-old Oscar Drai meets Marina, who shows him a mysterious ceremony at a hidden cemetery, and when they decide to investigate, the macabre life story of Mijail Kolvenik unfolds in ways nobody could have anticipated. This is an intriguing, and quite
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creepy, Gothic tale that brings the underworld of Barcelona alive, quite literally, whilst providing more than a few surprisingly gory moments. The storyline feels slightly messy until you wrap your head around the many curious characters that Oscar and Marina encounter and I would even recommend trying to read this in one sitting - it's a YA novel, so it's quite possible - so that the mood stays the same and twist at the end feels close to the hints from the beginning. I liked the characters very much and the mood is spectacular, but it did bother me a little that there were a few threads that weren't tied together at the end - although the ambiguity contributed to the mood, so I can't list that as a complete minus either. In essence, it made me want to rush off and read everything else the author has produced. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
Published in Spanish in 1999, this book has finally made its appearance in English, and boy am I glad it has. Since The Shadow of the Wind I've read just about everything Carlos Ruiz Zafón has published, and I've enjoyed each of his works to some degree. This one, though, I absolutely loved. A
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gritty gothic tale of Barcelona, filled with the author's characteristic shiver-inducing atmospherics. The tropes of the genre are put to excellent use here, and I very nearly read it all in one go. More of this, please! Show Less
LibraryThing member Mishker
Fifteen year-old Oscar attends a boarding school in Barcelona in 1980. Intrigued by architecture and a sense of adventure, he likes to go explore the abandoned mansions that line the streets near his school. Lured in by a ghostly opera melody, Oscar finds himself in a very much inhabited mansion
A gothic mystery with a touch of romance and plenty of adventure, Marina provided a good mix that made for a perfect read. The abandoned and forgotten mansions, graveyards and theaters made for a perfect setting, where a mystery is just waiting to be solved. Zafon's writing style adds to the overall mysterious but romantic feeling, a rich, descriptive prose that gave me just enough to get lost in the words and the world that Marina and Oscar had discovered. The friendship and budding romance of Oscar and Marina, is done with a perfect touch, it is not overwhelming and the sense that there is something more to their relationship grown throughout the book to give way to an absolutely heartbreaking ending. While written for teens and with teen characters, Marina reads much like an adult novel. This book definitely makes me want to read my other Zafon books that are sitting on the shelf.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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and unwittingly steals a gold pocket watch. When Oscar finds the courage to return the pocket watch, he finds that the inhabitants of the dilapidated mansion include a girl his age, Marina, and her father, German. Fueled by a shared sense of adventure, Marina leads Oscar to an abandoned graveyard with an unmarked stone that a veiled lady in black visits at the same time once a week, leaving a single red rose. A gothic mystery with a touch of romance and plenty of adventure, Marina provided a good mix that made for a perfect read. The abandoned and forgotten mansions, graveyards and theaters made for a perfect setting, where a mystery is just waiting to be solved. Zafon's writing style adds to the overall mysterious but romantic feeling, a rich, descriptive prose that gave me just enough to get lost in the words and the world that Marina and Oscar had discovered. The friendship and budding romance of Oscar and Marina, is done with a perfect touch, it is not overwhelming and the sense that there is something more to their relationship grown throughout the book to give way to an absolutely heartbreaking ending. While written for teens and with teen characters, Marina reads much like an adult novel. This book definitely makes me want to read my other Zafon books that are sitting on the shelf.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member bpompon
I am a big fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I am always drawn in immediately by his writing style. You feel like you are in the middle of a dream. He has a beautiful way of describing the surroundings in his stories. It's as though you are right there, walking down the streets of Barcelona. His stories
Unfortunately for me, Marina makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a nightmare. Marina has all of the elements that I so love about Zafon's books, but with characters that I could only imagine if I was in the middle of a really bad dream. That being said, the book is so well written that I'm not sorry I read it. If you are into Gothic Horror novels, this is a great book!
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are so unique with all kinds of twists to his mysterious plots. I find myself racing through his books to see what's going to happen next.Unfortunately for me, Marina makes me feel like I'm in the middle of a nightmare. Marina has all of the elements that I so love about Zafon's books, but with characters that I could only imagine if I was in the middle of a really bad dream. That being said, the book is so well written that I'm not sorry I read it. If you are into Gothic Horror novels, this is a great book!
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LibraryThing member cartoslibrary
A beast is loose in the ancient sewers of Barcelona, Spain— get out the silver bullets.
Adventure, horror, and zombie-like beasts— surely Marina is Ruiz Zafón’s homage to Mary Shelley and Frankenstein— it works for me; I liked it! The 15 year old narrator, bored with school, seeks adventure
This young-adult novel is an excellent introduction to the Barcelona setting of Zafón’s
international best-selling trilogy: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game and The Prisoner of Heaven. The English translation by Lucia Graves is very readable, but at times falls into humorous cliché. In one case the result is a minor profanity that is inappropriate for very young readers.
The Spanish edition of Marina is also easily readable so give your high school Spanish a workout. I used the English language paperback as a crib while reading the Spanish language paperback and recommend these editions for young readers and older folks too.
Adventure, horror, and zombie-like beasts— surely Marina is Ruiz Zafón’s homage to Mary Shelley and Frankenstein— it works for me; I liked it! The 15 year old narrator, bored with school, seeks adventure
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and is nearly overcome by what he finds. In the end, however, he also discovers love and companionship. What’s not to like about that plot?This young-adult novel is an excellent introduction to the Barcelona setting of Zafón’s
international best-selling trilogy: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game and The Prisoner of Heaven. The English translation by Lucia Graves is very readable, but at times falls into humorous cliché. In one case the result is a minor profanity that is inappropriate for very young readers.
The Spanish edition of Marina is also easily readable so give your high school Spanish a workout. I used the English language paperback as a crib while reading the Spanish language paperback and recommend these editions for young readers and older folks too.
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LibraryThing member ursula
Marina is subtitled "A Gothic Tale," so I guess that should give you some idea of what to expect. Our narrator is Oscar, a young man who is a student at a boarding school. He stumbles into an overgrown, seemingly abandoned house and leaves with a watch he found there. Finally driven to return it,
I didn't realize this was a young adult book going in, and it's not a genre I read. I also have no other experience with Zafon, so I just have to judge it on what I read here.
The good: Zafon takes "atmospheric" to a whole different level. The city of Barcelona is a character unto itself, and I swore that I could feel the fog in the narrow streets. (This is really two positives - for setting and for writing.)
Some of the creepy scenes are truly creepy, even from a more jaded adult perspective. I can imagine certain things in here might keep a young adult reader up at night.
If you're going to go gothic, you might as well go full-tilt, with drama galore, and he certainly does that.
The bad: The format of "meet someone, have them tell you a story" is effective at communicating information, but maybe not the most involving way to connect us with Oscar and Marina. I never felt like I really got to know either of them all that well.
The story takes a while to really get going.
So, it comes down overall on the positive side. It's a quick read once you get past the beginning, and it's great for painting mental pictures.
Recommended for: the type of person who would take a "ghost tour" of Barcelona, fans of early horror movies
Quote: "We had reached the enchanted Barcelona, the labyrinth of spirits, where the ghosts of time walked behind us."
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he meets the occupants of the house, Marina and her father German. From there, mysteries abound - a strange woman in a black veil, the symbol of a black butterfly, a deranged genius from the past.I didn't realize this was a young adult book going in, and it's not a genre I read. I also have no other experience with Zafon, so I just have to judge it on what I read here.
The good: Zafon takes "atmospheric" to a whole different level. The city of Barcelona is a character unto itself, and I swore that I could feel the fog in the narrow streets. (This is really two positives - for setting and for writing.)
Some of the creepy scenes are truly creepy, even from a more jaded adult perspective. I can imagine certain things in here might keep a young adult reader up at night.
If you're going to go gothic, you might as well go full-tilt, with drama galore, and he certainly does that.
The bad: The format of "meet someone, have them tell you a story" is effective at communicating information, but maybe not the most involving way to connect us with Oscar and Marina. I never felt like I really got to know either of them all that well.
The story takes a while to really get going.
So, it comes down overall on the positive side. It's a quick read once you get past the beginning, and it's great for painting mental pictures.
Recommended for: the type of person who would take a "ghost tour" of Barcelona, fans of early horror movies
Quote: "We had reached the enchanted Barcelona, the labyrinth of spirits, where the ghosts of time walked behind us."
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LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
Truthfully, I'm wasn't at all impressed with this story until near the end. I think the book was meant for a younger readership than myself, although if I read it as a teenage, I'm not sure I'd have liked it all that much then either. I found it very hard to believe that the two young characters,
The way in which the story developed was extremely annoying as well. Why were the characters telling the story instead of me, the reader, reading what the characters actually did? What a tedious way to tell what should have been a very absorbing tale! The way it was told made me want to read through it as quickly as possible to get to the end and be done with it. This is a shame because I remember enjoying Zafon's novel The Angel's Game very, very much.
The redeeming quality of this book came at the very end when I realized that the focus of this book was on the depth of Oscar and Marina's friendship and the revelation of Marina's secret that she is the one with the terminal illness and not her father . To me, this is too little and too late.
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Oscar and Maria, would put themselves into the frightening situations in which they did. Their actions just did not seem believable to me. Why would Oscar just suddenly show up in a stranger's house and steal an object? Why would two young people put themselves directly into such grotesque danger? The way in which the story developed was extremely annoying as well. Why were the characters telling the story instead of me, the reader, reading what the characters actually did? What a tedious way to tell what should have been a very absorbing tale! The way it was told made me want to read through it as quickly as possible to get to the end and be done with it. This is a shame because I remember enjoying Zafon's novel The Angel's Game very, very much.
The redeeming quality of this book came at the very end when I realized that the focus of this book was on the depth of Oscar and Marina's friendship and the revelation of Marina's secret
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LibraryThing member banjo123
This is Young Adult novel, and was written, actually, before the bestselling [The Shadow of the Wind]. It was recently translated into English and re-released. It’s not as good as [The Shadow of the Wind]; but is very gothic, very romantic and very [[Carlos Ruiz Zafon]]. I found it readable and
In 1980, the narrator, 15-year old Oscar Drai, is a lonely boarding-school student in Barcelona. In his rambles through the city, he meets a young girl, Marina and her father German. A bond is formed between the three. Then a story develops; involving Barcelona history and the supernatural; opera-singers and pseudo-zombies; tycoons and freaks of nature.
In truth, however, the real story is the relationship between Oscar and Marina. The book brings into question the meaning of storytelling. As Marina tells Oscar “we only remember what never really happened.”
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enjoyable. In 1980, the narrator, 15-year old Oscar Drai, is a lonely boarding-school student in Barcelona. In his rambles through the city, he meets a young girl, Marina and her father German. A bond is formed between the three. Then a story develops; involving Barcelona history and the supernatural; opera-singers and pseudo-zombies; tycoons and freaks of nature.
In truth, however, the real story is the relationship between Oscar and Marina. The book brings into question the meaning of storytelling. As Marina tells Oscar “we only remember what never really happened.”
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
I don't think anything will ever eclipse "Shadow of the Wind," but I did like this one quite a bit. Zafon is a master of mood, plot, character and just sheer ... entertainment? As always, one of the best characters is Barcelona. I'm not really a "gothic" fan, but then, I'm not really sure what
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"gothic" is. Zafon's writing is poetic in spots and melodramatic in others, but that is part of the fun. I enjoyed the dark, spooky feel of this book. A good one to read come Halloween. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
I loved the atmosphere of Barcelona's past that pervades the book, but I never quite bought the fantastic elements of the story. I think that might be the point. As Oscar recounts his memories of the unbelievable events of his sixteenth year, are these memories real or imagined? Marina has
This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
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fantastic trappings and a gothic feel, but at its heart it's a very simple story of friendship and the memory of first love. Although this isn't the type of book that usually appeals to me, I was attracted to it because the teenage protagonists are the same age as I was during the novel's time frame. The intensely emotional story will appeal to teen and young adult readers.This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
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LibraryThing member ShellyPYA
When boarding-school student Oscar Drai meets Marina, she promises him a mystery and takes him to a secret graveyard deep in Barcelona, where they witness a woman dressed in black lay a single rose atop a gravestone etched with a black butterfly. Their curiosity leads them down a dangerous path,
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and they discover a decades-old conspiracy that puts their lives in the hands of forces more sinister and mystical than they could have believed possible. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
A dark tale with all of the elements that Carlos Ruiz Zafon excels at bringing to life. Mystery mixed with a touch of paranormal comes together in this gothic tale of life and death set in Barcelona. Told by Oscar, a 15-year-old who
A dark tale with all of the elements that Carlos Ruiz Zafon excels at bringing to life. Mystery mixed with a touch of paranormal comes together in this gothic tale of life and death set in Barcelona. Told by Oscar, a 15-year-old who
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periodically sneaks away from his boarding school and who discovers a multitude of secrets in Barcelona when he encounters the young Marina and her father. Interesting and worth reading, but not as good as Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. Show Less
LibraryThing member SuzReads
I am a huge fan of this author so I was thrilled to receive this book for free through LibraryThing Early Reviewers! Once again, he writes another amazing book! The descriptions of the scenery and people are so detailed that everything comes alive and you can’t help but be drawn into the emotions
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of the story. I love how this author makes me feel like I am walking the streets of Barcelona and seeing through the eyes of his characters! The balance of action, mystery and relationship interaction is perfect and keeps you reading to see what happens next. This is a YA book that I think readers of all ages would enjoy! Show Less
LibraryThing member sogamonk
Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Marina is certainly not his best effort. That being said, i found the book entertaining the first hundred pages. I was intrigued by the way the friendship between Oscar and Marina developed. But, then,Zafon began to "weave" too many "webs" around the main story. I felt it became
Still, a fast read and enjoyable.
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just to much,making what could have been a good solid YA story , way too complex, not easy to follow and somewhat predictable.Still, a fast read and enjoyable.
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Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
8.63 inches
ISBN
0316044717 / 9780316044714