Book Recommendations

The Prisoner of Heaven

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Fiction, Literary, Antiques & Collectibles, Books, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Cultural Heritage, Hispanic & Latino, Magical Realism, Mystery & Detective, Historical, General | 320 pages
1 recommendation

'This is is explicitly, and joyously, a book about books, about what can be learned from them and what is lost when they are lost' GUARDIAN

'Full of stylish writing, Gothic atmosphere and love letters to 19th-century novels' WASHINGTON POST


Barcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a a mysterious figure with a porcelain hand enters the Sempere bookshop, threatening to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades.

His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s - the early days of Franco's dictatorship and the very heart of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.

The Prisoner of Heaven is 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.

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Veronica Allan
22nd Nov 2024
"The third book in Zafon’s Cemetery of Lost Books series is a direct sequel of the first, taking us back into the world of Daniel Sempere, his elderly father and their bookshop. This is a bit of a relief after the darkness of The Angel’s Game, especially as Daniel’s friend Fermín is a central character who brings much levity into the lives of his friends in Barcelona. The story jumps backwards into the early life of Fermin when he was imprisoned during the Civil War in Montjuic Castle - still an important monument in Barcelona, with a grim history. This makes Prisoner of Heaven an ideal read for tourists in Barcelona as the mountain itself is a must-see destination. Tours of the fortress are available. My suggestion is to take most of a day for your visit, ascending by way of the huge outdoor escalators and returning via the cable car for panoramic views over the city. While you are there you can tour the magnificent Museum of Catalonian Art with its huge collection of art both ancient and modern. Reading Prisoner of Heaven will give you a very personal insight into the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War - even though Zafon’s characters are fictional. A visit to Montjuic, whether or not you tour the castle, will be a highlight of your time in Barcelona."