Just Finished Reading: Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (FP: 1999) [296pp] 

Barcelona, 1980. Even holding it in his hand 15-year-old Oscar Drai could hardly believe that he had stolen the heavy gold watch. Slowly, over the next few days, the guilt overwhelmed the fear and he decided to take it back, no matter the consequences. Returning to the grand but dilapidated house he was surprised to see a girl of around his own age waiting for him. Her name, she said, was Marina and she was the daughter of the old man who’s watch Oscar had taken. Oscar thought that this was the bravest thing he had ever done but had no idea that this was only the start of an adventure that would echo down the years ahead of him. Over the following weeks Marina and Oscar would explore the city together exchanging discoveries and hidden curiosities. One such was the strange, shrouded woman who, once a month, left a single red rose on an abandoned grave with an odd butterfly motif. It seemed almost natural that they should follow her to uncover the secret behind her strange behaviour. What they couldn’t possibly know was where such curiosity would lead – to the dark heart of a family tragedy, to the hidden darkest corners of the city few have seen and to the horrors of death avoided at any cost. Both Oscar and Marina are about to learn the true meaning of bravery and the cost of seeking answers to questions that are best forgotten. 

After really enjoying, and being more than a little surprised by, my previous read ‘The Watcher in the Shadows’ I was really looking forward to reading this – and I was far from disappointed. As much as I liked ‘Shadow’ I enjoyed this novel even more. As a keen lover of characterisation, I was most impressed by everyone portrayed here and especially the representation of the two main protagonists Marina and Oscar. Oscar in particular was a very believable ‘teen’ full of self-doubt, angst and the great capacity for both heroism and heartbreaking emotion. I really liked Oscar. Marina was a great ‘love interest’ - mysterious, beautiful, almost ethereal and enticingly tragic in her own right. I could see why Oscar fell so hard for her. The other, hardly secondary, characters were equally brilliantly drawn with believable backstories and motivations. All were (often very) flawed in one way or another, but all were human in that sense and even the ‘baddie’ elicited a degree of sympathy for his actions. The city of Barcelona was, in a real way, a character in itself although a rather insubstantial ‘magical-realist’ one at times. It was almost as if a more Fantastic city had been overlayed onto the real bricks and mortar which only needed a sideways glance and a few softly spoken words to reveal a hidden doorway to another world a short step away from this one. 

Surprisingly for an apparently YA novel this was DARK. This was truly a GOTHIC novel, complete with ‘mad’ scientists, monsters, trips to the sewers, death and dismemberment, creepy smells and noises in the night and a whole host of things to make you shiver as you turn the page. As with my last Zafon read, this was a highlight of the year for me. It’s not for a faint of heart though! There’s quite a bit that would creep out anyone so keep that in mind if you’re easily frightened or grossed out by things. It does get HEAVY from time to time! Oh, and one other thing... If you get as emotionally involved with characters the way I do, I have to recommend that you keep a box of tissues ready as you approach the final chapters. This IS a Gothic tragedy after all... Very highly recommended. 

Translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves   

[Labels Added: 0, Labels Total: 69]