A Book Review: Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

  Among my great discoveries of this year are the books of Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I spent many winter nights curling up on a couch, engrossed by the stories in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I like Zafón's writings. His books brought ashore gothic literatures to my reading world. I wanted to read more Zafón. I hunted for his books at my local library, where I found Marina.

Marina's cover depicted a red rose, with a tag line underneath it saying "A gothic tale for all ages". It turned out, Marina is an young adult novel. I am not fond of YA books but I like Zafón. I swiped my library card, and I took Marina home with me.   

What are my thoughts on this book?

Zafón did not disappoint me.

Marina started in the winter of 1979. The city of Barcelona was preparing to rejoice in the festival season. In the heart of the city walked a lonely soul, Oscar Drai, a fifteen year old boy who lived at a boarding school. By chance, Oscar met a girl in a white dress named Marina. She took Oscar to a cemetery, and together they watched a macabre ritual. At exactly 10 am on the fourth Sunday of every month, a coach would bring a woman in black, her face shrouded, to visit an unnamed grave marked only by a strange emblem depicting an opened-winged, black butterfly.

Curiosity drove Oscar and Marina into following the woman in black. Their journey resurrected a forgotten memory from post-war Barcelona; a world of aristocrats, famous actresses, and business tycoons. Meanwhile, a dark secret awaited for them in the tunnels beneath the city streets...

Marina is blend of gothic, romance, horror, and mystery. This book was originally written in Spanish, and translated into English by the poet, Lucia Graves. Admirers of Zafón's works will find many things to like about this book. The writings are fluidic and descriptive, it is properly gothic and very suspenseful. Story wise, this book contains a mystery inside a mystery; the woman in black was a mystery, but Marina also carried a secret of her own. Let me just say, this book delivered a powerful yet unexpected ending that tasted both bitter and sweet. I like this book and its characters, a lot.

I cannot say too much about this book without spoiling the story, so I will stop here. I spent 3 nights with this book and its story captivated me. I think Marina is a good introduction to the literary world of Zafón. If you are fond of mystery, romance, and gothic novels, then make sure to add this one to your list.