The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz ZafónPublisher: Doubleday 2009
Hardback 531 pages
Have you ever made a pact with the devil? What about an angel? How could you tell the difference and at what price would you sell yourself for? Zafón's latest novel is one of suspense, danger and love... and of course, at the heart of everything: books. Surprised? Who wouldn't sell their very soul for chance to write that one novel that will change history; that will win over hearts and crumble empires? For this is what the young writer, David Martín, agrees to do for a mysterious benefactor that promises untold wealth for writing what could possibly be the most important book ever written.
The novel unfolds in a post-WWII Barcelona. Martín is from the lower eshalons of society: orphaned at a young age, he takes a job running errands for a newpaper. He is looked after by the paper's star writer and owner, but while the relationship between the two starts off as mentor/pupil, as Martín finds his own literary voice, he soon far surpasses his friend. After leaving the newspaper and making himself independent by writing cheap crime novels under a pseudonym, Martín moves into an abondended house and falls into a pattern of producing the suspense novels at a rate of once a month. The pace leaves little room for Martín to really express the literary art that is aching to be released from within. It all comes to a head when the beautiful girl he has admired from his youth comes to him to help finish his former mentor's masterpiece. As Martín attends to his friends work, he begins to write in earnest the novel that has been dying to break free from his soul. Upon publication, his mentor's work (secretly written by him) wins national acclaim, while his own novel is lambasted in the reviews by jealous coworkers that he left in the newspaper business. Ashamed and disheartened, Martín is visited by a mysterious benefactor who gives him a proposal too tempting to resist. He asks that Martín dedicate himself to writing a story, a fable, a myth; something that will make me people believe in good and evil, namely: a new religion. In return, he is offered enough money to make him the wealthiest of men. Overcome by greed and pride, Martín quickly agrees. But all is not as it seems. Death follows this strange benefactor: anyone who would stand in his path is quickly put to death, in circumstances that are as incredible as they are graphic. As Martín tries to delve deeper into the mystery of his benefactor he is drawn into a world of crime, deciet and an evil more powerful than he can imagine.
A warning to readers: this book starts off at a somewhat slow pace. Honestly, after the first 200 pages I kept nervously looking at the remaining 300+ pages and wondering how Zafón could possibly stretch the story out that far... but be patient! It is definitely worth it and the last 300 pages flew by with spellbinding storytelling that will leave you guessing until the final thrilling moment. And what is even better.... I just found out that this book is actually a prequel. I will be checking out his other book, The Shadow of the Wind, very soon.
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