El Príncipe de la Niebla

Por Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Estudio preliminar y propuestas de trabajo a cargo de David Viñas Piquer.
Escapando de los desastres de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la familia Carver se traslada a una casa junto a la playa de un pueblo pequeño y tranquilo situado a orillas del Atlántico. Se trata de un viaje también en el tiempo, pues pronto los Carver se ven envueltos en una sorprendente historia relacionada con inquietantes acontecimientos del pasado. Max y Alicia, los hermanos mayores de la familia, protagonizan junto a su amigo Roland una peligrosa aventura que los lleva a enfrentarse al Príncipe de la Niebla, un personaje siniestro que demuestra hasta qué punto aciertan quienes aseguran que lo prometido es... deuda.

Esta edición incluye un estudio preliminar, propuestas de trabajo y lecturas complementarias a cargo de David Viñas Piquer, profesor de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada en la Universidad de Barcelona.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: Austral
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 4 oct 2018
• ISBN: 9788408191339

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the author of eight novels, including the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Cemetery of Forgotten Books series: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of the Spirits. His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers. He lives in Los Angeles.

Vista previa del libro

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Sinopsis

Portadilla

Nota introductoria

Estudio preliminar

El Príncipe de la Niebla

Dedicatoria

Una nota del autor

Capítulo uno

Capítulo dos

Capítulo tres

Capítulo cuatro

Capítulo cinco

Capítulo seis

Capítulo siete

Capítulo ocho

Capítulo nueve

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Capítulo once

Capítulo doce

Capítulo trece

Capítulo catorce

Capítulo quince

Capítulo dieciséis

Capítulo diecisiete

Capítulo dieciocho

Epílogo

Propuestas de trabajo

Bibliografía

Nota editorial

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SINOPSIS

El nuevo hogar de los Carver, que se han mudado a la costa huyendo de la ciudad y de la guerra, está rodeado de misterio.

Todavía se respira el espíritu de Jacob, el hijo de los antiguos propietarios, que murió ahogado. Las extrañas circunstancias de esa muerte sólo se empiezan a aclarar con la aparición de un diabólico personaje: el Príncipe de la Niebla, capaz de conceder cualquier deseo a una persona; eso sí, a un alto precio.

EL

PRÍNCIPE

DE LA

NIEBLA

Carlos

Ruiz

Zafón

Edición a cargo de

David Viñas Piquer

NOTA INTRODUCTORIA

Carlos Ruiz Zafón es hoy uno de los escritores españoles más leídos en todo el mundo gracias a su capacidad para construir un universo narrativo con gran poder de seducción. El Príncipe de la Niebla, publicada en 1993, fue la tarjeta de presentación del escritor barcelonés, y ya en esta novela se advierten algunos de los recursos que explican el deslumbrante éxito que han tenido las obras que configuran la saga de El Cementerio de los Libros Olvidados, que empezó en el año 2001 con la publicación de La Sombra del Viento.

En El Príncipe de la Niebla asistimos al desarrollo de una aventura sorprendente protagonizada por tres jóvenes (Max, Alicia y Roland) que se enfrentan a una fuerza sobrenatural representada a través de un personaje diabólico. Pero la novela no es sólo la escritura de una aventura, sino también la aventura de una escritura, pues Ruiz Zafón construye la historia a partir de un hábil diálogo con géneros literarios fuertemente arraigados en la tradición. Gracias a este gesto, los lectores pueden familiarizarse con la esencia de la novela de aventuras y de la novela gótica, considerada la primera manifestación de la literatura fantástica. Leer esta novela es, además, una buena oportunidad para entrar en contacto con categorías estéticas como lo sublime y lo siniestro, que han dejado una huella importante en muchas obras de la tradición literaria.

Por otra parte, ya con El Príncipe de la Niebla Ruiz Zafón dejó muy claro su posicionamiento en favor de una literatura basada en elevadas dosis de acción y con grandes enigmas y misterios insospechados que den paso a una intriga bien calculada. La lectura de esta novela supone, por lo tanto, una auténtica garantía de diversión y, a la vez, una prueba de la maestría narrativa de Ruiz Zafón, un autor que se muestra capaz de manejar con gran eficacia recursos literarios interesantes.

CARME ARENAS

ESTUDIO PRELIMINAR

1. ESCRIBIR PARA JÓVENES O, SIMPLEMENTE, ESCRIBIR

Una de las novelas más celebradas de todos los tiempos, Cien años de soledad, del escritor Gabriel García Márquez, empieza así: «Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía había de recordar aquella tarde remota en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo». Es fácil escuchar el eco de estas palabras cuando se lee el principio de El Príncipe de la Niebla, la primera novela de Carlos Ruiz Zafón: «Habrían de pasar muchos años antes de que Max olvidara el verano en que descubrió, casi por casualidad, la magia». Dos grandes novelas con inicios semejantes: Aureliano Buendía recuerda el ya lejano día en que conoció el hielo y Max tarda mucho tiempo en olvidar el verano en que descubrió la magia. Los lectores, por su parte, pudieron descubrir El Príncipe de la Niebla en 1993, gracias a que Carlos Ruiz Zafón presentó la novela a un concurso de literatura juvenil y lo ganó. Se trató, en concreto, de la primera edición de los Premios Edebé de literatura infantil y juvenil. Gabriel Janer Manila ganó el premio correspondiente a la modalidad de literatura infantil y Ruiz Zafón el correspondiente a la modalidad de literatura juvenil. Este contexto explica que, desde el primer momento, se diera por sentado que El Príncipe de la Niebla era una novela juvenil y no literatura para adultos.

Sin embargo, el hecho de que la novela sedujera a un jurado que pensaba en un público juvenil no significa que Carlos Ruiz Zafón pensara sólo en esa parcela de lectores potenciales mientras escribía su obra y, de hecho, él mismo ha manifestado en más de una ocasión su desconfianza hacia esa separación tajante entre literatura juvenil y literatura de adultos. En este sentido, sus ideas se acercan a las que manifestó el escritor C. S. Lewis en varios ensayos. Buena parte de la obra de Lewis está asociada a la denominada «literatura infantil» y él mismo discutió a menudo el prejuicio de que el gusto específicamente infantil se decanta por las aventuras y por lo maravilloso. Estaba convencido de que esas preferencias habían formado parte durante muchas épocas del gusto de la especie humana en general y no sólo del gusto de los niños. Aseguraba que ni siquiera los cuentos de hadas habían sido pensados en sus orígenes para un público infantil, y que precisamente por eso muchos adultos (por ejemplo, los aristócratas de la corte de Luis XIV) disfrutaron de ellos con toda naturalidad. Cuando hablaba de su caso personal, decía que escribía un relato infantil cuando le parecía que era la forma artística que mejor se adecuaba a lo que tenía que decir, de igual modo que un compositor escribe una marcha fúnebre no porque tenga delante un funeral público, sino porque se le han ocurrido ciertas ideas musicales que encajan mejor en ese tipo de composición. Lewis estaba convencido, además, de que si el relato infantil era la forma más adecuada para lo que el autor quería decir, los lectores que desearan escuchar a ese autor leerían ese relato independientemente de la edad que tuvieran. Si aplicamos estas palabras también a la literatura juvenil, la coincidencia con lo que piensa Carlos Ruiz Zafón sobre estos temas es absoluta. De hecho, recordando la época en la que escribía El Príncipe de la Niebla ha llegado a afirmar: «Mi idea de una novela para jóvenes era la misma que mi idea de una novela para cualquier lector».

Por supuesto que hay casos en los que queda muy claro que una novela ha sido escrita deliberadamente para niños o para adolescentes, y varias marcas textuales así lo revelan. Sin embargo, también hay muchos ejemplos de obras que no se quedan en una posición estática dentro del sistema literario, sino que pueden moverse tanto entre la literatura de adultos como entre la literatura infantil y juvenil, aunque, lógicamente, estos grupos de lectores disfrutarán de formas distintas de la obra, pues la leerán desde expectativas, intereses y hábitos de lectura distintos. Varias obras de Charles Dickens, por ejemplo, o una novela como Alicia en el país de las maravillas, de Lewis Carroll, son casos muy claros de textos literarios que han contado con una doble aceptación, pues han tenido éxito tanto entre lectores adultos como entre un público lector infantil y juvenil.

Lo mismo puede decirse de El Príncipe de la Niebla. En esta novela se cuenta una interesante aventura protagonizada por jóvenes y es fácil entonces que sean sobre todo los lectores adolescentes quienes se identifiquen con los personajes y establezcan con ellos una complicidad que los lleve a vivir la historia de manera más intensa, pero seguramente son los lectores adultos (como es obvio, no todos, sino sólo aquellos a quienes se les puede suponer una acumulación de lecturas mayor y, por tanto, una mayor competencia lectora) los que pueden apreciar mejor las cuestiones técnicas relacionadas con la construcción de la obra y con el diálogo que su autor mantiene con ciertos géneros literarios. Y es que El Príncipe de la Niebla no es sólo la escritura de una aventura, sino también la aventura de una escritura. Tendremos que tener en cuenta ambos aspectos si queremos comprender bien por qué esta novela ha tenido y sigue teniendo tanto éxito.

Como era previsible, en un principio el éxito se debió a que Ruiz Zafón logró seducir de forma muy eficaz a esos jóvenes lectores por los que había apostado la editorial Edebé cuando publicó la novela en 1993. Después de esta obra, Ruiz Zafón afianzó su éxito entre el público juvenil publicando en 1994 El Palacio de la Medianoche y, en 1995, Las Luces de Septiembre. Estas tres primeras obras conforman hoy la Trilogía de la Niebla. Después vino Marina, ya en 1999.

Hasta ese momento, parecía que el espacio en el que iba a triunfar Ruiz Zafón como escritor iba a estar dentro de los límites de la literatura juvenil. Pero en el año 2001 apareció La Sombra del Viento. Esta novela supuso para su autor el cruce de la frontera hacia la literatura de adultos y además lo convirtió en uno de los escritores más leídos en todo el mundo. El enorme éxito de La Sombra del Viento hizo que muchos lectores adultos se interesaran por las obras anteriores de Ruiz Zafón, en especial por la primera de todas, tal vez por la curiosidad de saber cómo había empezado todo. De esta forma, los lectores adultos descubrieron una novela que los jóvenes habían descubierto hacía ya mucho tiempo, El Príncipe de la Niebla, y quedaron también seducidos. Desde ese momento, la novela dejó de ser sólo literatura juvenil y volvió a ser lo que en realidad siempre había sido: literatura. A secas.

2. UN NARRADOR EN ESTADO PURO

Normalmente las obras que conectan muy bien con el gran público, con lectores de diferentes generaciones, suelen estar relacionadas con una idea de la literatura según la cual lo verdaderamente importante es la historia que se cuenta y no tanto la manera de contarla. No deja de ser curioso el detalle porque, a lo largo del siglo XX, las novelas que han sido consideradas más relevantes han sido precisamente las que han sacrificado aspectos relacionados con la historia en favor de una experimentación formal que permitía a su autor lucir un gran dominio de la técnica narrativa. El grado de sofisticación estilística fue a veces tan elevado que empezaron a aparecer obras que se situaban en el límite mismo entre lo legible y lo ilegible, obras cuya lectura podía suponer para algunos una gran experiencia intelectual, pero que se alejaban demasiado de lo que los lectores tradicionalmente habían buscado en las novelas, que era sobre todo evadirse, desaparecer en lo leído y compartir aventuras con los personajes.

Al reflexionar sobre la pérdida de importancia que fue teniendo el componente argumental de las novelas, Mario Vargas Llosa lamentaba que ya apenas quedaran autores como Tolstói, Stendhal, Melville o Flaubert, capaces de escribir obras en las que el lector encontraba simultáneamente apasionantes aventuras y audaces experimentos literarios, y creía que la ausencia de escritores de esta talla provocó una especie de «esquizofrenia novelística», pues los novelistas se repartieron el trabajo y unos se dedicaron a «crear, renovar, explorar y, a menudo, aburrir», mientras que otros intentaban «mantener vivo el viejo designio del género: hechizar, encantar, entretener».

Quienes intentaron mantener vivo ese «viejo designio del género» del que hablaba Vargas Llosa tuvieron que soportar a veces una situación incómoda, pues casi nunca obtuvieron el mismo reconocimiento que los novelistas que apostaban por la experimentación. Por suerte, contra este prejuicio fueron alzándose algunas voces autorizadas, lectores expertos que confesaban su debilidad por las novelas que contienen grandes aventuras, con una intriga bien calculada y con elevadas dosis de acción. Entre los autores capaces de escribir obras de estas características, destaca hoy la figura de Carlos Ruiz Zafón, sobre todo porque este narrador en estado puro sabe muy bien que una buena historia no se sostiene por sí sola, sino que es preciso contarla estratégicamente, poniendo en funcionamiento ciertos recursos literarios que le confieran valor estético y con los que pueda seducirse al lector.

Ruiz Zafón imagina tramas interesantes, sorprendentes, pero lo que lo convierte en un buen escritor es su capacidad para elaborarlas artísticamente y ofrecérselas al lector mediante la construcción de una estructura interna bien planificada. Muchos lectores no llegarán a apreciar nunca esa planificación ni las cuestiones de técnica narrativa que la sustentan, pero disfrutarán sin duda de los beneficios que de ella se derivan. Esto explica por qué tanto el público juvenil como el adulto han acabado sucumbiendo a la seducción de las novelas de Ruiz Zafón. Este escritor apuesta por potenciar el argumento en lugar de atrofiarlo. Sin embargo, que el elemento dominante en sus obras sea la historia que se cuenta, y no tanto los recursos literarios empleados para contarla, no significa que no se tome muy en serio las cuestiones de técnica narrativa. Otra cosa es que no juegue a hacer malabarismos formales ni experimentos arriesgados que excluirían a demasiados lectores. Ruiz Zafón sabe que la imaginación sin la técnica no conduce demasiado lejos, pero también tiene muy claro que la técnica sin imaginación sólo puede conducir a un callejón sin salida.

Varios escritores consideraron que la presencia dominante de las novelas experimentales a lo largo del siglo XX suponía una gran amenaza para la novela tradicional y exigieron el regreso de las historias con planteamiento, nudo y desenlace, el de los personajes interesantes, de las grandes peripecias. También el regreso de algo que para muchos jamás tendría que haber desaparecido de la novela: la diversión. Como muestra de este gesto nostálgico, a mediados de los años setenta Fernando Savater reivindicaba la literatura «en que pasan cosas» y hablaba del derecho a adoptar una disposición anímica como la que se suele tener durante la época desprejuiciada de la infancia, en la que existe una gran predisposición a dejarse subyugar por el encanto de las grandes narraciones. Pensando en los escritores que suelen interesar al público infantil, decía Fernando Savater: «A mí me gustan esos narradores por las mismas razones que a los niños, es decir: porque cuentan bien hermosas historias, que no conozco razón más alta que ésta para leer un libro».

Contar hermosas historias, pero contarlas bien: ésa es la clave para seducir a niños, a jóvenes y a adultos. Para seducir a todo el mundo. Ruiz Zafón lo sabe muy bien y por eso, cuando le preguntan por los ingredientes infalibles del éxito, responde: «La literatura que vende, desde los días de Cervantes y de Shakespeare, es la que cuenta historias de un modo eficaz y profesional». Parece bastante claro que Ruiz Zafón no sería hoy un escritor tan leído si no hubiera contribuido de forma determinante a que la novela recuperara todo lo que, como hemos visto, se llegó a echar de menos durante bastante tiempo. Aunque se declare un lector «omnívoro», ha reconocido la especial influencia en sus novelas de autores como Dickens o Stephen King, y más de una vez ha declarado su pasión por la novela gótica. Estos datos nos sitúan claramente en la línea de un escritor interesado en historias misteriosas que atrapen en seguida a los lectores y no los dejen escapar.

Por otra parte, Ruiz Zafón suele reconocer también una gran influencia cinematográfica en su obra, y asegura que el tipo de cine que más le ha influido como escritor es el de directores como Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma, Scorsese y Coppola, es decir, los grandes referentes del cine de entretenimiento en EE. UU. Con todas estas influencias reconocidas, se entiende muy bien por qué Ruiz Zafón se considera a sí mismo sobre todo un «contador de historias» y por qué, cuando habla de esas historias que le gusta contar, las presenta como «historias de misterio y aventura». Obviamente, lo que el escritor está señalando con estas palabras es su clara voluntad de dialogar con dos géneros consagrados en la tradición literaria: la novela gótica y la novela de aventuras.

3. LA AMBIENTACIÓN GÓTICA

A lo largo del siglo XVIII, la Ilustración trató de combatir todo tipo de supersticiones y creencias irracionales esgrimiendo contra ellas la fuerza de la Razón, pues los ilustrados consideraban que éste era el mejor camino para lograr un gran progreso científico. En ese momento, algunos escritores sintieron que la literatura estaba amenazada porque tanta confianza en lo racional podía hacer que cayeran en el olvido los placeres de la imaginación. De ahí que, como reacción contra la esencia del pensamiento ilustrado, naciera en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII la novela gótica, que ha sido considerada la primera manifestación de la literatura fantástica. Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe y Matthew Gregory Lewis fueron algunos de los primeros nombres destacados de este género que se nutre precisamente de lo que había sido condenado por los ilustrados: elementos irracionales, supersticiones y, sobre todo, miedos asociados a las creencias en hechos sobrenaturales. «La emoción más antigua y más intensa de la humanidad es el miedo, y el más antiguo y más intenso de los miedos es el miedo a lo desconocido», escribía Lovecraft al iniciar su ensayo El horror en la literatura. Con ese miedo a lo desconocido juega la novela gótica, y el inmediato éxito que obtuvo el género entre los lectores demuestra que, pese al culto a la diosa Razón promovido por el movimiento ilustrado, mucha gente sentía una gran curiosidad por leyendas repletas de hechos mágicos y misteriosos, y se estremecía y hasta disfrutaba más o menos en secreto con fantasías sobre fenómenos inexplicables y fuerzas desconocidas.

En la novela gótica, la acción se desarrolla normalmente en

Comentarios para El Príncipe de la Niebla

[amaliagavea · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

''One time in a million, someone who is still very young understands that life is a one-way journey and decides that the rules of the games don't agree with him. It's like when you decide to cheat because you know you can't win. Usually you're found out and you can't cheat any more. But sometimes the cheat gets away with it. And if, instead of playing with dice or cards, the game consists of playing with life and death, then the cheat turns into someone very dangerous indeed.''

Undoubtedly atmospheric, with a few haunting moments, but in my opinion. the writing felt dry and clumsy and the dialogue seemed almost naive and lifeless. I don't know whether the fact that it was Zafon's first novel or the possibility of a truly soulless translation is to blame but I am not particularly eager to try my luck with the rest of his work.

A YA novel (or whatever you want to call it) is no excuse for pure boredom, predictability and ridiculous remarks. Our teenagers deserve better than today's writing which wants to treat them like fools. Don't be idiots.

[jfranklin592262 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

For those reviewing this book as predictable and adolescent.......its a YA book, so, yeah.

I actually read YA books pretty regularly. I have 5 children, so they often want me to read books behind them so we can have book chats. I also occasionally reread books I enjoyed in my youth.

I find that I usually enjoy the simplicity of YA books. The easy reading style can be refreshing amidst the verbose rambling prose, and overdone artsy play of many " adult" books.

One should consider the deliberate writing method in YA readers before reviewing. Baring these things in mind, all said, this was an enjoyable read. My oldest daughters read and enjoyed it as well.

[marklacy-355086 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I have a habit of reading a number of books in parallel. But when I discover one that really grabs me, I'll stick with it and quickly finish it. Such was the case in 2005 when I decided to try Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. In Barcelona in 1945 a boy discovers that someone is methodically destroying every book ever written by an author named Julian Calax. The mystery behind Calax's true identity grips the boy and won't let go. Ruiz Zafon does a fantastic job of characterization and really kept my interest. Few books that I read do I ever rate so highly.

The Prince of Mist by Ruiz Zafon is a much different book but still very enjoyable. This is a relatively short horror novel for young adults. The author states in an introductory note that he hopes the young adult books he's written will appeal to readers of all ages. Like The Shadow of the Wind, the story takes place during World War II. To me, there was the barest hint of the movie Summer of '42 - wartime setting, a beach, adolescents trying to understand their feelings for the opposite sex. And the evil behind the story reminded me of something I would expect Stephen King to write, were he writing something for young adults.

[ma_washigeri · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

It wasn't really ok. It was trite and predictable and adolescent. Never mind. It doesn't stop Shadow of the Wind being one of the best books ever.

[pdcread · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I hadn't intended on reading this as I normally avoid the young adult genre, but it was 20p!

The father of the family decides that they need to move from the city to the coast because of the war. They move into a house that has already known tragedy.

Max starts to explore the immediate vicinity and finds a odd garden with creepy statues. He befriends Roland, adoptive grandson of the lighthouse keeper, and they explore a wreck just off the coast that his grandfather survived.

Strange things start to happen in the house, ending with a sister in hospital in a coma. Max, Roland and his other sister start to learn more about the truth and are told about the Prince of the Mist, a nasty character who was thought to have drowned on the ship as well.

Some of this was good, Zafon make it really creepy and disturbing at points. But I found the ending really implausible and not in fitting with the rest of the book.

[edwinkort · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Samen met zijn ouders en zusters verhuist de 13-jarige Max van de grote stad naar een rustige kustplaats, waar zijn vader een winkel wil openen voor het repareren van horloges en andere machines.

Als Max en zijn familie in hun nieuwe huis arriveren, ontdekt hij vreemde dingen. Klokken die achteruit lopen, het gevoel dat er iemand op zijn gezicht ademt en standbeelden van circus-artiesten die van vorm en plaats veranderen. Het huis zelf heeft een tragische geschiedenis. Als een nieuwsgierige jongen begint Max rond te neuzen.

Al snel raakt Max bevriend met een oudere jongen (Roland), die het op zich neemt om hem alles in het stadje te laten zien, en vertelt over de geschiedenis. De volgende dag gaan ze gedrieën (ook Max's oudere zus gaat mee) duiken bij een oude wrak vlak bij de kust.

Max ontdekt dat hun nieuwe huis eerder bewoond werd door een dokter en zijn vrouw, wiens enige zoon vele jaren eerder was verdronken.
Na een ongeluk, waarbij Max's jongste zus in een coma raakt, blijven hij en zijn oudere zus alleen in het huis, terwijl hun ouders naar het ziekenhuis gaan.

Samen met zijn oudere zus en Roland begint hij langzaam maar zeker het geheim te ontrafelen.

Er zitten wat plotholes in het verhaal:

- Hoe zijn deze standbeelden hier gekomen;
- Wat is er voor vreemds met de kat;
- Waarom loopt de tijd op de klok achteruit;
- Het is oorlog, waarom zijn de vuurtoren-lampen aan;

Hoewel dit verhaal zich afspeelt in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, heeft dit maar weinig invloed op het verhaal.

Het verhaal leest lekker weg, en is gericht op de jong-volwassen lezer, maar kan zeker ook de oudere lezer bekoren. Sommige karakters zouden wat dieper uitgewerkt kunnen worden

[linnnnie · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This was a very suspense filled story. Gave me chill bumps more than a few times.

[ellegato · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book was a lovely dark fairy tale set amidst the confusion and fear of World War II. It was written for children but I found it incredibly enjoyable to read as an adult. There is a timelessness to the story and the arbitrary, almost inexplicable nature of the villain was very well handled by the narrative. I really loved how the relationship between Max and his sister, Alicia, was developed and I think that relationship is the real heart of the book: how their bond is built on understanding and shared experiences and how they go from almost strangers at the start to close friends. I don't think there's enough of that in young adult fiction to be honest--magic serving as more of a backdrop to the development of relationships rather than the other way around.

Definitely a wonderful story.

[s_shane_thomas · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Prince of Mist, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a title I rented from the local library and listened to while driving via blue tooth and the app Overdrive. I listened to the English translation, the author is from Spain and it was originally written in Spanish. I don’t usually pick up horror titles, but Prince of Mist is about an undead magician set during World War 2 and that caught my attention. I was not disappointed!

Max and Alicia Carver’s family move from the city to a small coastal town to avoid the effects of the war. In the small town there were a couple points of local history that play into the siblings’ discovery of magical and their confrontation with the evil Dr. Kain also known as the Prince of Mist.
Max learns that something strange is afoot and uses two unreliable sources, damaged film and an old man who only tells some of what he knows, to try and learn what the Prince of Mist is, and how he, his family, and friends and avoid lurking danger.

Perhaps it was because I was driving and could not really reread parts, but it seems like the timeline of the history and then the story is a little off. At three or four points I questioned how the back story lined up with the “present day” action, but the fact that some sources of information Max is exposed to are unreliable mean it could have been an intentional plot device. There were multiple references to Dr. Kane’s freedom from time.

Around the middle of the book there is a scene in a room with a wardrobe and the suspense was great! It was a really high tension scene and well written/ translated/ recorded. The sound effects on the audio book were also a great touch. Not many audiobooks have extra production stuff like music and sound effects and I thought it was pretty cool.

Not like it was a deal breaker, but I think if the story had all been from Max’s point of view, limited to his thoughts then it would have created a more intense experience. There were some story elements that would have been harder to bring to the surface, but he was the main protagonist and some of the scenes he wasn’t a part of could have been handled through dialogue.

[mamzel_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

What a great ghost story! Sunken ships, evil clowns, lighthouses, and kids weave together in this book. Max and his family move to the coast to escape the bombing of the city. His younger sister, Irina, fell down stairs and landed in the hospital in a coma. Max and his older sister, Alicia, meet another boy named Roland who take them out to a sunken ship. Strange stuff happens including a mysterious grouping of stone statues (DON'T BLINK!) and a strange story told by the lighthouse keeper.

Fun and suprises.

[altheaann · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

In the introduction to the book, Zafón admits that this was initially written as a book for 12 & 13 year-olds, but hopes that adult audiences will like it as well. Hmm. Well, it wasn't bad, but I would've liked it a lot more if I was twelve.
It's a fun horror story, set in a small seaside town in the 1940's, and featuring the devil in the guise of an evil clown.
A lot of the elements of the plot seem to be there just for the sake of being spooky, and aren't ever explained or tied in to the story. I'm not necessarily objecting to that - after all, the supernatural is often unexplained - but it's an unusual technique.
I liked it, but it was nowhere near as good as Zafón's more recent books aimed at adults.

[theyodamom · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

(YA) Defiantly a horror novel, scary and thrilling, slowly creeping up behind you. : ) Clowns, it had to be clowns ?!?!?!? OK, they are only a small part but they pop up from the beginning on and they are just pure creepy.( Think-Poltergeist, the movie type clowns) The story starts with the main character a 13 year old boy and his family that has to leave his home because of the war. His family heads to a small beach town, where our boy Max meets Roland a lifelong resident that befriends him and introduces him to life in the town. Roland has a mysterious past and lives with his hermit grandfather in the lighthouse. Ah but there is more, Max's family reside in an old beach house with a dark history that is slowly revealed to them. Real Estate nightmare plus ! For more you have to read the book, it's a quick read.
This is my first read from this author and and his first novel. If his first was this good I can't wait to get to his later works.

[bagpuss-3 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This young adult novel, which started Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s writing career, starts with the words "Max would never forget that faraway summer when, almost by chance, he discovered magic." And so begins the haunting tale of Max’s new life away from the city he grew up in. At first he is unhappy about moving away from his friends and starting again, but he quickly settles into the new house, despite feelings of apprehension about the house itself, and soon becomes friendly with a young boy called Roland.

But tragedy strikes when one of Max’s sisters has a sinister accident and the past is unleashed and Max, his sister Alicia and Roland are caught up in a spooky adventure which will test them to the extreme and change their lives forever.

The writing is excellent. The book is so atmospheric and the author captures the essence of all of the characters so well, especially the ‘creepiness’ of the titular Prince of Mist. At one point something happens relating to water (I won’t say what as I don’t want to spoil things) and I found I was holding my breath whilst reading!

Bizarrely, although this book is set during WW2, it had a feel of the 1970s about it to me. Maybe it was because I had the same freedoms that Max did and spent lazy summers on my bike! There is mention of the war, but somehow it didn’t really make me think of the 1940s. One day I will get round to reading The Shadow of the Wind to enjoy some more of this author’s lovely prose.

[juva_3 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

When Max's family moves to a remote village to escape the encroaching dangers of war, they encounter an entirely other danger. Their new home is full of ghosts, whispers, and ominous history. The village by the shore was once the location of a devastating shipwreck. Ever since the town has been haunted by the apparition of the circus's ringleader - a powerful and evil magician.

Max must race against time to defeat the magician's specter before it claims the soul of his best friend.

[danielalgara · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

Just not good. This thing had more holes than Julius Caesar's toga.

Too soon?

[lilywren · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I start the review with a disclaimer! Please bear in mind the following points when you read my review as these no doubt have an influence on any concluding thoughts on the book which I present here.

- My mum gave me the book a couple of years ago.
- I would not have bought it myself.
- The 'Young Adult' genre is not something I usually read, well, not for many years.
- I do like mystery and horror genres though.
- I just wouldn't have bought it myself.

So, we need to keep these points in mind as I continue. The Prince of Mist is the debut novel for Carlos Ruiz Zafon who has since developed an extremely successful writing career. The book is primarily classed as 'young adult genre' but Zafon hopes that adults of any age will enjoy the book.

The story is set in 1943 and follows 13 year old Max and his family as his father moves them from their home in the city (we are never told where in the world this is) and out to a picturesque coastal village primarily as a perceived threat of war approaches. In his new home Max is confronted by anticipation, fear and wonder as mysterious happenings start to arise. These are linked to the story of the previous home owners, a strange walled garden filled with unusual statues (for Doctor Who fans think 'Blink') and the spooky shipwreck of The Orpheus which Max gets the opportunity to visit with his older sister Alicia who is 15 and his new friend Roland.

Zafon writes extremely well in that he has created an easy to read, captivating book with a wonderfully chilling and mysterious atmosphere. I would say that the strength in his writing lies in this development of atmosphere and scenery. However, I found the character and plot development to be a little 'thin' at times. Whilst I found the book to be a page turner, in that it was so easy to read and had great atmosphere, there were elements of it that did niggle to the extent where I didn't really care about the characters and thus I wasn't really bothered about what the outcome would be.

Max, the main character, is 13 and, without wishing to go too far into the story to provide spoilers, he and the other young characters seem to have almost superhuman strength, power and emotions. I do realise that this is fantasy and so need to suspend an element of my disbelief, however, as odd as it sounds, I do like some of my fantasy to follow a certain logic, particularly when it comes to human nature and ability. If the characters portrayed here were muted to be superheroes then all would be fine but they are not. They are young teenagers and we are led to believe that they would do certain things which command superhuman powers.

Max is 13, he has been uprooted from his family home and all that he has known to a strange place. He and his family go on to suffer an incident early on in the book which lead to his parents having to leave him and his 15 year old sister alone for a few days in these unfamiliar surroundings. Again, without wanting to give too much away, I can understand the reason for his parents absence however, both? at the same time? for a number of days? With a war on? Max and his sister seemed nonplussed at this and we have very little discussion between them about the matter which appears to be of no consequence to them so I guess I should just take this as read. I do find it odd that I can easily believe in the creepy happenings in the story but not in the characters who I feel are 'thinly' drawn and almost comic book in style. Maybe this was the intention. To create role models and super heroes, characters that young adults reading the book can relate to and want to be. Unfortunately, for me, this just detracted from the enjoyment of the book.

Oh dear. I feel I am being way too critical and analytical about this. If I was more used to the young adult genre then maybe I would think differently and I would be giving 4 or 5 stars which a large number of the reviews do give. Ultimately, I can't help wondering if it is more of a personality clash between me and the book. We didn't really see eye to eye on a lot of the points and I just don't get some of it. As with personality clashes, other people can, do and will get on famously with him, it's just that it wasn't to be for me and The Prince of Mist.

[bluepigeon-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

What I liked about El Principe was that all doesn't end well, though one can think of things getting worse. Nothing here is sugar coated, but certainly there is some suspension of belief involved whenever little children can do hard, physically challenging tasks. The complete lack of adults, or the incompetence of the one, frail grandpa, is perhaps exaggerated. Though the characters are well developed, there are perhaps too many unexplained loose ends. What about the cat? And the wardrobe? (How many times can wardrobes be involved in fantasy books, really?) And the statues? Where's Eva? And as far as I understand, the remaining two books of the series have nothing to do with this story, so these questions will never be answered. I think I am OK with that, since I do not need everything in life to be explained with sensible reasons, but those who need complete closure should avoid this book. Anyone who likes ghost stories, a touch of horror, and a touch of coming-of-age might like the book.

The level of Spanish is not too hard. I was able to read the book without a dictionary, though at times some naval terms and the descriptions of the sunken ship make it a bit tough. I would recommend the book to intermediate to advanced Spanish readers.

[meganelizabeth-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Started but did not finish. As a complete wimp, I was a little bit freaked out by this book in a "bump in the night" kind of way. However, I didn't find the prose (or perhaps it was just the translation?) as captivating as his other work, and the plot did not grip me enough. Even though the tone was of a mystery/thriller, I didn't feel any urgency to finish reading to book, or an particular engagement in the plot. Still better written than a lot of teen books out there, but would recommend more for a thriller fan than a general reader.

[chrisbookarama · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Pretty good. Zafon's first book.

[lemurkat · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I loved "Shadow of the Wind" and enjoyed "Angel's Game" and whilst I will admit to enjoy this story - it did felt like a shallow, hurried affair. Some of the sentences were poorly structured and the plot was somewhat weak. The ending left me feeling deflated and unsatisfied and not just for the obvious reason. There were a lot of irrelevant things thrown into the book and I felt the atmosphere could have been developed further and fleshed out. Overall, a disappointment.

[johngrant1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

It's hardly a secret that I'm nuts about Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind and very fond indeed of his The Angel's Game. Apparently he published four novels in Spanish before those, all for a YA/adult audience, of which this was the first. During WWII young Max's dad decides the family would be safer living away from the big city, and so he rents them a house in a seaside village, dominated by a huge lighthouse. Even before they get there, strange things start happening: the station clock runs backwards, a malign cat attaches itself to the family, and so on. Soon Max discovers an isolated sculpture garden filled with effigies of circus characters that seem to change position when no one's looking and one of which seems to be the embodiment of evil -- which indeed he proves to be: the satanic Prince of Mist, Dr. Cain. Along with his older sister and the adoptive grandson of the lighthouse keeper, Max succeeds in driving back Dr. Cain -- at least for now, and only at a very great cost.

This book's an astonishingly fast read -- despite having to contend with a full workload, I started it one afternoon and had it finished by the time I put the light out the next day. As seems to be the case with almost all modern Spanish-language novels, there were occasional plot conundra, but I waved those merrily away as I continued on the helterskelter ride. The tale doesn't have the sheer storytelling, mythopoeic power of The Shadow of the Wind, but it certainly has me panting for the translated publication in May of Zafon's next YA adventure, The Midnight Palace.

[lindap69 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Some adventure, mystery and macabre. The language is accessible for the struggling/reluctant reader but the content is mature enough to not be condescending.

[akmargie · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

A good, solid, horror story. But the ending, le sigh. Quick read/listen.

[kasthu_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is best known in the US for his bestselling adult novels, The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game. The Prince of Mist is a young adult novel, published before his adult novels. The novel is the story of Max Carver, a 13-year-old boy who’s watchmaker father moves his family from an unnamed city to an unnamed seaside town. Once there, Max discovers a garden with strange statues and his sisters begin having unexplainable visions.

It’s definitely a first novel, and even though I kept the fact that this is a YA novel in the back of my mind as I was reading, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. The characters are pretty one-dimensional; none of them really grow in any way. Max seemed way too mature and intuitive for a 13-yer-old (even for a novel of this type), and there were some plot elements and coincidences that didn’t make a lot of sense to me—the first of which is that the eponymous Prince of Mist chooses to make his appearances as… a clown?

The book takes place in 1943, but it might as well have taken place in 1993, the year the book was published, because there’s very little to no historical detail. The theme of the passage of time is interesting, and I wish the author had explored that more instead of trying to create cheap, gimmicky suspense. I wish that Zafon had fleshed out his characters more, too, because there was a lot of promise here in the idea for the book. Zafon’s writing style is definitely not developed with this book; luckily, his adult novels are much, much better.

[sharon_t_4 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

This was good creepy stuff, I liked all but the ending. It just sort of fizzled to an unsatisfying end.

[susiesharp_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

As a huge fan of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s Shadow of the Wind I was curious about his first novel , which is a Young Adult (actually I would say 5th grade and up) book.

I found this book a great read it is a fantasy with a ghost story feel which I think younger readers will enjoy very much. It may not be as beautifully written as Shadow of the Wind but is well written none the less. There were a few times I wanted to yell at Max and say why are you going there alone? But it made for a great story.

This book was hard to put down I had to find out what was going on and what would happen next. I liked all the characters and even though this is a short novel I was wrapped up in the characters and the story.

What I found refreshing was the ending ** No Spoilers** much different than most. And actually would have loved an epilogue, but was completely satisfied when I finished.

I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up including adults because I am way way past that age and enjoyed this book.

4 Stars

EDT:Just found out there is a second book must find now!!

[steph_adcock · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

The Carver family moves from a big city to a small town near the ocean during the war. Max, a young boy of thirteen, and his sisters (one older, and one younger) are apprehensive about leaving the only home they’ve ever known to a strange town they’ve never been to. As soon as they arrive in the mysterious new town Max notices some oddities: a clock that goes backwards, a malicious cat (that his younger sister adopts), and a courtyard behind his house full of creepy carnival statues (a malevolent clown in particular). From there, the fast-paced plot unfolds into a nightmare of murder, secrets, and evil spirits.

The Prince of Mist is extremely well written. While it is targeted towards the young adult audience, Zafon does an excellent job of keeping the story timeless and accessible to a wide range of ages. One of the strongest elements of this book is the imagery. It reads almost like a movie, with locks slowly unlocking all by themselves, and creating unbearable suspense. This is a book to read under the covers with your favourite teddy-bear. For anyone who enjoys a quick scary read, you may wish to invest your time in The Prince of Mist.

[karenball_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

"It's a mistake to think that dreams can come true without having to offer anything in exchange..."Seriously creep-tastic! Originally published in Spain in 1993, this earned the Edebe prize - the top young adult fiction award in Spain. Translated into English by Lucia Graves, this is an incredibly well-written paranormal story. Set during World War II, Max and his family move from a large city to a tiny seaside village. Very strange things start happening in the house, and Max's little sister has a suspicious accident that puts her into a coma. Max thinks the house may be haunted by the previous owners' son who drowned, but there are much darker forces at work here. Max, his older sister Alicia, and his new friend Roland start unraveling a 25-year-old mystery that involves Roland's grandfather, the previous owners of the house, a shipwreck, a set of possessed circus freaks who've been stuck as statues for years, and a dastardly, vile spirit known as the Prince of Mist. He's a dealmaker -- your dearest wishes and fondest dreams, available to you for a price. There's an old debt that hasn't been paid, and the Prince of Mist is aiming to collect... Spooky, with literary quality writing! 6th grade and up for those who enjoy a good scary tale.

[tulstig_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

An enjoyable and easy read, although I found it to be ,ore of a children's short story than a full novel. Great summer beach read but not at all taxing.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This haunting tale starts as a eerie gothic, but by midway morphs into a terrifying horror. Warning: if you are scared of clowns, DO NOT READ! Zafon sure knows how to reel the reader in slowly and then sink the books teeth into them in some scenes of pure horror.