And I am exhausted by Ruiz Zafón's treatment of women in his novels. I love, love, the whole conceit of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, but the short story here that promises to be the prequel doesn't even deliver on that. When you lose count of how many times the author resorts to "Exploited Young Woman Who Actually Kind of Enjoys It," the red flags snap quickly in a strong wind of misogyny. Though I rather enjoyed Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind, ~with reservations~, The City of Mist collects short stories that indulge Ruiz Zafón's li Though I rather enjoyed Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind, ~with reservations~, The City of Mist collects short stories that indulge Ruiz Zafón's literary quirks that are my least favorite parts of his writing. This was a necessity, much like words are to the characters of this story.Ĭontent warnings: wartime violence (some quite disturbing) but not described in much detail. I always look but so rarely buy there, because books are the first thing I pack for travel. The Librarian Spy will always hold a special place in my heart for being a serendipitous find at an airport newsstand. I'll be looking for more books by her in the future, though I must say I hope she branches to another time period. Martin's writing grows even more beautiful, and her imagery was often delightful. I can't recall the last time I wanted to read a WWII novel a second time, but The Librarian Spy is already tugging at me again. Maybe I will find it in a future reading of this book. They were both enjoyable (view spoiler), but there was something missing. They coexisted, but did not quite inform each other or play off each other. My one complaint is that the dual narratives did not intersect very well. (Having braved cobblestones in high heels, I sympathized extremely with Ava tiptoeing is the only way I found to make it without twisting an ankle.) It wasn't just the standard moaning about nylons and lipstick-Martin included relevant details about the limited colors of shoes available to women due to US rationing, pop culture, and what it's like to physically walk on the streets of Lisbon. I got a good grasp of life in wartime Lisbon, and what it was like to live under the occupation in Lyon. Martin's on-the-ground research sparkles without feeling like a travelogue. WWII fiction is something I only read sparingly, but I enjoyed Martin's last offering, The Last Bookshop in London, and this one was even better. The Librarian Spy came to me at just the right time, in the middle of a book slump, and in just the right place, in an airport before a long nighttime The Librarian Spy came to me at just the right time, in the middle of a book slump, and in just the right place, in an airport before a long nighttime flight.
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