10 Feb / City of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, translated by Lucia Graves and Carlos Ruiz Zafón [in Booklist]
*STARRED REVIEW
In addition to Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s standalone Marina (2015), Daniel Weyman previously narrated The Labyrinth of the Spirits, considered the finale to the internationally bestselling Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Weyman – his continuity is especially affecting – returns for Ruiz Zafón’s posthumous collection of 11 stories, including the previously available-online “Rose of Fire,” which reveals the 15th-century origins of the titular Cemetery of Forgotten Books and introduces the series-starring literary Sempere family.
Other Cemetery connections are many, including “Nameless” and “Blanca and the Departure” (with David Martín), “The Prince of Parnassus” (a Sempere ancestor, plus Cervantes!) and “Alicia, at Dawn” – with each providing glee-inducing Easter eggs for Ruiz Zafón devotees never ready to say goodbye to such dearly beloved characters.
Other tales seem to stand completely alone, most notably “Gaudí in Manhattan,” in which the famed architect embarks on a mysterious transatlantic journey to New York. Interestingly, eight of the collection’s 11 stories are translated by Ruiz Zafón’s steadfast Lucia Graves; as if he couldn’t wait for Graves to finish, the penultimate two are translated by Ruiz Zafón himself, while the last is an in-English original.
Weyman performs flawlessly. Listening proves bittersweet, yet highly rewarding: as internationally renowned Spanish icon Ruiz Zafón died in June 2020, it feels like he’s storytelling from the grave – perhaps that was his intention.
Review: “Media,” Booklist Online, January 28, 2022
Readers: Adult
Published: 2021