The Prince of Mist

This was Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s very first novel! He wrote it in 1992, but it did not get translated into English until 2010. The Author’s Note in the book explains that his first four novels (preceding the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, containing: The Shadow of the Wind; The Angel’s Game; and The Prisoner of Heaven) are young adult novels, but that he hoped the books would appeal to all ages. This one will, though I would venture to rate it PG-13 for adult situations.My expectations were high going in because the series of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books are some of the best three books I have ever read in my life! Mr. Zafon as a first time novelist gave a chilling and sad ghost story. The subject involves: A clock that goes backwards; a mysterious shipwreck; an evil magician; a garden of statues that move; and a family with young children who move into an abandoned beach house – one where the previous owner’s son drowned. The character of Cain has elements that share commonalities with the character of Andreas Corelli in The Angel’s Game, although in this tale Cain is called a “magician” versus outright making him the devil incarnate.In other news, I got an email blast the other day announcing that the fourth book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series will be translated into English in 2018. The book is titled “The Labyrinth of Spirits.” I marked my calendar. That is the first time I have ever had to do that for a release so far in advance! I do not want to miss that book. Meanwhile, I still have the other three young adult novels he authored to read: The Midnight Palace; Marina; and The Watcher in the Shadows.

I bought this book years ago (or at least it feels like it) when I first got my Kindle when it was listed as a daily deal. I saw the word "prince" in the title, and a price of a few dollars and figured, "Why not? That sounds like my thing." Flash forward, and here I am in my third year of college, studying abroad in Japan. I start to dig through the depths of my Kindle and realize that I have /a lot/ of unread books. So I choose one at random, and I'm not going to lie. I wasn't disappointed.This book reads like young adult fiction for the most part. The characters are fairly simple with enough unique traits to keep you interested. The plot is exciting and fast-paced. The language is easy enough to read quickly but clearly not for young children. Unlike most young adult fiction (especially in America), Zafon tells a story with a writing style that is both elegant and refined. He does an excellent job of leaving a lot of mystery. He doesn't answer all of your questions, and you know what? I don't need to know the who, what, when, where, why, how for every little detail. I like to make my own assumptions. That's the beauty of reading; it forces your creativity to work its magic.I can't name one character that annoyed me. (And the typical reasons for that are inconsistency with their motives/personality mostly and very angsty personalities.) For the most part, they were very believable people who kept me engaged for the entire story. Is there tragedy? Yes. Do they turn into hardened lone wolves because of their dark past? No. The evolve into interesting people who cope in different ways.Now let me tell you about what really drew me in. His imagery. If you're like me, you get a little tired of young adult authors droning on and on about how beautiful the protagonists are. I get it. His gold hair and blue eyes make him look like a god. Yeesh. Zafron focuses on the world of his story and makes it come alive instead. At one point, my hair tickled my neck, and I honestly thought the Prince was coming for me because the room around me FELT like the house in the story. (Explaining that to my roommate in Japanese was very, very difficult.) He knows how to make you feel uneasy for the people in this story.Is it perfect? No. I've never met anyone who can weave the perfect story. Elements of it may bother some people, especially the ending. I'm still a bit confused by some of the imagery used, but I'm too mesmerized by the beauty of the writing to dwell on it for too long. This series has two more novels in it, and I will be buying them once I get the chance. This book is worth a chance, especially since it's a fairly quick read. Zafon is slowly working his way up onto my favorite author list.

(3.5 stars) To get away from the impending war, a clockmaker moves his family to a small coastal town. Their cottage was owned by a family whose son died by drowning and is reputed to be haunted. Some strange things begin occurring from the time they arrive at the train station. Max notices that the station clock stops and then appears to run backwards when his younger sister finds a cat and begs to take it home with them. Both Max and his older sister, Alicia are uneasy about the cat which seems to be sinister. Max makes friends with a boy on the verge of adulthood, Roland, who lives in the lighthouse with his guardian, and who also forms an attachment with Alicia. Max discovers a garden full of statues of circus performers with a strange clown in the center and his father finds old home films that show some strange images of the same statues. When their younger sister has an accident that leaves her in the hospital, Max, Alicia, and Roland are left to sort out the mysteries surrounding their circumstances and find out more about the Prince of Mist, who seems intent on malevolent purposes. The book is full of atmospheric creepiness, but never goes into true horror and is an interesting coming of age tale.

It's a young adult book. I'm in my 30's and I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. It's a fast read that offers the reader a bit of young romance, action, suspense, horror, and tragedy. It really is a quick read so if you enjoy CRZ books, give this one a go. If you hate it (which would be surprising) you won't hate it for long because it's so short.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon who is probably best known in the UK for his popular novel The Shadow Of The Wind was a popular young adult author in Spain prior to that books international success and The Prince Of Mist is one such young adult novel, and was in fact his debut. Originally published in Spain in 1993 it was not published in the UK until 2010. As a 30 year old reader I felt it had plenty of crossover appeal.Max and his family move rather unwillingly at their father's behest to a beach house to avoid the ramifications of the Second World War. Once there Max and elder sister Alicia become caught up in the mystery of the Prince of Mist, a dark and devious figure who casts a shadow upon their new life.The wonderful thing about The Prince Of Mist is that it doesn't patronise children, Dr Cain is genuinely sinister and the underestimating earnest need to always give children a neat, clean, positive ending is not present here. The narrative is very lyrical and you are fully engaged in the tale. As an adult there is no sense that you are reading a book which isn't really aimed at or meant for you, it is enjoyable despite the setting and the age of the protagonists. There is a physical feeling of this Faustian cloaked menace approaching from a thick mist that leaps from the page as if you stood before him yourself. If you have children around the 12 mark who enjoy reading I would recommend purchasing this and then snaffling it afterwards for yourself.

As with the majority of readers, I was drawn to this having loved Shadow of the Wind and very much enjoyed The Angel's Game. Whilst the cover of this book does indicate that this is young adult fiction, it has been put into a binding that appears more of an adult book, and is clearly labelled as being also suitable for adult readers.Sadly, this is hugely misleading. Whilst there are still elements of Zafón's magical way with words, it is far too simple and uninvolved a read for the average adult reader. It is broadly on a par with the Point Horror series of books I remember reading when I was around 11-14 in terms of complexity of plot, structure and language. Furthermore, the book feels incomplete - several strands of plot that are started are never wound up such as the story of the black cat, the true nature of the statues and the significance of Max's new watch and the clocks running backwards. The ending on a whole is hugely unsatisfying because the book had so much potential and just feels rushed.As a young adult book, I would give this three stars - Zafón does still have a great storyteller's voice, but the whole thing feels rushed and unfinished. If it were another 100-200 pages longer it could have had the space to develop into an execution to match the idea behind it.

I have enjoyed many books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, but sadly I was somewhat disappointed with this one. Maybe because I expected too much of it, but nonetheless, I was disappointed that it was so short. It is definitely an interesting and gripping story, very mysterious. The characters are well "fleshed out" and the plot is enjoyable. The plot feels like it could have been given a little more life than this book, but I suppose this novel is for a younger audience than myself. As young adult fiction, this is wonderful. As adult fiction, it is somewhat lacking.It is a pleasant diversion if nothing else.

I have read all the adult books of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Unfortunately due his death there will be no more. I have therefore started reading the books he wrote for young people. I found this book equally as good.

This is a thumping good read but strains credibilty more than a little in the last chapters. I don't know how much time the author has spent under water, holding his breath, under pressure, but 40 secs is pretty good going. Also, he may be unaware that, in the absence of goggles, and clear water, one can see virtually nothing, which all makes the exploits of the central characters in the final chapter somewhat ridiculous, even accepting the presence of magical realism. Nevertheless, this is a well-crafted novel and well worth reading for children and adults alike.