DDR: El prisionero del cielo (The Prisoner of Heaven) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

 

Had to drive down to the Main Library to pick this up. It was listed as being at the Northeast Branch, but after waiting for three days I decided they didn't have it after all, no matter what the online catalog said, and went after it.

This one is a mere 278 pages, so, you know, it'll take a day or two. And since I only read 68 pages of The Angel's Game this morning, I might have to start in on it today.

And lookee here--there's a limited edition of this one, too:

And can you believe that it sold out at those prices? Somebody sure does love Carlos RZ.

I held out for about ten minutes, then started reading. So...

Day 1 (DDRD 2,373 2,372) April 30 29, 2024

Read to page 58. Actually wanted to read more, too. But I managed to restrain myself.

I think. (Time will tell.)

"People with a meagre soul always try to make others feel small, too...." (11)

On page 29, there's a reference to "the Santa Lucia market." There were references to two other Santa Lucia things in The Angel's Game...though I can't remember what those things were now. But clearly there's St. Lucy fascination going in here.

P.S. I Googled Barcelona and St. Lucy and look what (amongst other things) came up:

I can't tell Jacqueline about this, or she'll want to go to Barcelona.

Day 2 (DDRD 2,373) April 30, 2024

Read to page 154. 

Speaking about schizophrenia, a doctor in the prison says, "The mind slowly deteriorates and the patient can no longer distinguish between reality and fiction." Fermin replies, "Like seventy percent of Spaniards...." (79)

"Let's shake hands and be friends, but, please, I beg you, stop farting like that, because I'm beginning to hallucinate and in my dreams I see Comrade Joseph Stalin doing the charleston. (89)

BTW, the library came through this time:

So unless I poop out, I now have a straight shot at the rest of this series. Very exciting. (👈Nerd!)

Later...

Read to page 140 and had to stop to catch my breath. This is a very brutal story, but it's also so compelling that I don't want to stop reading yet...even though I've already read over 80 pages today, and it hasn't been a day with a lot if down time. 

So I'm going to catch that breath...and then read some more. I didn't really want go cut the grass today anyway. 

Day 3 (DDRD 2,374) May 1, 2024

Read to page 278 = The End. So that was a nice little canter. The chronology of the series is growing faint to me now. I wish that I'd been able to read all 3 of these books at a slower pace. If I'd stuck to my 30 pages a day goal, it would gave taken me 487 + 521 + 278 = 1,286 ÷ 30 = 42.87 days to read this far. It took me 19 days...for an average of 67.68 pages per day.

🚬

So...on to book 4. But first:

"...I think flags are nothing but painted rags that represent rancid emotions. Just seeing someone wrapped up in one of them, spewing out hymns, badges and speeches, gives me the runs. I've always thought that anyone who needs to join a herd so badly must be a bit of a sheep himself." (159)