The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Book Review

 The Prisoner of Heaven 

(The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #3)

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon 

Published Year: 2011

Page Count: 280 pages 

Medium Used: Kindle PW 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama, Schizophrenia, Devil, Prison Escape, Spain, 2026-read. 

Rating : 5/5 😀😀😀😀😀

What a sensational read! I was hooked from the beginning till the last page. Although there is less action and less twists in this one than the other two books in the series, it didn't disappoint me. I was enamored with it all the same. I just fell in love with the brilliant prose and the sensational story telling of the author. I just wondered if the story title should have been a bit different because the character after whom it is titled had very little on screen presence. His was a subtle and nuanced presence - despite that he was the linchpin weaving the important events shaping the complex lives of the main characters. 😇

Digging into the story a bit, this story, for the most part, is told as a first person narrative by Daniel Sempere, the son of the owner of Sempere and Sons book store in Barcelona, Spain. He is married to Bea and they have a young toddler son. One day during Christmas, an old man with a limping leg saunters into the book store and pays a thousand pesatas for an illustrated edition of The Count of Monte Cristo and directs the book to Fermin Romero De Torres. Fermin is working for the book store as a helping hand and this expensive gift from the old man shocks Daniel. He follows the old man through the streets of Barcelona and notices him staring at gold shops and animal shelters. When he comes back and notifies of the event to Fermin, the man gets rattled and agitated. He eventually tells of his history with the old guy. How they shared a prison cell during the war, how he alone escaped with the guidance and trickery of David Martin(yes, the same character from the Angel's Game book), how he later found employment with the Sempere and Sons. He also hints that probably Daniel's mother didn't die of a cholera disease but indeed was poisoned by the prison's director to rid himself of her escalating pressure on behalf of Martin. Daniel resolves to research the whereabouts of the director and later learns that probably Martin(who is the titled Prisoner of Heaven) might have died in a secret operation in the prison itself. The story ends with Daniel letting go of his fight because he receives a letter urging him to do so.

What really clicked with me are the prison scenes and the spine tingling chill they inspired within me. The rest of the book doesn't amount to much. I also liked how the old guy's character ends - be it just or no. I would surely urge all the lovers of Historical Fiction to read this. Some might feel like there is nothing new (even the prison escape scene is inspired from The Count of Monte Cristo book) or much in the book but reading this feels mighty good!! I have barely wrapped the book, written this review and I am already on a hunt for books that feel the same! Cheers 🍻 🥂