<p>ignatius, great observations! Analyzing literature sometimes reminds me of playing anagrams. We continually move around the “letters” (e.g., symbols like shadows or wind or prisons or light) and discover that multiple meanings can be found.</p>
<p>And now that we have seen our “figures made of steam” walk off into the mist and fade out, it seems like a good time to answer seiclan’s question:</p>
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<p>I think the tentative plan was for our next book to be The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Is everyone still o.k. with that?</p>
<p>I was just wondering why Shadow of the Wind, an outstanding book, an international “bestseller”, took so many years to be translated into English.
It was published in 01, and wasn’t translated into English until 04? </p>
<p>So, I was curious what other gems were out there…and, Mary, you just proposed
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog”
"The enthralling international bestseller. We are in the center of Paris, in an elegant apartment building … " </p>
<p>Of course, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”- is another international bestseller … ;)</p>
<p>Oh, one last thing, if anyone can find out who Joan Roman Planas is, would they please post. Zafon dedicated the book to her,
“For Joan Roman Planas, who deserves better”</p>
<p>High school teachers assigned my three kids many a bildungsroman - starting with David Copperfield. As I read The Shadow of the Wind I thought immediately of the term with regard to the main character - and then like Mary extended the thought to include Julian - layers upon layers.</p>
<p>I remembered that The Elegance of the Hedgehog was to be next and have been watching it on Amazon. For some reason, the book’s price fluctuates almost daily. Anyway, today it sells for $9 - 40% off. I plan to buy it. Saturday it was 40% off also, but yesterday the price had gone up - and now today 40% off again … I can’t figure it out. (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sells at 63% off - $5.50 for anyone interested.)</p>
<p>And just me, probably, but I find a first-day-of-the-month start easier to remember than a first weekend of the month start.</p>
<p>Actually, it’s been the second weekend of the month—so I guess you do have trouble remembering…:D</p>
<p>As it happens, I will be away mid-June, so June 1st would suit me fine. I think the original idea was to start discussion on weekends because people might have more free time to hang around on CC, but to tell you the truth, I don’t think it makes much difference. People seem to post any day, any time—everybody’s habits are different.</p>
<p>Are our other faithful readers out there more or less agreeable to a June 1st start date for The Elegance of the Hedgehog?</p>
<p>^ LOL…All right then, in an effort to forestall ignatius’ inevitable descent into old age, the start date for future discussions will be the 1st of the month. </p>
<p>We’ll continue with our every other month schedule, which means we’ll begin The Elegance of the Hedgehog on Tuesday, June 1st.</p>
<p>Mary13- I want to thank you for starting this book club. I don’t participate since I haven’t been able to get a book finished in time. I finished Shadow of the Wind yesterday. I would not have picked up the book if it hadn’t been for CC. Thank you. I enjoyed the book. Now I need to read through all the pages of discussion.
I read the book on my Kindle. While I enjoy the ease of taking the Kindle on travels I find it harder to get into a book. I miss that I don’t have a cover to look at.</p>
<p>You sound like me. I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and American Wife months after the discussions ended - and went back to read what everyone said. Then I chimed in late on The Thirteenth Tale. I’ve managed to finish The Help and The Shadow of the Wind in time to participate in the discussion. I’ve read books that I enjoyed and probably would have missed. So like you, I want to say: </p>
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<p>One of these days, I hope to get to Dreamers of the Day and its discussion. :)</p>
<p>I just wanted to say Thank you also to Mary for starting the book club. I also just finished Shadow of the Wind a couple of days ago and so enjoyed it
I do have Elegance of the Hedgehog on reserve at the libary so hopefully will be on time with that one.</p>
<p>mom60, I’m glad you enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind. Feel free to post any comments—those of us who have finished the book (as well as the lurkers out there still reading) would be interested in your perspective.</p>
<p>I don’t have a Kindle—yet. I like the feel of a real book, but as I age, I’m feeling the need to increase the font, so I may eventually succumb to electronic reading!</p>
<p>Loved Shadow of the the Wind, did not care too much for the (first) sequel/companion book. I will try this one; if I am brave, I will look for it in Spanish. I speak Spanish well (first language) but do not read it anywhere as fluently as I do English. Thanks for the heads up that the next book is out.</p>