Books - the intimacy of the living word...
Carlos Ruiz Zafon, the Spanish author of "The shadow of the wind" begins his tale with a father walking his young son to an ancient library buried in the deep alleys of the city ; mysterious and not widely known to people. The boy is apprehensive, and rightly so, with this nocturnal journey that he has embarked upon with his father. On the way, he is told in rather somber tones that a secret will be revealed to him today and it needs to be safeguarded, hidden from everyone he knows and loves. Finally, they enter the hallowed and gloomy enclosure of the building, where all that could be seen are rows and rows of countless books : neatly bound with their spines in crimson, green and blue, sparkling with constant attention of its custodians. The book house runs into multiple floors and on each them a few scholars hooded and bent over their desks are deeply immersed in contemplation over the musty pages of their books. The father takes the boy to a dark corner faintly illuminat