UNINTERLINGUA 2015

U N I N T E R L I N G U A 98 2008 and The Prisoner of Heaven (El pri- sionero del cielo) in 2011. Therefore, it was not a complete surprise for readers to find in these subsequent novels that they were already familiar with some of the characters in the novels since they had already read about them in The Shadow of the Wind .In some cases, the plot lines are continued as well. While it is true that The Shadow of the Wind is the jewel of the author’s collection of works, his earlier four novels are not wi- thout merit. Although they are considered to be for young audiences, the plots, des- criptions, narratives, and techniques typical of the author are far from childish. Similar to his more recent novels, in his earlier wor- ks we encounter a mixture of younger and older characters who find themselves in di- fficult, and sometimes downright terrifying, situations. While his novels are not what one would call “romantic”, most of them do include some sort of love story within the mystery that needs to be unraveled. There is usually a story within the story that provi- des interest and gives substance to the rea- ding. Perhaps Ruiz Zafón’s earlier novels do not possess the maturity that came with The Shadow of the Wind, but they certainly possess the elements that the author would later on master in his first novel for adults. In his earlier works, the main characters may share common traits such as their you- th, but the works do not share plots, nor do they have the same characters. Yet, when it comes to the valor of young men, the fri- ghtful situations a couple must face, the mystery that the characters must unravel, love between two people, the importance of friendship, the adoration the hero feels for the young woman, and a semi-comforting or hopeful ending, we do find many similarities among the novels. Common also are the author’s references to the sense of smell and touch, and the great detail that he gi- ves to his descriptions of horrific situations. It is obvious that Ruiz Zafón is not a one- track presenter, and his ideas take the rea- der in many different directions. The author is fond of mixing topics that at first would appear not to mix well at all. Yet Ruiz Zafón makes them work quite well. In this work, I will concentrate on the topics of love and horror and will show how the author masterfully intertwines them in two of his earlier novels: The Watcher in the Shadows and Marina, resulting in a reading that is fresh, new, and tender as most young loves are, yet mysterious, tragic, and horrific enough to maintain the interest of the reader throughout the entire novel. The author’s formula may be pretty much the same in his earlier works, but the end result is never sta- le or repetitive, as the endings are always unexpected. In The Watcher in the Shadows, the book begins with a melancholy letter written to Irene Sauvelle by Ismael, her former close friend, and it closes with Irene’s letter back to him. More than eleven years have pas- Pierina Beckman