The Prisoner of Heaven

Written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Narrated by Peter Kenny

THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN returns to the world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop.

It begins just before Christmas in Barcelona in 1957, one year after Daniel and Bea from THE SHADOW OF THE WIND have married. They now have a son, Julian, and are living with Daniel's father at Sempere & Sons. Fermin still works with them and is busy preparing for his wedding to Bernarda in the New Year. However something appears to be bothering him.

Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters. He spots one of their most precious volumes that is kept locked in a glass cabinet, a beautiful and unique illustrated edition of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Despite the fact that the stranger seems to care little for books, he wants to buy this expensive edition. Then, to Daniel's surprise, the man inscribes the book with the words 'To Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and who holds the key to the future'. This visit leads back to a story of imprisonment, betrayal and the return of a deadly rival ...

Read by Peter Kenny

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Jun 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9781409144809

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is the author of eight novels, including the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Cemetery of Forgotten Books series: The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of the Spirits. His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers. He lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for The Prisoner of Heaven

[pdcread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was looking forward to this having enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind a couple of Years ago, but i was a little disappointed.

The story was relatively easy to follow, though the telling of the tragic treatment of Fermin in jail and the way that he escaped and made a new life. It didn't have the atmosphere or intrigue that The Shadow of the Wind had.

That said, it is still well written and translated, and a pleasure to read.

[linyarai · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked this story better than the second one, this felt more concise and I appreciated it being more linear. I really like how the story line is all coming together, and I'm looking forward to the 4th book.

[theelliemo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, The Prisoner of Heaven draws together the lives of the previous two books' main characters, but also gives sufficient back-story for the book to work on its own.

Daniel Sempere, of The Shadow of the Wind, is now married with a young son, and that book' best character, Fermin, is planning his own wedding to Bernada. But he is not as happy as one would expect, and one evening (and over the course of several chapters), he explains his councerns to Daniel.

This process of bringing the previous two strands together by means of Fermin's back-story makes this work feel a little clunky. In its own right, this book is average. Inevitably, as part of a series, it must be compared to its predecessors, and while it is an immense improvement on The Angel's Game, it is, well, a shadow of Shadow of The Wind. It's a lightweight read, with little depth, and no great character development. And I was rather annoyed to find most of The Angel's Game appears to be written off, in this book, as the imagination of a man in the process of losing his mind

It also leaves a huge number of mysteries and unanswered questions. Why does Valls seem to disappear from public life in 1956? Where is Salgado's fortune? Where did Bea go if she didn't meet her former fiancé? Why was said fiancé asked by his employer, a company owned by Valls, asked to reconnect with Bea? It feels as if Ruiz Zafon will inevitably write a fourth in the series, but I'm unconvinced that the last two have been strong enough to maintain the momentum.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook performed by Peter KennyBook three in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series.Just before Christmas 1957 a mysterious stranger appears in Barcelona’s Sempere bookshop. He knows much more than he lets on but it’s clear he poses a threat to Fermin Romero del Torres. Fermin is about to be married and the secrets the stranger threatens to reveal will destroy him. Daniel pledges to help but first he must understand the events of 1940s Barcelona during the Franco regime. Oh, I love Zafón’s writing! The book is very atmospheric; I can feel the chill of a wintery wind, smell the candlewax and dust, practically taste the delicacies offered at 7 Portes restaurant (a dining establishment I have, in fact, visited in real life), or feel the pain of blows inflicted by a ruthless prison guard. There are twists and turns and changes in time line that confuse, obfuscate, tease the reader and illuminate the plot. I caught references that helped tie in the first two books, though, in fact, any of them can be read as a stand alone novel, and they do not need to be read in any particular order. Peter Kenny did a fine job of narrating the audiobook. He had many characters to deal with and managed to give them sufficiently unique voices to differentiate them. HOWEVER, he chose to use British accents for everyone and that drove me nuts. The book is Spanish, the characters are Spanish, NONE of them should have a Cockney accent! Lost a star there.

[cj82487 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy these books. They aren't action packed and full of intensity, quite the opposite really. The story unfolds slowly and I can understand how that wouldn't appeal to every reader, but it has ne invested in these characters. Each book compliments the previous and adds to the character's lifetimes. I feel like I know them all personally as if they were real, not fictional. Another great story and wonderful to listen to on audio.

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Continuing the story, pulling some loose ends together and unraveling othersMy third book in a binge read of the Cemetery of lost books series. Some questions raised by prior volumes are answered and the background of characters fleshed out. Ruiz says he tries to create scenes as in a movie and the books hang together almost like the serials at Saturday Matinees of yore.Was David Martin Crazy or not. Was his ‘the boss’ the devil? Not answered here, but the suggestion that the next volume will reveal more answers. I find my effort to keep track of people and places is helping me to fit the whole story together. On to the Labrynth.

[circlestonesbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally - and I am sure I will love it!

[indygo88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm currently making my way through Zafon's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series back-to-back, the first two of which were re-reads for me, but this and the last in the series are/will be first time reads. The Prisoner of Heaven is a much shorter book than the other three, and it takes place more or less right after the ending of The Shadow of the Wind. Fermin is preparing to wed Bernarda. However, prior to the wedding, a strange man enters the Sempere bookshop, triggering Fermin's memories of the past, which he shares with Daniel. Thus, the majority of this book centers around Fermin's past history, prior to the time that he met Daniel. Once again, Zafon brings to life some of Barcelona's darker secrets. We find out some more detail about Daniel's mother, Isabella, and her death. David Martin, the main character in The Angel's Game, is also a significant player in this one, although rather than clearing up some of the unanswered questions from that novel, it creates even more about his character.I'm somewhat unsure how I feel about this third installment of the series. While it was nice to read some of Fermin's history and some other background information, I didn't feel the magic in this one as I have with the other two previous novels and I was left feeling unsatisfied. While I've not yet read the last novel in the series, my gut feeling is that this one acts as a bridge between the other three, and I'm hoping I won't fully appreciate it until I've finished them all. I think, also, that the audiobook narrator for this one could've been much better, and I suspect that played a part in my feelings of dissatisfaction.

[lkernagh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very decent third book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, if we can call it a series given that Zafon tends to play fast and loose with the chronology of events. Not as fabulous as The Shadow of the Wind, but a definite improvement over the second book (which had the appearance of being a prequel). In The Prisoner of Heaven, Zafron is back to the wonderful labyrinthine, Gothic storytelling I fell in love with when reading The Shadow of the Wind. While Daniel is back in this book, this time it is very much Fermin’s story and his mysterious past. Zafon, obviously a fan of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo – which happens to be one of my all-time favorite reads – takes inspiration from Dumas for the basis of Fermin’s story as a political prisoner in the dark and foreboding Montjuic Castle during Franco’s dictatorship. Zafron is very good at creating atmosphere in his stories, I will give him that. Even better, the author makes some decent connections to the first two books, so that The Angel’s Game doesn’t continue to stick out like a sore thumb. On a downside, Zafon plays messes with information from the earlier books, suddenly giving Fermin a stronger connection to Daniel’s family than originally provided, leaving Daniel to experience some “Say, what!?” moments. Also, Zafon’s female characters have not improved. They continue to come across as a mystery for the male characters to either pity, avenge or suspect of being up to something. There is a strange, token chapter told from Bea (Daniel’s wife) and Bernarda (Fermin’s fiancé) POV that adds, IMO, virtually nothing to the story. Maybe Zafon was asked to include more female character interaction, I don’t know. It just doesn’t work for me. This time, Zafon wraps up with a really solid cliff hanger for the next book in the series. I don’t always like cliff hanger endings. For me, it seems as though the author is attempting to milk a book deal made with the publisher (“Really, I can squeeze another best seller out of this!”) and I don’t like being used as a pawn, but I am intrigued enough to add the next book (which is already out) to my “to read” list. Overall, a decent read if you, like me, are able to enjoy a somewhat flawed story that is stylized with wonderful Gothic atmosphere, mise en scène and is an ode of sorts to Barcelona and wonderful writers like Dumas.

[seschend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While a great continuation of characters from his two previous novels, Zafon stumbles a bit here in trying too much (in my opinion) and ends up making a novel that demands more resolution than is provided. That's the only thing that's knocked this down from 4 starts to 3 for me.

[ajbraithwaite_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not as long a novel as 'The Angel's Game' (which was a relief, as I only had a few days left to finish it), but just as satisfying and slightly less mysterious. Really looking forward to getting to the top of the waiting list for 'The Shadow of the Wind' now, and glad that it doesn't seem to matter too much which order these amazing books are consumed in.

[maryhollis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Christmas in Barcelona in 1957. Daniel Sempere and his friend Fermin Romero de Torres embark upon an adventure that will take them back to the early days of Franco's dictatorship.
A beautifully written book, full of intrigue, terror, passion and joy. THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN is part of a series of books set in the literary universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Those who have read SHADOW OF THE WIND and THE ANGEL'S GAME will once more be captivated by Carl Ruiz Zafon's magical world.

[mrs_mcgreevy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As my 5-star rating of The Shadow of the Wind shows, I fell seriously head-over-heels in love with that book. The setting, the authorial voice, the characters, the convoluted and sometimes gothic plot--I loved it all.

The Angel's Game was okay, but didn't sing to me like Shadow did--too much gothic convolution, not enough Sempere and Sons.

Now I've finished The Prisoner of Heaven. The sadness and loss are still there. The anger and pain are still there. The longing and love for a Barcelona that will never come again is still there. The unshakable faith in the power of the written word is still there. Twisted plots and literary allusions are still there. Beloved characters leading their lives and finding a small measure of happiness are still there. I completely enjoyed all of these things that were there.

What wasn't there was an ending. Sure, there's a stopping point and even an epilogue, but really that only serves to make the story feel unfinished. There's too much of this particular story left untold. Yes, I know that this means there will be another book, and yes, that makes my cold and black little heart leap for joy. But it also means I'll have to wait, and I'm not very good at that.

Still, it's hard to begrudge time spent in the company of Fermin and the Semperes. The story moves quickly, right up until the point where it stops, leaving the reader desperately turning those blank pages at the end of the book hoping to find the continuation. Will I be reading the next installment? Of course--I'm already jonesing for it. But I really hope we get to an actual ending next time (for this story, not for the characters, who I think I could cheerfully read about from now until doomsday).

[dono421846 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent as always. Zafon creates (or rather, re-creates) a vivid world of a bygone age, and makes it seem real and three-dimensional. Moreover, this third installment of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series follows closely upon the second, The Angel's Game. If I have one complaint, though, the Cemetery plays only the most minor of roles. One hopes that this merely sets up a larger role in the subsequent, fourth story.Although the author suggests that the stories can be read in any order, I disagree, and favor a more chronological sequence (Angel's Game, Shadow of the Wind, Prisoner of Heaven). Otherwise keeping the characters straight becomes a real challenge.By the way, I was prompted to seek out the short story, Rose of Fire--which explains the creation of the Cemetery. It was originally available as a free download. I could find the Spanish version, but no longer the English, and in the trying did succeed in downloading a massive amount of computer viruses. That'll teach me. I can only hope that the publisher pulled the story because it plans to release it as a print publication, which I would prefer anyway.

[karenduff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A really good read, the most undemanding installment of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series.

[floratina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

READ IN DUTCH

An unexpected surprise, I got The Prisoner of Heaven as a very late Birthday present. I started reading immediately and I was not disappointed. I had read some mixed reactions to this book as well as The Angel's Game, but I beg to differ. I really liked them.

Okay, apparently Fermin tragic background story wasn't tragic enough already, but he's such a likeable character. As he said, the maid who could resist his charm is yet to be born. (xD) And yes, the ending really provided an excuse to give us a whole new book but I like reading them, so I don't mind.

[altheaann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I was reading this, my acquaintance saw me carrying it: "OOOOOhhh! A new Carlos Zafon book?!?!? When did it come out?!?!?! But... it's so TINY!"
OK, it's not really all that tiny, at 279 pages. But it is significantly shorter that either of the previous 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' stories. It also reads much quicker - it almost feels like a TV episode, as opposed to a whole movie.
That said, I'm still opting to give it 5 stars, because I love these books. I love their feel, the atmosphere, the content... And, I suppose, "I wish it was longer" isn't a very valid complaint.

This story concentrates on the character of Fermin and continues the romance we saw him start in Shadow of the Wind. A dark secret from his past turns up on the bookseller's doorstep, and dredges up the terrible events that happened under Franco's dictatorship.

Can Fermin trust his friend Daniel to help him; or will he drag everyone he loves into danger?

Even when Zafon is talking about people being tortured in fascist dungeons, his vivid depictions of Barcelona make me want to travel back to the city...

[moonfleur_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As usual of his previous book, can't put down it once started. Enjoyed the hidden plots n usual emotional tugs, though story aren't as exciting as Shadow of the wind and Angel's game.

[v_allery · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No! No, no, no, no, no! I cannot even begin to describe how much disappointment I felt reading the last sentences before the Epilogue. I did not even realize that the story was ending. Don't get me wrong - I adore Carlos Ruiz Zafón, his characters, his stories and the stories behind those stories, but this - I cannot even fathom the reason why nothing happened! The seemingly interesting "sinister character" disappeared in the most incomprehensible and silly way after all the build up; the thing with the husband's suspicion about his wife's whereabouts did not resolve at all except that we found out that she wasn't where he supposed she would be; and what's all that business with Bea's ex-boyfriend, anyway? What was the point in telling us that he worked for the man who supposedly killed Isabella? Plus, the amount of discrepancies in The Prisoner of Heaven is ridiculous!!! David did not know Isabella married, had a child and died until 1945! How come he suddenly knew this while being in prison in 1939?! And how is it that you say a thing like "that moment I knew that my father had begun to die" and not mention it again? Ever. And why did a mysterious cousin show up for three seconds at the very end of the book? Why would you lead on the reader and let him think that something mysterious happened to the man who killed Daniel's mother and then not explain what that was all about? Too much build up & none of actual delivering. The only storyline that made sense to me was Fermin's past. Of course it goes without saying that the author's voice is still a thing to admire - smart language, subtle humor and irony - pleasure to read.

[janicseblen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As always a good read. I started this book on Monday and finished it today.

[bragan_8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This third volume in the series that began with The Shadow of the Wind features the character Fermin Romero de Torres, revealing to us his horrific past experiences in prison in the 1930s as a figure from that past reappears to haunt him.I really, really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind, but remember finding The Angel's Game much less compelling, and somewhat disappointing by contrast. I was hoping this one would take me back to the kind of engrossing read I got from the first one, but, alas, it was not to be. It's readable enough, despite sometimes giving the impression of having been rather inelegantly translated, but it never really engaged me as much as I'd hoped. Also, while there's a note in the front of the book suggesting that any of these books can be read on their own, I wouldn't believe it if I were you. Taken on its own, this book is fairly frustrating, with none of its main narrative threads coming to any kind of satisfying conclusion. I'm pretty sure that if I were to go back and read The Angel's Game, which I read long enough ago to have forgotten almost all the details of, I'd find the answers to some of this volume's unanswered questions, but I really don't have the motivation to do that.Rating: 3/5, although if I'd read it immediately after the previous book, or if it hadn't lied to me about standing on its own, I suspect I would have rated it higher.

[tangotango-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Erst mal das letzte aus seiner Barcelona-Reihe. Es war unterhaltsam, spannend, gut geschrieben, aber es klingt nicht so nach wie andere Bücher.Bin mir noch nicht ganz schlüssig, ob es Vorteil oder Nachteil ist, dass die Charaktere über alle Bücher hinweg (und über verschiedene Zeitrahmen) auftauchen. Vor allem, wenn man sie in größerem Abstand liest und kein sehr gutes Gedächtnis hat.Gefallen hat mir, dass es weniger mysteriös-esoterisch zuging als in anderen Teilen (die Bibliothek der Vergessenen Bücher kam nur ganz am Schluss vor, die ganze übrige Handlung ließ sich rational erklären).Und Daniel Sempere und vor allem Fermín gehören zu den liebenswertesten Protagonisten seiner Welt.Wobei Fermín hier nicht den verschroben-schlagfertigen Sidekick spielt, sondern eine sehr dramatische Hauptrolle, die z.T. sehr brutal und schwer erträglich war. Auch hier wurde wieder aus der Ich-Perspektive geschrieben.

[antt-4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find this series irritating and enchanting and always a good read.

[maureencean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great trilogy, the writing is lush, sad and comical all at once. I finished reading this eating and drinking at at tapas bar by myself, tears streaking down my face. It was the right thing to do!

[skraft001 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The third installment of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Thoroughly enjoy the writing -- it was (as were the other two) somewhat dark and mostly depressing book. One kept waiting for the next terrible thing to befall one of the characters.

[cainha-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After previous Zafon Books,I was expecting more. Still very well written but it miss the dark and mysterious situations, and the growing of a love story. As this book is an "in between" story, there are many things that are already known and not so much new things that are brought to the public.
But in the end, the arrival of a newcomer, tells me that a new books already in Zafon's head :)

[craso_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A stranger visits the Sempere bookshop and purchases a copy of “The Count of Monte Cristo”, from Daniel Sempere then hands it back to Daniel with a cryptic inscription and instructions to give the book to Daniel’s close friend Fermin Romero de Torres. The book brings back a flood of memories for Fermin of a time he would rather forget. Fermin tells Daniel the story of how he was incarcerated in a hell hole during the Spanish Civil War and how he met “The Prisoner of Heaven.”Like the two books before it, “The Shadow of the Wind” and “The Angel’s Game”, this was a beautifully written book and a very quick read. Unfortunately, I let it sit on the shelf for too long and didn’t get as involved in the lives of the characters as I would have if I had read the three books one after the other.

[cebellol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sadly, I was dissappointed with this book. Yes, it was leaps and bounds better than "The Angel's Game", but it cannot hold a candle to "The Shadow of the Wind".

The story wraps up nicely, but it's almost as though there are two sepperate stories here that belong in two different books. It makes the story drag, to say the least. The background information provided is important, yes, but it seems as though it doesn't quite fit, and there's a lot of unnecessary information. Many questions are left unanswered, or even worse half answered which drove me batty. They're more wrapped up than in "The Angel's Game", but it's more akin to a philosophy paper than a research article or even a literary piece, vague and open for interpretation, more so than is necessary.

These books can be read in any order, but I believe the order they were written in would be the best. At the very least, do not read this one first. If reading out of order, I would suggest "Shadow of the Wind" first, followed by this story and then "The Angel's Game". Although the some of the information would be out of order, I find it is the only other way that these stories would make sense.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A couple of years ago I picked up the first book in this series, The Shadow of the Wind, on a whim. I liked it quite a bit, but life being what it is, I didn’t get to any of the others. Thankfully Zafon has constructed the books so you can read them in any order. The intricate way they are woven reminds me of a literary mobius strip in how one book continues seamlessly into another. For example in this one, Daniel is an adult and he’s trying to help Fermin sort out his past so he can get married. That past includes a bit of prison time and a fellow inmate named David Martin, the author of the book that features in the second in this series. Here in the third book during Fermin’s prison tale it hasn’t been written yet and it only shows up in the very last act (or close to it). That kind of imagination and craft really impresses me. All the snaking threads of the story finding their way to each other.Oddly, I expect going into Zafon’s books that his language will be archaic or old-fashioned, but it isn’t at all. It’s colloquial, light and contains a lot of humor. This series is set in Spain in the 1950s which is still a very turbulent time. This one focuses on Fermin, who is a bit less whimsical in this one because his impending marriage may expose his past. There are people with power to ruin his life again and those of the people he loves. He tells Daniel his tale and it is an homage to The Count of Monte Cristo with similar themes and a plot to spring him from prison in the same way Dantes was sprung from his. It isn’t a revenge tale per se, but there is a mysterious and potentially dangerous figure in the present who could ruin everything. Unraveling his identity and what he wants is only part of the problem, getting Fermin on solid ground so he can get married is another. Protecting the Cemetery of Forgotten Books yet another. Then there’s the whole tale of the past and the other prisoners Fermin encounters and how each of them will either befriend or blackmail him. With Fumero dead, we need a new villain and Zafon gives us a pretty good one. For most readers this is the wrap up novel of the series, but I will have to go read the second one and I better do it soon because all the little connections are important and I’m afraid I’ll miss them if I don’t. That said, I did snag the short story (freebie) that gives us the secret origins of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. It was fun.

[suzreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book! I am so sad that this series is over because it has been such a pleasure to read! The author delivers again with vivid characters and many surprises. I am such a fan of the way this author writes! Not only do the story and characters come alive, but he also challenges our ideas of what it means to be a "good" person. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see who we would meet and what would happen! Mr. Ruiz Zafon if you are reading this, I hope you decide to add another book to this series because I would love to read more about these fascinating people you have created! Some of my favorite quotes from the book:"…the first coffee of the day, pure optimism in a liquid state.”“…deep down we’ve never been who we think we once were, and we only remember what never happened…”