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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup


* HeroesWantRedheads: Daniel for [[spoiler:Beatriz]].

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* TheBadGuysAreCops: Being set in a totalitarian dictatorship, it's no surprise that the cops of The Shadow of the Wind are corrupt. Even among the secret police, though, Fumero has a reputation for taking a little ''too'' much enjoyment in his job. Multiple characters point out that he's essentially a serial killer who found a way to monetize his mental illness and fly under the radar.

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* TheBadGuysAreCops: Being set in a totalitarian dictatorship, it's no surprise that the cops of The ''The Shadow of the Wind Wind'' are corrupt. Even among the secret police, though, Fumero has a reputation for taking a little ''too'' much enjoyment in his job. Multiple characters point out that he's essentially a serial killer who found a way to monetize his mental illness and fly under the radar.



* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Daniel's second surname is Martín, which would be later retconned as Gispert in the next book. Made HarsherInHindsight by the final book in the series when [[spoiler: it turns out that schizophrenic novelist David Martín is his biological father]].

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* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
**
Daniel's second surname is Martín, which would be later retconned as Gispert in the next book. Made HarsherInHindsight providential by the final book in the series when [[spoiler: it turns out that schizophrenic novelist David Martín is his biological father]].



* OlderThanTheyLook: If the info about Fermín given in the newspapers is true, (which he himself seems to acknowledge), he's 51 during the events of the book. As ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' establishes Daniel was born when his father was in his early thirties, this means Fermín is around the same age as Mr. Sempere, who is described as and behaves like a significantly older man, most likely as the result of his wife's premature death and having to raise Daniel as a single father.

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* OlderThanTheyLook: If the info about Fermín given in the newspapers is true, (which he himself seems to acknowledge), he's 51 during the events of the book. As ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' establishes Daniel was born when his father was in his early thirties, this means Fermín is around the same age as Mr. Sempere, who is described as and behaves like a significantly older man, most man (most likely as the result of his wife's premature death and having to raise Daniel as a single father.father).
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** Daniel's more heroic moments may come off as strange to readers who've read the books featuring him as an adult, where he's depicted as neurotic, inept, and something of a ButtMonkey.
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* NonActionGuy: Fermín is a former spy, but he definitely doesn't have a 007 hand-to-hand training.

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* NonActionGuy: Fermín is a former spy, but and while he may have served in the army, he's definitely doesn't have ''not'' a 007 style hand-to-hand training.sort of guy.



* NouveauRiche: A chapter talks about the industrial period in Barcelona, and the families that got rich because of that.

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* NouveauRiche: A chapter talks about the industrial period in Barcelona, and Many of the families that got rich because of that.tie into Julian's story only rose to prominence within the last few generations during Barcelona's industrial revolution.
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* MeaningfulName: Francisco Javier Fumero shares his first name with dictator Francisco Franco.
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* CreepyChild: Inspector Fumero, a borderline mute boy who who used to spend hours alone carving creepy wooden figures and [[spoiler: capturing cats and pigeons and torturing them for hours.]] Julián was a milder version.

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* CreepyChild: A few.
**
Inspector Fumero, a borderline mute boy who who used to spend hours alone carving creepy wooden figures and [[spoiler: capturing cats and pigeons and torturing them for hours.]] ]]
**
Julián is a more mild example in that made up disturbing stories as a child and was generally withdrawn and isolative, but his behavior generally only upset his parents. Everyone else just sees him as kind of a milder version.weird kid.



* DeliberateValuesDissonance: The casual mistreatment of women, which was common during the fifties in Spain, when Franco's regime encouraged a culture of macho dominance. Even heroic characters like Fermin casually grope women and make sexist remarks that no one comments on because it was simply expected behavior for the era. One older (and even more dissonant) woman talking about Julian's father casually mentions that sometimes men need to beat their wives to keep them in line.

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* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Being set between the 1930s and the 1950s, quite a bit.
**
The casual mistreatment of women, which was common during the fifties in Spain, when Franco's regime encouraged a culture of macho dominance. Even heroic characters like Fermin casually grope women and make sexist remarks that no one comments on because it was simply expected behavior for the era. One older (and even more dissonant) woman talking about Julian's father casually mentions that sometimes men need to beat their wives to keep them in line.line.
** Similarly, because the era had laxer standards regarding alcohol consumption, characters drink massive amounts of booze to the point many of them (most notably Fermin) are functioning alcoholics.
** Almost every adult character smokes non-stop throughout the story.

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* CameBackStrong: After surviving the fire, [[spoiler: Julian Carax]] inexplicably has super-strength, to the point he can life a grown man in the air.



** The Montblanc Pen Daniel gets as a birthday present on his sixteenth birthday.

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** The Montblanc Pen Daniel gets as a birthday present on his sixteenth birthday.



** Fermín makes an early blink-and-you-miss-him appearance as a random homeless man asking Daniel to let him into an apartment foyer to get out of the rain; when he pops back up much later to aid Daniel after [[spoiler: he's beaten up by Clara's boyfriend]], it's easy to forget he's the same character.

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** Fermín makes an early blink-and-you-miss-him appearance as a random homeless man asking Daniel to let him into an apartment foyer to get out of the rain; when rain. When he pops back up much later to aid Daniel after [[spoiler: he's beaten up by Clara's boyfriend]], it's easy to forget he's the same character.



** Fumero might be considered a retroactive one. When he first introduces himself, he shows his ID that gives his full name as ''Francisco Javier Fumero''. So if you pay attention [[spoiler: you might not be taken by surprise that one of Julián former school friends was named Javier.]]

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** Fumero might be considered Fumero, in a unique retroactive one. When case. Although he first introduces himself, he shows his ID that gives his full name himself as ''Francisco Javier Fumero''. So if you pay attention Fumero'', from that point forward, he's only ever called "Fumero," while in the flashbacks to Carax's school days- which come significantly later in the book- [[spoiler: you might not be taken by surprise that one he's only called "Javier"]] up to TheReveal. More mindful readers may make the link, although the book goes out of Julián former school friends was named Javier.]]its way to make the reader believe they're separate characters.



* TheReveal: [[spoiler: the identity of Laìn Coubert is quite shocking, as Zafon goes out of his way to make it seem that Julian Carax is dead and that the culprit is either Jorge Aldaya or Miquel Molinar.]]

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* TheReveal: There are a few wham moments:
**
[[spoiler: the identity of Laìn Coubert is quite shocking, as Zafon goes out of his way to make it seem that Julian Carax is dead and that the culprit is either Jorge Aldaya or Miquel Molinar.]]]]
** [[spoiler: The revelation that Carax's creepy, animal murdering classmate Javier grew up to be Inspector Fumero]].
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The novel became retroactively the first installment of the loose tetralogy known as ''The Cemetery of Forgotten Books'', being followed by ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' in 2008.

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The novel became retroactively became the first installment of the loose tetralogy known as ''The Cemetery of Forgotten Books'', being followed by ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' in 2008.



** Fermín Romero de Torres reveals this name is an alias, but we never find out his real name. A newspaper in the novel claims his name is Antonio José Gutiérrez Alcayete, and given the newspaper gets its information from Fumero, it could actually be the real name - in fact, the article bills Alcayete from the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, the place Fermín himself mentions later as his native land. However, as mentioned above, no confirmation is ever given.
** It's also implied that at least some of Fermín's most outrageous claims are true, as Fumero reveals Fermín really lived in Cuba and was in contact with the era's upper class just as he claims. Again, however, not much is clarified about it. That he is a former spy, at the very least, turns out to be very true.

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** Fermín Romero de Torres reveals this name is an alias, but we never ''definitively'' find out his real name. A newspaper in the novel claims his name is Antonio José Gutiérrez Alcayete, and given the newspaper spaper gets its information from Fumero, it could actually be the real name - in fact, the article bills Alcayete from the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, the place Fermín himself mentions later as his native land. However, Fermin never confirms it's his real name and instead simply asks the Semperes to continue regarding him as mentioned above, no confirmation is ever given.
Fermin.
** It's also implied that at least some of Fermín's most outrageous claims are true, as Fumero reveals Fermín really lived in Cuba and was in contact with the era's upper class just as he claims. Again, however, not much is clarified about it.clarified. That he is a former spy, at the very least, turns out to be very true.
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* PsychoForHire: Inspector Fumero. Because 1950s Spain had an accepted culture of police brutality, he's able to fly under the radar by getting a job as a cop, and climbs the ranks because brutality and violence are prized by Franco's secret police. He first begins killing recreationally in his youth before realizing he can monetize his own psychosis, and spends the Civil War switching alliances based on who'll pay him the most to kill people, finally ensuring he's on the winning side of the conflict.

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* PsychoForHire: Inspector Fumero. Fumero, who enjoys killing people for his own amusement. Because 1950s Spain had an accepted culture of police brutality, he's able to fly under the radar by getting a job as a cop, and climbs the ranks because brutality and violence are prized by due to the ends-justify-the-means mentality of Franco's secret police. He first begins killing committing murder recreationally in his youth before realizing he can monetize his own psychosis, and spends the Civil War switching alliances based on who'll pay him the most to kill people, finally ensuring he's on the winning side of the conflict.
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* PsychoForHire: Inspector Fumero. Because 1950s Spain had an accepted culture of police brutality, he's able to fly under the radar by getting a job as a cop, and climbs the ranks because brutality and violence are prized by Franco's secret police. He first begins killing recreationally in his youth before realizing he can monetize his own psychosis, and spends the Civil War switching alliances based on who'll pay him the most to kill people, finally ensuring he's on the winning side of the conflict.

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* TheBadGuysAreCops: Being set in a totalitarian dictatorship, it's no surprise that the cops of The Shadow of the Wind are corrupt. Even among the secret police, though, Fumero has a reputation for taking a little ''too'' much enjoyment in his job. Multiple characters point out that he's essentially a serial killer who found a way to monetize his mental illness and fly under the radar.



* DirtyCop: Essentially every police officer in the book save Palacious is corrupt and willing to resort to beating and torture to get results. Even in the cut-throat world of Franco's secret police, though, Inspector Fumero is considered a maniac by his colleagues.



* NoNameGiven: Daniel's father is only ever referred to as "Sempere," his surname. It wouldn't be until the final book in the series that Zafon finally revealed his name is [[spoiler: Juan]].

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* NoNameGiven: Daniel's father is only ever referred to as "Sempere," his their surname. It wouldn't be until the final book in the series that Zafon finally revealed his name is [[spoiler: Juan]].



* PoliceBrutality: Fumero's whole MO. He "interrogated" Fermin so severely that his entire back is still covered in burn scars, and, when Daniel starts getting too close to the truth, he has Fermin beaten up as a deterrent.



* TheReveal: [[spoiler: the identity of Laìn Coubert is quite shocking, especially after the author spent most of the book trying to make the reader think it was Jorge Aldaya.]]

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* TheReveal: [[spoiler: the identity of Laìn Coubert is quite shocking, especially after the author spent most as Zafon goes out of the book trying his way to make it seem that Julian Carax is dead and that the reader think it was culprit is either Jorge Aldaya.Aldaya or Miquel Molinar.]]


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* StraightEdgeEvil: Sadistic torturer and murderer Inspector Fumero doesn't indulge in any vices other than smoking, which wouldn't even be considered such by the standards of 1950s Europe. He makes a point of living an ascetic, ordered life to better prepare himself for committing heinous atrocities.

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* OlderThanTheyLook: If the info about Fermín given in the newspapers is true, which is implied to be, he's 51 by this point of the story. As ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' establishes Daniel was born when his father was in his early thirties, this means Fermín is around the same age as Mr. Sempere, who is described as and behaves like a significantly older man in both books. (Of course, this could also mean that Mr. Sempere is prematurely aged due to all the drama his life - not everybody ages equally after all.)

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* OlderThanTheyLook: If the info about Fermín given in the newspapers is true, which is implied (which he himself seems to be, acknowledge), he's 51 by this point during the events of the story.book. As ''Literature/TheAngelsGame'' establishes Daniel was born when his father was in his early thirties, this means Fermín is around the same age as Mr. Sempere, who is described as and behaves like a significantly older man in both books. (Of course, this could also mean that Mr. Sempere is prematurely aged due to all man, most likely as the drama result of his life - not everybody ages equally after all.)wife's premature death and having to raise Daniel as a single father.



* PrimalScene: [[spoiler: Daniel, wanting to make sure that Clara is safe, ended interrupting one of her "classes" with master Neri. This earns Daniel his first beatdown of the book.]]
* ReallyGetsAround: Fermín is a mild version of this, he flirts with every woman he sees, but has stayed monogamous since he met Bernarda.

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* PrimalScene: [[spoiler: Daniel, wanting to make sure that Clara is safe, ended ends interrupting one of her "classes" with master Neri. This earns Daniel his first beatdown of the book.]]
* PutOnABus: After being a major character for the first half of the book, [[spoiler: Clara Barcelo]] abruptly disappears from the narrative, only being mentioned in passing in Daniel's final summation of every character's fate at the end of the book.
* ReallyGetsAround: Fermín is a mild version of this, he flirts with every woman he sees, encounters and even tries hooking up with the ER nurses when he's beaten and taken to the hospital. If his account of his past is to be believed, he was quite the ladies' man in his prime, but has stayed monogamous since he met Bernarda.begrudgingly accepts monogamy after meeting Bernarda.



* RomanticFalseLead: Clara is introduced as Daniel's love interest in the story, but after the PrimalScene she pretty much disappears from the story, only making a couple of brief appearances.

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* RomanticFalseLead: Clara is introduced as Daniel's love interest in the story, interest, but after the PrimalScene with her music teacher she pretty much disappears from the story, only making a couple of brief appearances.

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* BigEater: Fermín, despite being described as underweight, has an incredible appetite.
* BleakAbyssRetirementHome: Santa Lucia's Asylum. Where all the old homless (and sometimes mad) people of Barcelona end.
* BookEnds: A Zafón trademark, along with the FirstPersonSmartass narration.

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* BigEater: Fermín, despite being described as underweight, has an incredible appetite.
appetite. Combined with his always being cold, inability to sit still, and rambling monologues, he seems to suffer from hyperthyroidism, which wasn't well understood during the time the story takes place.
* BleakAbyssRetirementHome: Santa Lucia's Asylum. Where Asylum, where all the old homless homeless (and sometimes mad) people of Barcelona end.
end up.
* BookEnds: A Zafón trademark, along with the FirstPersonSmartass narration. The story both begins and ends with [[spoiler: a Sempere man taking their child to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. In the beginning it's Juan Sempere taking Daniel, and in the end, Daniel takes his own son, Julian]].



* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Daniel ends in the end of two of these. Fermín also gets one from Fumero.

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* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Daniel ends in up on the receiving end of two of these. two. Fermín also gets one from Fumero.Fumero.
* NoNameGiven: Daniel's father is only ever referred to as "Sempere," his surname. It wouldn't be until the final book in the series that Zafon finally revealed his name is [[spoiler: Juan]].

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