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The Library of Shadows [Paperback]

Mikkel Birkegaard
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Book Description

4 Jun 2009

Imagine that some people have the power to affect your thoughts and feelings when you read, or they read a book to you. They can seduce you with amazing stories, conjure up vividly imagined worlds, but also manipulate you into thinking exactly what they want you to.

When Luca Campelli dies a sudden and violent death, his son Jon inherits his second-hand bookshop, Libri di Luca, in Copenhagen. Jon has not seen his father for twenty years since the mysterious death of his mother.

When Luca's death is followed by an arson attempt on the shop, Jon is forced to explore his family's past. Unbeknown to Jon, the bookshop has for years been hiding a remarkable secret. It is the meeting place of a society of booklovers and readers, who have maintained a tradition of immense power passed down from the days of the great library of ancient Alexandria. Now someone is trying to destroy them, and Jon finds himself in a fight for his life and those of his new friends.


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The Library of Shadows + Boy in the Suitcase, The: A Nina Borg Thriller
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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Black Swan (4 Jun 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0552775029
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552775021
  • Product Dimensions: 2.8 x 12.5 x 19.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 324,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

A thrilling and dangerous literary conspiracy novel (Woman & Home )

Book Description

An engrossing literary thriller of intrigue and conspiracy.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent-Highly Innovative Thriller 8 Jun 2009
By Simon Clarke TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This debut novel by the Danish,Mikkel Birkegaard,
is a best seller in Europe ,and not surprisingly
the film rights have been sold.It is a tremendously
good read-a highly innovative,imaginative and tense
thriller.

The plot concerns a secret society of 'Lectors'-
people who through reading can control or influence
others'thoughts or fully experience what they have
read.Some of the society are abusing their powers and
altering people's thoughts for nefarious means.Jon Campelli
and Katherina investigate this conspiracy with exciting
consequences.
Highly recommended for lovers of thrillers,and those interested
in the power of reading.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars can't wait to pass it on to someone else 20 Jan 2012
Format:Paperback
the title and idea for this book intrigued me when I first saw the dust cover. However, as I started reading it I realised it was slow, turgid, and lacking in anything other than one (not even two) dimensional characters. It's awful stuff. Maybe the translation from Danish to English makes for a clunky read, but I've read plenty of translations and nothing came as close to reading what I would describe as a book of stage directions. I wasn't drawn into this world of cliched rubbish, and it was like reading stage directions with ads in the middle. Sorry. Awful.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I'd hoped sadly... 18 Jun 2009
By C. Ball TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I can't make up my mind about this book. I did enjoy it, and I found the premise intriguing - it's about people who can influence others through reading, either as they read to you or as you read yourself - but I never quite felt it. You know how some books become more than just a story, more than just words on a page - you fall into the world and you care about the characters? That never happened with this, which is kind of ironic for a book about how books have soul and power. I was just reading to find out what happened, rather than reading because I was enthralled and cared about what happened. So, good but not brilliant. I doubt I'd read it again.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars dedicated to bibliophiles 5 Jun 2009
Format:Paperback
I was completely absorbed and blown away by this book. Apart from having a a mysterious plot that keeps you in agony, it is also one to touch deeply all the bibliophiles. Books have got their own soul and the author makes that point so vividly. A group of people connected in space and time because of their love for books. This bond between them goes as deep in time as the library of Alexandria, the dream of everyone who seeks knowledge and wants to distribute it it as well.

The other book that I recommend to bibliopiles is by Uberto Eco: The name of the rose
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars What a load of old pferdemerde! 7 Aug 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is appalling. I know the power of words can kill, but not like this. The plot is disjointed and coincidences happen with regular unbelievable monotony. Inconsistencies are glossed over or ignored. A poor effort.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting 17 Dec 2010
Format:Paperback
If you have read and been hooked by Shadow of the Wind by Zafon I think you will really enjoy this book. It is based on a great idea which actually lives up to expectations. I was riveted and looked forward to every free moment that I could pick it up and read. I did not want to come to the end and I highly recommend it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea and plot, but lacking in cohesion... 7 April 2010
Format:Paperback
I read this in the Greek translation. Although I usually read in English, this caught my eye in a local (Greek) bookstore and i picked it up. At 4 times the amazon price i might add... Anyway the promise was that it would be better than Stephen King or Dan Brown.
I found the general idea interesting and convincing. The plot was alright, but the reason i am giving only 3 stars is that I found the storyline sadly lacking in cohesion. The characters often jumped to conclusions. I have read other books where this happen and it always gets me.
I have certainly never seen this happen in a Stephen King book...
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Let down on two fronts 22 Nov 2010
Format:Paperback
The book jacket describes 'The Library of Shadows' as a literary thriller and this is what initially drew me to it. A second attraction was the Danish backdrop - I'm a big fan of literature from Northern Europe.

As I have understood it - perhaps erroneously - 'literary thriller' describes a slower moving thriller, perhaps of greater depth and credibility than your average thriller. However, whilst much of the action takes place in a bookshop and amongst books, the action is very definitely fast, culminating in a frantic chase that becomes reminiscent of Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code' (nobody stops to eat, getaway cars always arrive just at the right moment etc etc).

With regard to the Danish backdrop - where was it? This story doesn't have any of the 'dense' atmosphere that I have come to expect from north european writing and could have been set in any European capital.

So, I felt let down on two fronts. That said, I did read it all and I did enjoy large parts of it. The concept of the 'lecters' is an imaginative leap that gives structure to an exciting plot driven story. If you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, you'll probably enjoy this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars More of an adult fairy tale
On the plus side, I can say that I did like the mischievous idea of this novel, namely
Lecters, who are people who can effect other people because they have the power to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susanna Deakin
3.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, but lacks something
I started reading this book, and was excited about the plot/idea. I was captivated by the surroundings and characters. Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. Stoeving
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent literary thriller.
I'm quite surprised by the two sets of conflicting views about this book: those who loved it and those who hated it!
I obviously loved the book. Read more
Published 8 months ago by gwenalop
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story
This was a great story and held my attention from beginning to end. I love books and this story is all about books and the power of the written word when read by certain people. Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Small
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read
A Really good story which is continued in the second book called book of souls. A new author to me but one i will definately watch out for
Published on 17 Aug 2010 by artemis99
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit far fetched at times
I enjoyed the book as some light reading but felt it a bit too far fetched at times and predictable.
Published on 24 Jun 2010 by Chloe Wood
4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and well written
I loved this book because of the idea that books have a 'voice' and a power if activated by a person with the power to do so. Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2010 by Sa Cain
2.0 out of 5 stars Original idea wasted
The premise is intriguing. Imagine if some readers had powers that enabled them to influence anyone who heard them read. Read more
Published on 16 May 2010 by Archy
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