Fermín is one of the most eccentric and believable characters in The Shadow of the Wind.  He has a rollicking command of language, making his arguments compelling as much for wit as substance.

In an atmosphere charged with propaganda, ‘as bright as a political mural’ packs a punch, and a taxi is certainly preferable to the subway, given his conclusion that tunnels are for rats.

‘On the way out of the café, Fermín insisted that we should take a taxi as far as San Gabriel’s school and leave the subway for another day, arguing that the morning was as bright as a political mural and that tunnels were for rats.’

See also our celebration of this book, complete with a mosaic of illustrated quotations and metaphors.

Source: Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind, trans. Lucia Graves (London: Phoenix, 2012), p. 201

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