The Angel's Game
June 11th, 2009The Angel’s Game(El Juego del Angel) is Carlos Ruiz Zafons second book to be translated after Shadow of the Wind(La Sombra del Viento). In a way The Angels Game is a prequel to Shadows of the wind, but the stories are not linked, only some characters, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and Sempere bookshop. I read Shadows of the Wind four years ago so it was only at the end that I realized the actual connection.
“The Angels Game” is a well written story, it’s a mystery and love story. It’s the same structure as “Shadow of the Wind “only more darker and evil. But it reads well and the story fascinates enough to read it in one read. I read it in three day, could be faster if I didn’t have to work. While The Angel’s Game is good I think Shadows of the Wind is better.
When I was in Barcelona a few months after reading “Shadow of the Wind” I bought the original Spanish version. Just a paperback but I’m always pro to reading a book in it’s original language if possible. I think I’ll be searching for the Spanish first edition of both books. I’m never one to specifically want first edition, except for the Harry Potter series, which by the way I need first edition copies of book 1 till 3.
If you have never read Carlos Ruiz Zafon you should now, and even though “The Angels Game’s” time line is before “Shadow of the Wind” you should read “Shadow of the Wind” first.
Spoilers ahead stop reading if you haven’t read the book yet!
I noticed a few “huge” gaps in the story that bothered me a bit or maybe I just missed something.
At the end when Martin is talking to inspector Grandes just before Grandes lets him escape the inspector tells him:
‘That brooch with the angel’, he said, touching his lapel. “Yes?” “I’ve seen you wearing it on your lapel ever since I met you’, he said.
Grandes is referring to the same brooch that the mysterious publisher Andreas Corelli wears all the time. I still don’t get the meaning…because Martin even commented to Corelli about the brooch Corelli always wear. So what does it means that Grandes notices that Martin wears that brooch all the time?
Second thing I didn’t get. At the end Martin gets that Salvador is in fact Diego Marlasca. But how could Martin fall for it? Diego Marlasca we later find out doesn’t age anymore since he closed a deal with Andreas Corelli. Then we learn that Diego murdered Salvador and took his identity to fool Martin. But wouldn’t the real Salvador be an old man when Martin meets him years after the the supposed suicide of Diego Marlasca?
I know that Andreas Corelli probably is the devil Lucifer. Although this isn’t said anywhere. But it’s obvious evil is at play. But even so Marlasca was just a writer who closed a pact with the devil so except to not age anymore he couldn’t change appearance or anything.
These two points bothers me a bit as it feels more like a badly done loose end on the part of Zafon rather then part of the mystery. But again maybe it’s just me and I missed something.
waiting at the hospital to ask one simple question which I couldn't email since their spam filter has blocked my email. 
Hello,
Thanks for your thoughts. I too found the book very readable and gripping, but with some unanswered questions. I didn’t understand why Grandes said that the angel pin was on Martin’s lapel the whole time, or why other parts of Martin’s story couldn’t be verified (eg the visit to CHloe at the start, the visit to Dr Trias etc).
The idea that Corelli is the devil is interesting, however why did the concept of agelessness get introduced? He never actually promised that to Martin or Marlasca, and yet both of them receive it as a byproduct of working for Corelli.
Who is the girl that Corelli has with him at the end? It seems that it is Cristina, reborn, ready to recommence her life. The other possibility is she is a child borne to Corelli and Cristina from a possible liaison (which could explain the photo of the 2 of them MArtin finds in Corelli’s corridor). Does this imply that Corelli has the power to bring people back to life, and to let them live again? If so, a) how, and b) why didn’t he use that power for Ishmael, the deceased son of Marlasca? Finally, is that little girl the same one whose laughter can be heard on the day Martin goes to Corelli’s place to shoot him?
Sorry but I also have quite a few more questions which I’d really appreciate an answer to or an opinion on…
• Why did Corelli even want a religious book commissioned, enough to commission it from 3 people – Lambert, Marlasca and Martin? • Was there any link between all the religious relics hanging in the shop of Coligny, and of those hanging in the hidden room of Martin’s house (where Salvador is found)? • Was Corelli actually Jaco/Juan Corbera, or was there a link between them? It seems that Jaco got Marlasca’s 100000 francs, and yet Corelli has it again to offer Martin. If not, did Jaco reappear in the story? • How did Corelli end up in a photograph with Irene Sabino, which Martin and Isabella find in the locked room? * Why did Marlasca kill the Witch of ?Zorodustro and also his ‘widow’ Ms Marlasca? What information did he most want to suppress? Why did he even fake his own death to start? Was Corelli aware that Marlasca was still alive and did they have an ongoing connection? • Who killed Valera and how did they know that Martin was right then coming for him? • What was the significance of having a brain tumour – was it real, how did it disappear, was it responsible for changing Martin’s sense of reality etc? Or did Corelli magically cure it? • It seems that Marlasca (as Salvador on the 1st visit with Martin) is quite surprised to learn that Martin knows of the 100000 French francs. Is it from that point on that he realizes that Martin is being employed by Corelli, and therefore wants to claim the money himself/thwart Martin’s efforts? • Why did Irene Sabino carve a star in the chest of Martin? Who gave the big blow to the back of Martin’s neck at the Marlasca family monument? • Why does Cristina disappear again after returning to Martin’s place and reading the manuscript? Is it because she was hit in the neck and became scared? Was it Corelli who hit here (explaining why the angel broach was left there) or was it Marlasca? • Why did Cristina essentially become catatonic towards the end of the novel? • On the night Cristina drowned, who cut her shackles and set her free? • Why did Corelli have lots of statues of people? What was the significance?
I am sorry to dissect the book like that but ANY answers or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Comment by gigglesalot — June 12th, 2009 @ 3:12 pm
You sure where left with lots of question, I’ll try to give an answer, but this is how I interpreted the book.
Why did Corelli even want a religious book commissioned, enough to commission it from 3 people – Lambert, Marlasca and Martin? Because the first two writers didn’t deliver him the book he wanted, Marlasca manuscrpt was hidden in the tower house and in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Martin also hid his documents there.
Was there any link between all the religious relics hanging in the shop of Coligny, and of those hanging in the hidden room of Martin’s house (where Salvador is found)? Good question I didn’t even notice that. I have no idea.
Was Corelli actually Jaco/Juan Corbera, or was there a link between them? It seems that Jaco got Marlasca’s 100000 francs, and yet Corelli has it again to offer Martin. If not, did Jaco reappear in the story? I belive that Jaco was the body they found burned and drowned and they believed was Marlasca’s body. Marlasca probably killed Jaco. And as for the money he took it himself. Well Corelli is obviously able to get that kind of money considering he is supernatural.
How did Corelli end up in a photograph with Irene Sabino, which Martin and Isabella find in the locked room? Well he probably met her when MArlasca was writing for him.
Why did Marlasca kill the Witch of ?Zorodustro and also his ‘widow’ Ms Marlasca? What information did he most want to suppress? Why did he even fake his own death to start? Well the witch probably knew that Marlasca had a deal with the devil and doesn’t age anymore.
Was Corelli aware that Marlasca was still alive and did they have an ongoing connection? I don’t think they had an ongoing connection because Marlasca was jealous of Martins work for Corelli, he wanted to steal the work and finish it under his own name for Corelli.
Who killed Valera and how did they know that Martin was right then coming for him? Corelli of Marlasca I guess.
What was the significance of having a brain tumor – was it real, how did it disappear, was it responsible for changing Martin’s sense of reality etc? Or did Corelli magically cure it? We can go way out and say the whole story was Martins hallucination induced by the brain the tumor. But that wouldn’t explain the encounter with Chloe unless he already was suffering from the tumor. And considering Martin has a dark mind seeing the stories he write he might have killed al those people without knowing it.
It seems that Marlasca (as Salvador on the 1st visit with Martin) is quite surprised to learn that Martin knows of the 100000 French francs. Is it from that point on that he realizes that Martin is being employed by Corelli, and therefore wants to claim the money himself/thwart Martin’s efforts? He wants to claim Martins work not the money.
Why did Irene Sabino carve a star in the chest of Martin? Who gave the big blow to the back of Martin’s neck at the Marlasca family monument? Marlasca probably hit him from behind and I have no idea why she carved the star on his chest.
Why does Cristina disappear again after returning to Martin’s place and reading the manuscript? Is it because she was hit in the neck and became scared? Was it Corelli who hit here (explaining why the angel broach was left there) or was it Marlasca? It was Corelli, on his last encounter with Martin he says he’s sorry he scared the girl(Cristina) that he didn’t think it would drive her mad.(He’s lying of course it was his intention to drive Cristina mad).
Why did Cristina essentially become catatonic towards the end of the novel? Because Corelli was taunting her.
On the night Cristina drowned, who cut her shackles and set her free? Corelli I asume.
Why did Corelli have lots of statues of people? What was the significance? That the guy(Corelli) isn’t human.
And finally: “The idea that Corelli is the devil is interesting, however why did the concept of agelessness get introduced? He never actually promised that to Martin or Marlasca, and yet both of them receive it as a byproduct of working for Corelli.“
I think the concept of angel is related with Lucifer, Lucifer is a fallen angel banned from heaven. As for giving them eternal live it is part of his plan to wreck their lives. Because if you think about it who wants to live eternally, not age at all and see all your loved ones die.
Andreas Corelli can be compared with John Milton in the movie “The Devil’s Advocate”.
This book is perfect for literature class to study and dissect, it’s so full of symbolic.
Comment by Darice de Cuba — June 12th, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
wow that is incredible! thanks so much for your thoughts! the final thing though is about the young cristina at the end – who is she, how did she end up there, and is the implication that corelli could bring her back to life, and that martin will now be cursed/blessed with watching her grow old again.
thanks again, it’s quite a relief to get some answers!
Comment by gigglesalot — June 13th, 2009 @ 1:59 am
I must be completely thrown out of the curve here with what i thought becuase my bet is that Martin had DID …disiosiative identity disorder ( or multiple personalities disorder) and he was Andrea Corelli…it explains why he had the angel pin on and why Cristina went crazy and called him a coward… It also explains why in the end he seems to talk to himself as opposed to another actual person, and he always referenced himself as crazy and delusional…How convenient it was for Martin that all his enemies died, or got burned, and how ironic that A.C. seemed to share the same thoughts…there were alot of give aways that signaled Martin as Andrea C. And finally there was that scene at the end where he was standing by a mirror and talking to A.C. so it had to be him. When a person has (DID)the alters are not aware of each others presence until the end and they usually arise due to traumatic experiences, like the ones Martin had before he met A.C. I could be dead wrong, but im sticking with this concept…what do u guys think? am i nuts 4 thinking that lol
Comment by Joel — July 7th, 2009 @ 7:59 am
You have a point there, although it still doesn’t really explain the Marlasca/Salavador and Irene part. I wonder if the writer will ever go into the how behind this story if he hasn’t yet.
Comment by Darice de Cuba — July 7th, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
I was entertaining the concept of DID for a while, but then things just didn’t add up for me. With Andreas Corelli being Lucifer, therefore supernatural, he can do pretty much whatever he wants. A big pointer to this was that Martin was not religious. He had a “weak” soul, which in most cases, are what demonical entities target. So, what I think is that Andreas Corelli manipulated people, such as inspector Grandes, to make things look like Martin did everything. I think that Christina became posessed, and when she said “I didn’t let him in” after her biggest fit, she was referring to the demon.
I was very upset after Christina died, and the epilogue threw me.
Now, my big question was what the heck happened at Martin’s last visit to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books? What was with the whole Lux Aertna thing, were all the books Lux Aertna, or was the nook in the Cemetery totally manipulated by Corelli?
And to finish, I have no idea what was with the whole Martin-angel-brooch thing. That might lead one to believe that Martin was possibly posessed, and Corelli was a demon only he could see. This also arises to the question: Who actually hit Christina? Since Corelli was noted for wearing the angel pin, he is a possibility. But then, if Martin was wearing the angel pin, he could have also been the one to go into his DID and hit Christina.
This can all be summarized into one statement: I have no idea.
Comment by BlueSteel — July 13th, 2009 @ 10:30 pm
You know, now that u mention it the lucifer concept does make some sense, even though id hate to think i read a supernatural book…but it explains alot…as well as..THE TITTLE. The tittle is The Angels Game and lucifer is after all a fallen angel, so pehaps the biggest clue is in his tittle….or perhaps this book needs to be disected from first page to last to make some sense lol stil i agree on one statement….I HAVE NO IDEA!
Comment by Joel — July 16th, 2009 @ 9:52 am
The star was cut onto david because Irene believed in all the seance rubbish and so wanted to trap his soul in exchange for Marlesca’s, her love…. thats why she took the novel form sempere.
Grandes lied about the brooch because he didnt know about Corelli but David had mentioned it to him before. He was being paid by Valera to stop David form digging up the past and so Grandes tried to convince David he was mad and so prevent an investigation… thats why he then decided to let David go in order easily rap up the case pinning the crime on David of him escaping custody.
Comment by Ollie — July 19th, 2009 @ 6:03 pm
Also the lux aeterna thing at the end i thought showed that Corelli had been trying to complete his task with hundreds of other unidentified authors… thats why all the novels in the CoFB contained pretty much the same ideology or plots etc.
Comment by Ollie — July 19th, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
i dont mean hundreds i mean dozens of other authors….
Comment by Ollie — July 19th, 2009 @ 6:09 pm
I know I’m definitely not the smartest person, but there’s something about the ending that bothering me. I’m more in agreement with the multiple personality disorder route, but doesn’t it almost seem that its all happened before. I mean, they find the same picture: girl holding guy in white suit’s hand. Corelli tells Martin that he’ll watch her die in his arms. As if though its an actual event thats already happened. Something about that I just can’t put my finger on. Gonna read both books again. Wondering if theres a connection between the two that hasn’t been seen.
Comment by Beau — July 26th, 2009 @ 6:18 am
Wow. This was the most confusing ending of any book I have ever read. The whole time I had the feeling that Andreas Corelli was probably Satan and that Only David could see and talk to him. The multiple personalities theory doesn’t add up for me because If he had multiple personalities and was actually both David and A.C. then how would he have conversations with himself. I am not aware that those with multiple personalities can communicate with their other personalities, or see them standing in front of them. I thought they were unaware of their other self. But I’m no expert. It is odd, however, (and annoying) that David doesn’t tell anyone about his tumor or about any of the super natural goings on, as if he is delusional and chooses to be in denial about the whole business. Another thing I find interesting is that Andreas Corelli is never made out to be a monster and the author almost removes him from the last part of the book with all the deaths and the plot to kill David, making me feel that A.C. is perhaps not the evil behind the ever occurring horrors and that he is perhaps just another lost soul. It is marlasca who permeates fear in the closing of the novel and I believe he is the evil behind the madness. The whole business with the death of Christina is odd and I have no idea how the photograph fits in at the end. it feels like the story is looping around and that the whole thing is going to start over again from the beging, like a never ending sequence of events. And the thing with the brooch that David is apparently wearing through out the story does point to Zafon trying to hint at David having multiple personalities, or perhaps being possessed. I just hope that someday, Zafon will give his readers a little insight into the madness.
Comment by Shannon — July 28th, 2009 @ 12:54 am
Zafon is a brilliant writer… I found the book really intruiging…
In my opnion, Zafon wanted to let us feel that, some things simply can’t be understood. You either BELIEVE them, or not. True answers can’t be given, nor detailed explanations. The essence of religion.
I thought as well, just like Ollie, that the title of ‘the one book’ had to be Lux Aeterna, and that there had been a lot of people who had been given the assignment to write ‘the one book’. The reason why it was never finished is that, in the end, ‘the light’ always defeats ‘the dark’. Although it’ll be an eternal battle.
Comment by Larissa — August 9th, 2009 @ 10:46 pm
I loved the Shadow Of The Wind, especially as everything slotted into place towards the end. I was expecting the same of The Angel’s Game, but as I approached the final chapters, I became more confused, and could predict no final outcome. The idea of Corelli being the devil was one I entertained right from the beginning – but the idea that Corelli and David were the sam person compltley threw me. For a while, I thought – perhaps when David, as Corelli, attacks Cristina when she finds the manuscript, the brooch fell off – and only then was he aware of it, as in he had been wearing it all along. But then he would have been concious of putting the brooch on after this and of Corelli’s actions in setting Cristina free…I feel therefore they couldn’t be the same person…which is what makes the book even more confusing – I think I shall reread it in the next few days and go through everything step by step.
Comment by Hardeep — August 17th, 2009 @ 7:50 pm
As I got to the end of The Angel’s game I may have hurried a little to find out what happened. My question: what about the comment that every book contains the soul of the writer and also the soul of every person who reads the book. Was Corelli’s “game” to capture souls or maybe it was to somehow get them into the Cemetery of Forgotten books. Or, maybe, Corelli, if he was a fallen angel, wanted to rewrite the bible in a way that would validate the actions that led him to be labeled ‘a fallen angel’. Or, maybe, David, at the end, showed us that he was the author of “The Angel’s Game”? I know I am really reaching but it is such an intriguing book as was “Shadow of the Wind”. I look forward to reading more comments and ideas.
Comment by c zimmerman — August 29th, 2009 @ 7:15 am
I believe that Corelli intimates that he is a fallen Angel when, on their first meeting, he tells Corelli something to the extent that he was made to leave his father’s house. This would make sense as Lucifer is believed to be an angel who was banished from heaven for wanting to be on par with God.
The author clearly believes that books have power so it would make sense for the devil to want to commission a book to start a new religion (his). The fact that his choice of writers is a non believer also makes sense.
Further, Marlasca’s deal with the devil may have been broken by offering an innocent soul – maybe that soul was Salvador’s? Thus releasing him from his bond. The same could be said for Vidal who offered his own life at the end of the book thus relieving Martin from his bond.
The turns in section 3 are all part of manipulation by AC. David turns on AC and AC then makes his life a living hell.
But why the compassion at the end? Why bring Christina to David in the form of a child? That is what does not add up. If AC is the Anti Christ, why would he want to give David back something he lost?
Comment by Mike from Stamford — September 13th, 2009 @ 5:45 pm
I found The Angel’s Game so fascinating, but definitely confusing at the end as well! I get the impression that we are not supposed to really understand what’s going on, and that there are numerous possibilities for who Andreas Corelli was. Something that makes me think that he is Lucifer or some other kind of supernatural being is that we find out that he died years ago. David Martin asks his friend to find out about the Paris publishing house and publisher early in the book, and we learn that that publishing house burned down years ago and AC at some point too, right? So if he supposedly died, but is now alive, it makes sense that he is supposed to be the devil. When Inspector Grandes tells David Martin that everything he believed or remembered is false because Grandes couldn’t find any evidence to prove what Martin told him is true, are we to assume that Corelli was involved in manipulating Grandes? I loved reading this book, but there are alot of unanswered questions in my mind. This would be a good book for a book club, because discussion is necessary!
Comment by Megan — September 19th, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
I have yet to come across an interview with Carlos Ruiz Zafón in which he sheds more light on the book. But I agree with Megan this book is ideal for book clubs or literature class. Because it is full of symbolism and mysteries.
But meanwhile we will be left guessing about all the questions left.
Comment by Darice de Cuba — September 19th, 2009 @ 10:28 pm
I, as well as all of you, have immensely enjoyed Zafon’s book. I too was (and am) very confused by a lot of what has happened, but as I read your questions and hypothesis i think I’ve been able to piece things together fairly well.
His meeting with Chloe DID happen. If i remember correctly it was set up by A.C. who, I think the majority have agreed, is either Lucifer himself or at least has some sort of strange, supernatural demonic powers. That’s why nothing was there when he went back. It was a supernatural event setup by A.C.
When David commits to writing the book for A.C. he essentially is selling his soul to the Devil. If you recall, the author puts a ton of effort into the concept that a book contains the author’s soul and so forth. This explains why Martin and Marlasca did not age. As long as that book was kept alive, so were they. If you don’t believe me here, you should notice the at least extremely coincidental occurrence that David burns Marlasca’s copy of Lux Aeterna and the fact that Marlasca ends up being burned alive.
The brooch thing is more confusing than i originally thought. I first believed it was another statement by Grandes to make David believe he was crazy. While this still may be true, I would also hold to the possibility that, from the moment he worked for A.C., he unknowingly wore the brooch as a mark that he belonged to A.C. The brooch found in his brief case was A.C.’s as A.C. admits to loosing his earlier.
Cristina is knocked out and driven insane by A.C. Cristina, as mentioned by someone earlier, talks about keeping someone out. Assuming that A.C. is Lucifer he is trying to (a) keep her away from the book and (b) take her soul. That’s why she goes insane at the end. A.C. successfully takes her soul, which is why her picture appears in the apartment and why he is allowed to release her as a young girl to David at the end of the book.
I think i answered the major questions but let me know if i missed any or if you find any holes with my arguments. I’d love to discuss them.
I also had some questions of my own if any of you have anything to comment on them.
What’s up with the little girl’s laughter in Corelli’s house and the dummies as well?
Who/what is laughing when David notices all the same title in the CoFB?
When he has his encounter with Chloe, whats up with the girl with the doll arms or w.e? Maybe that’s tied in with the the dummies and little girl laughter somehow?
Thx, i can’t wait to here from anyone!
Comment by cameron — October 4th, 2009 @ 11:08 am
In answer to Cameron, I just wanted to mention that I think the person laughing in the COFB is the black man, or man in black that they referred to the first time David visits the cemmetery. Zafon will probably delve more into this in future books because there seems to be a lot of potential there.
Comment by Tatiana — October 9th, 2009 @ 11:45 pm
I started reading Carlos Ruiz Zafon thanks to a friend of mine. She recomended me “The Shadow of the Wind” and I enjoyed it from the begining to end. After that, I read “The Angel’s Game” and it’s impossible to decide which one is the best. This author became one of my favorites and I started reading his early works. There are lots of common traits in all his books.
About the brooch: David had DID. You should read the book again to find the clue. Since he was mentally unstable we could say that the Devil(AC) could manipulate him without trying too hard, but what if the Devil described in the noble is in fact a creation of Davids mind? There is no such thing as a supernatural being…at least in this book. I found the name of Andreas Corelli in his third book “Luces de Septiembre”. His purpose is to play with the characters desires for happines in exchange for their soul or loyalty.
Their is a connection between the two nobles. At the end of the “Angel’s Game”, David recieves a letter from Sempere stating that his wife died and that they had a child who appears in the Shadow of the Wind, Daniel Sempere.
The book is worth reading again to clarify those unsolved mysteries… it’s such a lovely noble.
Comment by Louis — October 16th, 2009 @ 2:12 am
Another un-answered question: What was the White room in Casa Marlasca about? I don’t think it was just a regular kids room. What about the big porcelain clown and the speared dove under the bed? And another question: What was the significance of Isabella in the story? Was she supposed to be the good trying to pull him back from the dark world he was entering? I think that the events at El Ensueno with Chloe were the first evidence that A.C could manipulate David’s mind. Based on this it is possible that A.C also manipulated David into believing that he had a tumour – hence the visit to the doctor that may not really have happened. A.C could then use the tumour as a bargaining tool to get the desperate David to write the book. Another example of David’s detatchment from reality is when Isabella is attacked outside his hoouse and he goes after the thugs with the metal pole. David remembers the thugs running away but we hear people commenting on how a man was beaten to death with a metal pole. Could this be evidence that David is committing violent without being aware? A possible theory about the wooden dolls/statues: David’s doll is incomplete – do the dolls become complete once the captured soul physically dies or when the soul is completely captured? Just an idea.. Would love to hear people’s thoughts on this
Comment by Keren — November 20th, 2009 @ 11:47 pm