By Emma Chong

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
TOKL Rating: 2/5
Weidenfeld & Nicolson RM65.90

This Barcelona-based gothic thriller follows the exploits of the young and feverishly talented David Martín, writer of gothic crime thrillers. After a period of incubation at the Voice of Industry, a penny newspaper where he rises in the ranks to become the author of a series of lurid tales that make the paper, David is booted out by jealous, less talented colleagues.

He’s then hoodwinked into working for a pair of corrupted publishing hacks who (surprise surprise) exploit his never before seen combination of youth, poverty and talent to lock him into a 20 year contract that has him churning out monthly installments under a pseudonym. Poor David, he is thwarted at every turn – all he wants is to be recognised for his talent, but even when he escapes the publishers, he finds himself rewriting his alcoholic mentor’s novel into a bestseller (without said mentor even realising). And of course, each step of the way he is dogged by the mysterious Andreas Corelli, an Italian publisher from France who follows his every move, sends him extravagant presents and asks him to write the book of his lifetime.

The first part of the book is entertaining enough, but tests the reader’s patience heavily. You’re forced to follow David through his series of unfortunate events, but his character is so poorly actualised that sympathy for his plight is replaced by annoyance for being such an apathetic cynic. These trials and tribulations include but are not limited to: an abusive father shot down before his infant eyes, a brain tumour that leaves him with only two years to live, the love of his life denying him and marrying aforementioned alcoholic mentor, and of course, the crazy Italian publisher.

Things get better as the novel progresses and some truly interesting characters are introduced – Isabella, the ingénue, and Corelli, who fulfills every known stereotype of the vampirical immortal and manages to eclipse Martín every time he appears. Barring the unnecessarily long debates on the nature of religion and the gratuitous but ineffective (and anachronistic) snappy dialogue, ‘The Angel’s Game’ is an entertaining way to while away an afternoon. But be warned: if you put it down, you may not be sufficiently motivated to pick it up again.