The Shadow of the Wind: Nuria Monfort: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Nuria begins her narrative in 1933, when she’s working as a secretary for Toni Cabestany and meets Carax for the first time. Carax had published several novels in Paris, as the owner of the bar where he worked, Irene Marceau, was well-connected in the city. Because they sold so poorly, Cabestany acquired the rights for a small price and continued to print them in Spain even though they never succeeded. After reading Carax’s work herself, Nuria is astonished that they never sold.

Nuria is also puzzled that the same person, using different aliases, calls every few weeks to ask for Carax’s address. Assuming him to be up to no good, Nuria never gives it and eventually removes any record of the address from the publisher’s files.

While working on Cabestany’s accounting, Nuria discovers that the unprofitable editions of Carax’s books are financed completely by someone named Miquel Moliner, and that Cabestany is charging Moliner significantly more than it cost to print the books. One day Nuria visits Moliner to warn him he’s being swindled, but Moliner is unperturbed. He lives “a monastic existence” in his old family mansion and spends his time writing newspaper articles.

Nuria and Miquel quickly become friends, sharing their interest in books, music, and the enigmatic Carax. Miquel tells Nuria everything about their shared childhood experiences. Eventually, Miquel confesses his love to Nuria, and she has to tell him that she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. Miquel says that she’s in love with Carax, but she “doesn’t know yet.”

In the summer, Cabestany sends Nuria to Paris on business, where she meets Carax, who lets her stay in his spartan garret apartment. He tells her many fantastic stories about the mysteries of Paris and urges her to stay longer to explore the city. He even hires the young son of one of his friends to guide her around the city. Nuria asks Carax about the identity of “P,” to whom he dedicates all his books, and Carax tells her that Penélope is the only woman he’s ever loved.

Carax also tells Nuria about his life in Paris. In 1921, homeless and ill on the streets, he met Irene Marceau. She owned a brothel and took him home to recover there, eventually hiring him as a pianist. She also encouraged him to keep writing and found him a publisher for his novels.

After talking to her all night about his lonely night, Carax and Nuria finally have sex. She spends two weeks in Paris as his lover, but knows he will never love her the way he loves Penélope. Meanwhile, she’s sure she’ll never love another man as she loves him.

Carax covets a fountain pen he sees in a pawnshop, which is said to have belonged to Victor Hugo. Nuria secretly buys it for him out of her meager savings. That night, she leaves without saying goodbye, placing the pen on his typewriter and knowing that “the best part of my life was already behind me.”