Why does Fermin eventually go along with Martín's crazy escape scheme? What might have happened if he had not?ġ0.

What qualities would you ascribe to each? What happens to each of them and how are they both connected to Daniel?ĩ. What is David Martín's relationship with Mauricio Valls, the prison's governor? Compare and contrast the two men.

Is he crazy or does he use madness to survive?Ĩ. Why is Martín in prison? Why are writers and intellectuals among the first casualties of a dictatorship? Other inmates say that Martín is mad. What kind of conditions do he and the other prisoners there endure? Among the prisoners he meets is the writer David Martín. Fermin reveals to Daniel that he has been imprisoned in Montjuïc Castle. What kind of a place is it? How is the civil war still shaping the lives of its inhabitants two decades after it began?ħ. How does life in 1939 Barcelona compare to that of 1957? Describe the Barcelona that Ruiz Zafón creates. Ruiz Zafón interweaves past and present to tell the story of The Prisoner of Heaven. from the truth?' Why does Daniel-or anyone-need protection from truth? Does truth have the power to free Daniel or to imprison him in a psychological way?Ħ. Why does Fermin tell Daniel that he has been protecting him, 'From the truth Daniel.

Daniel makes note of Fermin's stockpile of aphorisms, such as 'A good repast is like a lass in bloom: not to appreciate it is the business of fools.' Look for them throughout the novel, choose a few you especially like, and then share them with your reading group. The stranger inscribes the book with an enigmatic message: 'For Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from among the dead and holds the key to the future.' What key is this message referring to? How does this inscription drive the story and where does it lead the characters?Ĥ. How does this classic French tale tie into The Prisoner of Heaven? If you have read both books, how are they similar? Who is The Prisoner of Heaven and how did he earn this name? Is his incarceration a form of pure damnation or is there a sublime grace to it as well?ģ.

At the beginning of the novel, a mysterious stranger enters Sempere & Sons and purchases the store's rare copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. What ties these men together? What do we learn about these two friends and their lives as the story unfolds?Ģ. Describe the relationship between Daniel and Fermin.

The prisoner of heaven book