The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2
The Angel's Game
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contents
Act Three - The Angel’s Game — Chapter 1
Overview
David arrives at Sempere & Sons to find a candlelit crowd mourning Señor Sempere’s sudden death. Inside, Don Gustavo Barceló manages arrangements while Isabella steadies Sempere’s devastated son and secures a sympathetic priest. David places Great Expectations in the coffin and joins an all-night wake, departing at dawn in grief.
Summary
Night falls as David and Isabella arrive at Sempere & Sons, where a candlelit crowd mourns Señor Sempere. Through the shop window, David sees Don Gustavo Barceló holding the bookseller’s inconsolable son. Isabella takes charge, comforting the young man and revealing unexpected strength that deeply moves David.
Barceló explains that Sempere died hours earlier, possibly after arguing with someone, the doctor blaming his heart. David enters the back room to find Sempere laid out, closes the bookseller’s eyes, and confronts the undertakers who begin preparations. When asked about religious rites, Isabella suggests the maverick parish priest from nearby Santa Ana, and volunteers to speak to him.
David and Barceló share a silent toast to Sempere before yielding the practicalities to the undertakers. David places a cherished copy of Great Expectations in the coffin "for the journey," honoring the bookseller’s life of reading and guidance. The coffin is set in the shop and mourners file past, while Isabella takes Sempere’s son upstairs to rest.
The wake lasts all night. Barceló remains until the small hours; David stays on duty until dawn, when Isabella insists he go home to wash and change. As David leaves, he recalls his first visit as a child and feels the world has shifted irrevocably, walking into the empty streets burdened by grief.
Who Appears
- David MartínNarrator; mourns Señor Sempere, arranges details, places Great Expectations in the coffin, keeps vigil all night.
- IsabellaShows leadership and compassion; comforts Sempere’s son, offers to contact the Santa Ana priest, oversees the wake.
- Don Gustavo BarcelóBookseller and friend; organizes the funeral arrangements, supports Sempere’s son, toasts Sempere’s memory.
- Señor SempereBeloved bookseller; dies suddenly, honored by a wake in his shop, symbol of guidance and reading.
- Sempere’s sonDevastated by his father’s death; comforted by Isabella and taken upstairs to rest.
- UndertakersTwo solemn professionals; measure the body, prepare the coffin, and coordinate funeral details.