Reviews

Dom duchów by Isabel Allende

jedwin00's review against another edition

3.0

A complex book you can really sink your teeth into. Its has a very intricate storyline with characters whose lives and goals are very intertwined and a treat to get absorbed into. It also has a very interesting story going on at first in the background and then in the foreground about the Chilean political history from the rise of president Allende to the overthrowing of the left wing government by the military coup and Pinochet's reign. A good i will recommend for anyone who is looking for a sory they can lost in.

dimolkova's review against another edition

3.0

this was an interesting read. it made me feel both emotionally detached and emotionally involved, sometimes at the same time

dmwilderson's review against another edition

3.0

Beautifully written epic novel, filled with lush and colorful depictions of people and place. The problem for me is that I didn't care about any of the characters, so the ups and downs of their lives didn't draw me in. I did find the history interesting.

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is difficult to rate because the things about this book that I enjoyed (the magical realism, basically all of the female characters) are almost equally balanced with the things I disliked (most of the male characters, the last third of the book, the sexual assault and pedophilia), but the things I disliked about the book I feel strongly enough about that I think they’re a smidge more influential in my overall rating. To start with, the magical realism was just so lovely and really scratched an itch that I didn’t realize I had. That it only manifested itself in the female characters is also something that I really loved because in some ways it felt like it was intended to create more balance within the clearly male-skewed power dynamics (because of the time period, it wasn’t particularly effective, but it helped a little). I also loved how all of our female protagonists are so well-developed, even the ones that are mostly relegated to side characters (and also, I love how Ferula is low-key queer). But those things pale in comparison to how much about this book I actively disliked. First of all, most of the male characters are garbage, but basically any character named Esteban is racist, homophobic, emotionally and physically abusive, a rapist, and a pedophile to top it all off. Honestly, the amount of rape and pedophilia in this book is disgusting and extremely unpleasant to read about. It fills me with rage that one of the most abhorrent characters in this book (Esteban the patriarch) is the only one who gets a first-person narrative throughout the book (up until we get to the epilogue) because he is not only the most morally disgusting person in this book but also one of the least interesting. On top of that, after Clara dies about 2/3 of the way through, the book really shifts focus from being a family drama to being more focused on Chilean history (which I don’t know or care much about) and just got so boring because most of the interesting characters were already dead. I mean, Alba’s kind of an interesting character but I just wasn’t invested in her story enough to make me actively want to read the last 150 pages or so. I’m not actively opposed to reading another of Allende’s books, but if they’re all like this one, she may not be the author for me. 

kmcfree917's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

irenemg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ken121592's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

gabbybooks91's review against another edition

4.0

(3.8)

Esta historia me tiene contrariada:

- [ ] Por un lado nos cuenta la historia de una familia en un periodo de más o menos 70 años, en donde nos presentan a todos sus integrantes así como el papel que desempeña cada uno en el rol familiar.
- [ ] Por otro lado se encuentra la historia de un país y los cambios tanto tecnológicos como ideológicos que trae consigo el paso del tiempo.

✅Lo que me gustó mucho fuero los eventos históricos que hacen que la vida de la población en general cambie; al no ser chilena agradezco mucho ese aporte histórico que me hizo empatizar un poco más con los personajes.

⛔️ Lo que no me gustó es que siento que no todos los personajes estaban bien definidos, es decir qué fluctuaban y en muchas ocasiones los sentí súper pobres y como de relleno.

- [ ] Clara sólo seguía la corriente, siento que no tenia una personalidad firme y que era muy alcahueta con todos, sobretodo con Blanca.

- [ ] Blanca “hacia lo que quería” pero tampoco sabía qué era lo que quería: ilusionó y disfrutó a Pedro Tercero por medio siglo, no importándole lo que él quería (formar una vida al lado de Blanca). Tampoco fue constante en la vida de Alba, porque al morir Clara todo dejó de importarle.

- [ ] Jaime era más constante en sus convicciones, solo “flaqueó” cuando se encontraba Amanda a su lado e influyó mucho en la personalidad de Alba.

- [ ] Nicolás bien se lo pudieron haber ahorrado

- [ ] Esteban Trueba fue el más constante en cuanto a su personalidad de gran terrateniente amargado y orgulloso de sus logros.

- [ ] Férula también tenía una gran personalidad, aunque no justifico su pensamiento de mujer abnegada, era una persona que sabía lo que quería y hacía lo imposible por obtenerlo, incluso en su propia muerte.

- [ ] Pedro Tercero era muy intermitente, quería a Blanca, pero tampoco hizo más por ella… era muy Meh.

- [ ] Esteban García sabía qué era lo que quería y no le importaba hacer lo que fuera para lograrlo

- [ ] Miguel era más consciente de su vida y de sus convicciones que lo que era Alba.

- [ ] Alba, bueno… al principio se me hizo muy tonta, muy sin chiste… pero con el golpe de Estado como que se dio cuenta de su realidad y maduró, sacó la esencia y fortaleza de Esteban Trueba y la Combinó con el pensamiento y el espíritu de Jaime. A partir de ahí me cayó bien.


En conclusión, no es la gran cosa. A partir de que los comunistas ganan las elecciones se pone interesante la trama y el final es muy emotivo y te pone a pensar muchas cosas, pero antes de ese suceso la considero una historia muy “x”.

certainlynotpolina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Trafficking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Incest, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Death of parent

danavosk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25