Reviews

Más allá del invierno by Isabel Allende

benelie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

hamilgrom's review against another edition

3.0

This was my first Allende novel. I have been wanting to read her for some time and I wonder if I made a mistake reading her newest novel first. The best parts of this book were the backstories of the three main characters. I was fascinated by each of their individual lives and truly enjoyed learning more about them. The part that did not work for me was when this book tried to be a murder mystery. The "whodunnit" aspect of this was very obvious from the beginning of that plot and, to me, was the weakest part of the book. I will definitely be coming back to read more Allende but it'll be for the richly developed Latino characters and not for a "Gone Girl"-esque reveal.

roseleaf24's review against another edition

5.0

I loved this book. It was the right book at the right time, and maybe I wouldn't have loved it so much if I hadn't dragged through the last few books I read, but I flew through this one. I was completely wrapped up in these characters from page one, and Allende did a brilliant job of weaving their pasts and their presents and keeping me wholly engaged in each, not ever disappointed to leave off one thread because I was excited to get back to another. The tenderness and heart of this book lept off the page, even when things got serious in a completely different way than I expected. I must say, the jacket cover and summaries I read beforehand did an excellent job of not spoiling anything for once.

candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition

3.0

Parts of "in the Midst of Winter" engaged me, but overall, the novel is a disappointment. There's absurdity here and some of that is engaging. I finished it. What works well is when Allende flashes back to the three characters' pasts to explore how they got into this somewhat implausible situation.

And what is that situation? Professor Richard Bowman is taking his cat to the vet in a terrible snowstorm and rear-ends a car driven by a young Guatemalan nanny, which happens to have a body in the trunk. The nanny, Evelyn, is in a terrible state, and Richard takes her back to his apartment to get them both out of the blizzard, and calls his neighbor, a professor from Chile named Lucia. The three of them collude to hide the body and protect Evelyn from her employers, who own the car.

"In the Midst of Winter" emphasizes Allende's tendency to tell the story as opposed to letting the reader experience it. Her fans will enjoy it, but it is far from her best.

alejandrasmith4's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

pipo's review against another edition

3.0

Me emocionó leer por primera vez algo latinoamericano y sobre la violencia de nuestros países en relación con estados unidos, pero el plot de la relación entre los personajes no tuvo fundamento, y al final no tuvo sentido.

readerinthezoo's review against another edition

2.0

I had high hopes for this book but was disappointed. I have enjoyed other books by her but this one just didn’t work for me. The stories of Lucia and Evelyn’s past in Chile and Guatemala and eventual immigration to the US were interesting and so relevant but often felt like they were told from such a distance that you did not get the full emotional impact of these stories. And the present day story was not one that I found believable or compelling. I did finish the book but found myself skimming the last several chapters and I was relieved when the book was over.

tamara_mousa's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

In the Midst of Winter is a novel in which Isabelle Allende portrays the dark life of Lucia in Chile between 1954 and 1973, and the suffering of Evelyn in Guatemala during the first 16 years of her life (1992-2008). For instance, Chileans suffered from the political unrest during the formation of a Marxist government, followed by a military coup and dictatorship. Guatemalans also lived a horrible life under the rule of gangs and soldiers who stole, raped, and slaughtered their own kin, and who cannot be deterred! Moreover, the injustice shown to illegal asylum seekers, who go through an arduous journey to cross to the US, either are returned to their country or offered residency depending on the temperament of the judge was highlighted. Allende also shed light on the amount of depression Richard’s wife has experienced after having numerous miscarriages followed by losing her 1-month son and 4-year-old daughter. a complete summary is available on my blog: www.tamarayousefmousa.com

kitalla's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

jennyk19's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0