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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Adoro las obras de Allende, ya que tiene una manera de escribir que cautiva y fascina. Adoro este libro, aunque naturalmente el relato no solo me causa admiración, pero también una decepción y enojo. No me cabe en la cabeza ¿cómo podían ser tan salvajes, vanidosos y creerse dioses? Uno diría que así eran los tiempos. Pues Allende revela no entre líneas que los indígenas son pacíficos, curiosos, no acostumbrados a guerrear, y en el otro lado están los conquistadores, los insaciables y desalmados españoles que llegan a robar, violar, matar y destruir en las tierras ajenas para construir y imponer lo suyo creyéndose que no hay nada mejor. A la m****a los dioses y los tesoros materiales por los que fueron matados y destrozados tantos y tantos. Ni hablar de todo lo que se va perdido durante siglos por la insensatez eurasiática.
This was an excellent book on tape for a long drive. A history of Chile and romance all rolled into one. I don't know if the history part is accurate, though I suspect it loosely is, but the life and loves of the narrator, Ines, just drew me in and I couldn't wait to get into my car to listen to more.
I am no history expert. I know even less about South American history. And so, from the standpoint of accuracy or filling in details I didn't already know, I can't comment on this book. But then, I don't think that was the point of this novel.
American audiences, in general, aren't familiar with Chilean history, so that makes the filling-out of a female role in Chilean history much more plausible than if she'd chosen a region most of us Americans have already been repeating stories about since we were old enough to speak. I don't think Americans were Allende's primary target audience, but I am an American commenting on the book, and I don't know how it was received by Chilean historians.
I'm waffling between 3 and 4 stars not because this was poorly written, but because I couldn't figure out the point of the book, beyond bringing an influential woman to life. Allende goes against her usual sympathy for the indigenous population. Then again, she's writing deeply within the point of view of Inés Suárez, who truly believes the Mapuche people would be better off if the Spanish took over their land and converted them all to Christianity. That the author still manages to slide in her opinion on the matter shows a skilled hand.
Some readers might be annoyed by the deep-POV style that has Inés, an old woman narrating her life's story, sometimes contradicting, sometimes repeating, sometimes skipping over parts or rambling on with no historical context. There's a sense of verity in the narrative, thanks to those so-called mistakes.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a strong female heroine outside where you'd normally find her.
American audiences, in general, aren't familiar with Chilean history, so that makes the filling-out of a female role in Chilean history much more plausible than if she'd chosen a region most of us Americans have already been repeating stories about since we were old enough to speak. I don't think Americans were Allende's primary target audience, but I am an American commenting on the book, and I don't know how it was received by Chilean historians.
I'm waffling between 3 and 4 stars not because this was poorly written, but because I couldn't figure out the point of the book, beyond bringing an influential woman to life. Allende goes against her usual sympathy for the indigenous population. Then again, she's writing deeply within the point of view of Inés Suárez, who truly believes the Mapuche people would be better off if the Spanish took over their land and converted them all to Christianity. That the author still manages to slide in her opinion on the matter shows a skilled hand.
Some readers might be annoyed by the deep-POV style that has Inés, an old woman narrating her life's story, sometimes contradicting, sometimes repeating, sometimes skipping over parts or rambling on with no historical context. There's a sense of verity in the narrative, thanks to those so-called mistakes.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a strong female heroine outside where you'd normally find her.
This book super easily took me back 500 years! Interesting female figure as main character & interesting thoughts
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
The book gets off to a slow start, one wonders why we are following the lives of both Ines Suarez and Pedro de Valdivia. Inevitably the two lives must join, but it takes a rather long, tedious time before they do. Ms Allende's intention is clearly to portray the history of the conquest of Chile and the founding of Santiago through the eyes of a key but perhaps unexpected protagonist. Ines herself comes across as an exceptional person and there is sympathetic yet realistic portrayal of the native Indians, both Yanucoma and Mapuche. The hardships encountered are convincingly rendered. However, as a novel the story and evolution of the characters is less than satisfying. The requirements of relating historic events prevail over the story-telling for which Ms Allende is best and deservedly known. At the end one feels that the story would have made a better film as the book turns out to be ponderous.
Um dos meus favoritos, Inés da Minha Alma é um livro para viajar no tempo e atravessar o deserto do Atacama junto com essa mulher livre, decidida e sanguinária. Impossível não ser tocado pela crueldade da fundação da cidade de Santiago e não ter sentimentos mistos com a morte de Pedro de Valdívia, por beber-ouro.
I really wanted to like this book more. She’s my mom’s favorite author and is beloved by many, but I just couldn’t get into the story. It took me 3 months to finish it because I wasn’t interested in getting back to it. There’s no denying the good writing and I’m going to give this author another try, but I wasn’t a fan of this book.
Isabel Allende is an incredible writer and I've loved much of her work--Zorro, Daughter of Fortune, Portrait in Sepia.
But Inés of My Soul was a slog. Though the conquering of Chile and the historical figure of Doña Inés Suarez make for compelling subjects, any excitement is lost in the telling. The book is almost exclusively told in narrative without the relief of scene. As well, the endless detailing of horrific brutalities conducted against the native peoples of Peru and Chile is stomach-turning (don't get me wrong, that's a much better alternative than glossing over the brutality entirely, as there was already enough conquistador-glorification going on as it was...but it was exhausting to read).
The world-building, however, is fantastic, and once the characters are finally in Chile, there are action and intrigue sequences that are truly engrossing.
But Inés of My Soul was a slog. Though the conquering of Chile and the historical figure of Doña Inés Suarez make for compelling subjects, any excitement is lost in the telling. The book is almost exclusively told in narrative without the relief of scene. As well, the endless detailing of horrific brutalities conducted against the native peoples of Peru and Chile is stomach-turning (don't get me wrong, that's a much better alternative than glossing over the brutality entirely, as there was already enough conquistador-glorification going on as it was...but it was exhausting to read).
The world-building, however, is fantastic, and once the characters are finally in Chile, there are action and intrigue sequences that are truly engrossing.
I cannot believe I'm DNFing an Allende book, but it just isn't working for me. :(