Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
This is such a beautifully written story of a family and a heinous man who still gets treated as a human. It's also really unsettling to read in as we head into an election when one party seems to be uninterested in continuing with democracy. Allende is a tremendous writer, and I can't wait to read more of her work.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, War
Moderate: Racial slurs, Pregnancy
Even though I started this 430 page book two weeks ago, I feel like the beginning was ages ago. Such is the epic story told in this book. I loved seeing the changing world of these characters told from the perspective of three generations of women, as well as by the man who was their husband, father, and grandfather. I loved seeing the two main houses where the story is set go from ruined and abandoned to majestic, back to ruin (or vice versa). The prevalence of the military and politically heavy plot towards the end almost lost my interest, but Allende managed to keep me pulled in, in a heartbreaking way, that deserves nothing less than five stars.
Ack, it just didn't fully work for me. This was a book of images - many, many images, even on a single page. The one word I'd use to describe the work is "dense" - not difficult, just completely packed to the rafters. It was like a gigantic collage, and an often beautiful one. But for the most part I didn't find that the collage did anything - until the final 10% or so, concerning the military coup, which I thought was heart-rending, but heightened the contrast with the series of static images that made up the rest of the book.
there’s just something about a heartbreaking, generational novel that will just make me fall head over heels for it. along the same vein of east of eden and one hundred years of solitude, the house of the spirits explores the Trueba family across its long spanning years and tumultuous changes. Allende’s writing is spellbinding and beautiful and astounded me at every turn of the page. we follow Esteban who is a volatile, harsh old man that marries Clara, a clairvoyant and mystical woman and their children from there on. there is magic, love, fate, and so much incredible character development and storytelling that i believe it is a book that many people would adore. 5/5 stars, a favorite of the year :)
This book was really hard for me to get into. Here's my clunky attempt to explain why, without spoilers.
I didn't care about any of the characters. They were either extremely unlikable or so weak they were forgettable. So many same names was confusing, but I understand this is partly cultural.
I don't mind reading differing political views, but to have them shoved down my throat is off-putting. All the characters that differed with the author's politics were hateful and cruel. The ones who were in line with her were supposed to be caring, I think, but they mostly ended up being weak or cruel in a different way.
The "foreshadowing" was actually telling me what was going to happen. Readers aren't stupid. Let us figure it out.
The flipping from first person to third person POV only served to take me out of the story and didn't help me relate to the character at all.
I assume she was going for magical realism, but it felt weird and forced and not involved enough to feel important to the story at all. Green hair? Why?
The setting or time was never explicitly mentioned, but I feel it would have added to the story. As it was, I was a little lost and the timing didn't always make sense.
In the same vein, the characters refer to The Poet and The Candidate. Nothing would have been lost to actually include the names of these real life people in this fictional account and would have added to the story and given context for the reader.
All in all, if you like family drama, brutality, and people who can see ghosts, mixed with an essay on the horrors of capitalism, this book is for you.
I didn't care about any of the characters. They were either extremely unlikable or so weak they were forgettable. So many same names was confusing, but I understand this is partly cultural.
I don't mind reading differing political views, but to have them shoved down my throat is off-putting. All the characters that differed with the author's politics were hateful and cruel. The ones who were in line with her were supposed to be caring, I think, but they mostly ended up being weak or cruel in a different way.
The "foreshadowing" was actually telling me what was going to happen. Readers aren't stupid. Let us figure it out.
The flipping from first person to third person POV only served to take me out of the story and didn't help me relate to the character at all.
I assume she was going for magical realism, but it felt weird and forced and not involved enough to feel important to the story at all. Green hair? Why?
The setting or time was never explicitly mentioned, but I feel it would have added to the story. As it was, I was a little lost and the timing didn't always make sense.
In the same vein, the characters refer to The Poet and The Candidate. Nothing would have been lost to actually include the names of these real life people in this fictional account and would have added to the story and given context for the reader.
All in all, if you like family drama, brutality, and people who can see ghosts, mixed with an essay on the horrors of capitalism, this book is for you.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
