4.21 AVERAGE

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book sticks with you. A great read, magical realism in there for sure. Written to tell a more personal angle of the impacts of the Pinochet dictatorship. Follows three generations in a Chilean family. Would highly recommend. TW: sexual assault, rape.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A Casa dos Espíritos é um bom livro. Allende criou personagens incríveis, em especial a Clara e a Alba, que são tão bem desenvolvidas, complexas e reais que consegui imaginar perfeitamente elas na minha cabeça, inclusive, até associei as personagens a mulheres que conheci na vida real. A presença feminina no enredo é, sem dúvidas, o ponto alto do livro.

O protagonista Esteban Trueba também é muito interessante. Representa bem o que há de pior no patriarcado, na ignorância e na masculinidade e gostei muito do final dele, quando ele percebe seus erros e reconhece que seus ideais extremistas só causaram dor. Achei significativo o final dele. Muito bom.

Porém, não posso deixar de dizer que a narrativa só toma força nas suas últimas cem páginas. Os primeiros dois terços do livro parecem ser uma novela mexicana e sinto que faltou profundidade, senti que os personagens eram maiores que a própria história. Até entendi a intenção da autora em apresentar diversas informações, mas para mim, eu não vi muita relevância nelas no final do livro.
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I both loved and hated this story. Many of the characters are absolutely despicable, particularly in their treatment of women. And it’s hard to read about the horrors inflicted on a population by a fascist authoritarian regime. Mixing magical realism with autobiographical history, the author introduces us to three generations of a wealthy South American family; and ultimately takes us inside the 1973 Chilean revolution that brought Pinochet to power. Although neither the country nor the General are mentioned by name in the book, it’s not difficult to connect the dots. The author is the granddaughter of Salvador Allende, the Democratically elected president that was overthrown during the 1973 military coup. 

Minus 0.25 stars because that old rat deserved so much worse