Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

166 reviews

maevebm's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

Unforgettable and I’m not sure any review could do this book justice. A beautiful weaving of a family’s story set against the backdrop of classism, political instability, corruption, and civil conflict. The characters felt like real people and their pain and joy was tangible. There was humanity but there was also something that transcended beyond. I wish I could read it for the first time again and again and again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, and War

Minor: Racism and Fire/Fire injury

a_novel_craving's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

george_tte's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

Un clásico con toda razón. Es un libro que no teme hablar de cosas horribles, pero sigue contándote y no te queda de otra que continuar leyendo. Isabel Allende tiene un don para crear personajes que se sienten reales y sinceros. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Abortion, and Classism

lagaialettrice's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, and Deportation

ambarleti's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

fyredragyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia

pinkvogue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Ableism

notyourhana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Car accident

katiereuter3's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, and Violence

_cararichardson's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

A contender for my favorite book of the year. Allende wrote such a complex story with complicated characters. All the characters are well rounded and portrayed in many different lights, even characters who do awful things are given moments of redemption. I also adored!!! the romance in this novel, both Blanca and Alba’s romantic encounters were written so tenderly. I really
enjoyed

how the story progressed after the coup and Allende’s writing was even more powerful.

Her commentary on politics, class and colorism are as applicable now as they were then. Allende was able to cover various topics, decades, generations, and different classes of people without losing the thread of the story. The epilogue was probably my favorite section. Best book ending I’ve read this year, hands down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape