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cottagecorewhore's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism
adrinthesky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
leandrathetbrzero's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My favorite characters to follow were the story’s original matriarch, Clara del Valle, and her granddaughter, Alba. These women captivated me in very different ways. Clara’s clairvoyance, her reading of the tarot cards, and her constant connection to the spirits that roam her halls fascinated me to death, especially when she would experience one of her premonitions. Oppositely, her granddaughter is fiercely defiant and grounded in her reality at least until she falls in love with Miguel, a young man whose call for a violent revolution prevents her family from ever accepting him as a suitable match. While I thoroughly enjoyed following these women’s lives, there was another character who I despised. The man I speak of is Esteban Trueba, Clara’s husband. Early in the narrative, prior to their marriage, he commits horrible acts of violence, including but not limited to numerous acts of explicit sexual assault and violence toward animals. I was disgusted by these moments, particularly because Esteban acts as the novel’s narrator at times when the story is not being described in a third-person omniscient voice. As much as I enjoyed the narrative, I just could not get over the atrocities he committed that other characters seem to forgive or disregard. [Hence why it is not a 5-star read]
With that said, this first experience with Allende's writing was beyond impressive. I admire her ability to interweave the stories of multiple family members are once. She also foreshadows certain events without ruining the tension or giving too much away. I cried at the death of Barrabas, Clara's faithful dog companion, I felt shock and horror many times, and I experienced the destruction of a nation as if it were my own. I appreciated the authenticity of the volatile political climate that becomes more pressing and dangerous with each generation. The tension in the air is palpable, and I was on the edge of my seat even as Allende prepared me many times for the violence and deaths that were to come when the country’s government finally fell. A turbulent story of family and country, of love and survival, Allende's first novel of many is an epic that rivals The Odyssey.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Ableism, Drug abuse, Incest, Misogyny, and Excrement
evenstarwen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, and Death of parent
michelareadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Abortion
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
amandabcook's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War
gnodmas's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual content and Abortion
anna_banana99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
egmamaril'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Antisemitism, and Pregnancy
Ableist slurs, kink shaming, queer vilificationlanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Grief