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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
i was hoping to love this book but it just kind of fell flat for me. i am a big fan of intergenerational stories, and when i look up book recommendations, this is usually one of the first to pop up.
unfortunately, i found it to be a really slow read. i didn't like the narrative style, which switched from 1st person (esteban trueba's perspective) to 3rd person omniscient. [unimportant?] spoiler (?): the 3rd person narrator turns out to be one of the other characters, which we find out in the epilogue, but it came off as very predictable and on-the-nose to me.
don't get me wrong, this book wasn't bad by any means. i enjoyed the portrayals of generational trauma/familial cycles/similarities, and the subject matter was interesting. i liked the exploration of different political ideologies, how people come to hold their views, and how/why they may change/evolve over time. the themes of disillusionment of your country/government/people is very relevant today.
overall, had my expectations been lower, i probably would have liked this book more. not bad, but not great.
unfortunately, i found it to be a really slow read. i didn't like the narrative style, which switched from 1st person (esteban trueba's perspective) to 3rd person omniscient. [unimportant?] spoiler (?): the 3rd person narrator turns out to be one of the other characters, which we find out in the epilogue, but it came off as very predictable and on-the-nose to me.
don't get me wrong, this book wasn't bad by any means. i enjoyed the portrayals of generational trauma/familial cycles/similarities, and the subject matter was interesting. i liked the exploration of different political ideologies, how people come to hold their views, and how/why they may change/evolve over time. the themes of disillusionment of your country/government/people is very relevant today.
overall, had my expectations been lower, i probably would have liked this book more. not bad, but not great.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Allende's first novel, written in 1981 during the dictatorship of Pinochet while she lived in exile in Venezuela, traces the rise of that dictatorship from the feudal beginnings of colonial life to the rise of her uncle Salvador Allende (the President) and the coup that claimed his life.
She does this by telling a story about three women --Clara, Blanca, and Alba--and the men that drift through, drive, define, and intersect in alternatively amorous and violent ways with their lives. The principal of these men is Estaben Trueba, but he is accompanied by other very important men, including four Garcia men: Pedro Garcia, Pedro Segundo, Pedro Tercero (patterned after Victor Jara), and Esteban Garcia.
The book focuses on the white colonialist characters (the del Valle and Trueba families). Both of its narrators are from the colonialist class, and they write from that perspective. Despite the glimpse into the revolutionary left (through Jamie, Miguel, Pedro Tercero, Amanda, and others), rarely do we really her the voices of the "Indian" --that is, non-white, non-colonialist--characters. And when we seem them speaking to one another, it seems to be in acquiescence to the unjust colonial system.
By contrast, the women in this book are strong, even though their lives are deeply constrained by the men in the lives, particularly Esteban Trueba.
The book does pass the Bechdel test, but not gloriously. It barely passes Duvernay and Latif tests.
If you're looking for a feminist book or a book that elevates people of color, this is not that book. If you want an exile's magical examination and critique of the colonial class structure and the rise of Chilean fascism, this is definitely your book.
She does this by telling a story about three women --Clara, Blanca, and Alba--and the men that drift through, drive, define, and intersect in alternatively amorous and violent ways with their lives. The principal of these men is Estaben Trueba, but he is accompanied by other very important men, including four Garcia men: Pedro Garcia, Pedro Segundo, Pedro Tercero (patterned after Victor Jara), and Esteban Garcia.
The book focuses on the white colonialist characters (the del Valle and Trueba families). Both of its narrators are from the colonialist class, and they write from that perspective. Despite the glimpse into the revolutionary left (through Jamie, Miguel, Pedro Tercero, Amanda, and others), rarely do we really her the voices of the "Indian" --that is, non-white, non-colonialist--characters. And when we seem them speaking to one another, it seems to be in acquiescence to the unjust colonial system.
By contrast, the women in this book are strong, even though their lives are deeply constrained by the men in the lives, particularly Esteban Trueba.
The book does pass the Bechdel test, but not gloriously. It barely passes Duvernay and Latif tests.
If you're looking for a feminist book or a book that elevates people of color, this is not that book. If you want an exile's magical examination and critique of the colonial class structure and the rise of Chilean fascism, this is definitely your book.
2020 Reading Women Challenge #26-A Book by Isabel Allende
loved it! good read, and I still wanted more at the end. this is one of those books where you feel like you're saying goodbye to a friend when you finally finish.
“The House of the Spirits” book is the first magical realism novel that I have read and it was heavier at times that I anticipated. The story follows essentially the family built by Clara and Esteban Trueba, from their childhoods. Clara is a spectacular clairvoyant character; Esteban- well- I definitely adamantly hated him at times. It is set in Chile and the political struggle between socialism and the Conservative party plays a big part in the story. Much is based on real events and folks that I knew basically nothing about so I appreciate that it opened my eyes to that history. I’m not exactly sure what else to say other than it is a wonderfully written story and was very engaging to read. TW: there is some sexual violence and regular violence that was a bit hard to read at times. If you are okay with that- I would definitely recommend it. To give a glimpse into the unique character of Clara, a quote from here on page 290- “Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of the unknown. But the fear is something from within us that has nothing to do with reality. Dying is like being born: just a change.”
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this 1000x more than One Hundred Years of Solitude. Some very similar themes, but the story and the characters were infinitely more engaging.
I didn’t know much about the history of Chile, and maybe I would enjoy this book more than I did if I had, but my heart was ripped out multiple times and put back again. The narration of the author is masterful. The audiobook on Audible is absolute perfection - the two voice actors did an amazing job of bringing the characters more to life than I initially had in my head. There’s a lot of traumatic experiences that the characters go through and I’m not sure if I would recommend it to everyone I meet, but I understand why this book is so iconic.