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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
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.
This book was so beautiful and heartbreaking. What a wonderful exploration of a family through the generations, with all of the flaws of those people and the heartache that can plague a family during that time. Power and colonialism are huge themes, and I think they are dealt with well. It can be hard to read sometimes because a lot of what happens is horrible, but it’s worth it in the end. When I finished I was actually shaking. Highly recommend.
It's literally impossible for me to write a proper review about this mesmerizing novel. I'd just say that love the narrative voice so much. And that it's a long story about family generations full of love, heartbreak, vengeances, and tears. It is beautifully written with eloquent sentences, sprinkled with many complex and unique characters.
She tried not to breath or move, and began eagerly to await her death. She stayed like this for a very long time. When she nearly achieved her goal, her Grandmother Clara, whom she had invoked so many times to help her die, appeared with the novel idea that the point was not to die, since death came anyway, but to survive, which would be a miracle.
The point was not to die, since death came anyway. I love this line so much.
She tried not to breath or move, and began eagerly to await her death. She stayed like this for a very long time. When she nearly achieved her goal, her Grandmother Clara, whom she had invoked so many times to help her die, appeared with the novel idea that the point was not to die, since death came anyway, but to survive, which would be a miracle.
The point was not to die, since death came anyway. I love this line so much.
An amazing, almost perfect book. I simultaneously wanted to finish quickly to see what happens and to never finish at all so I could stay in that world with those characters. A tribute to the beauty of humanity and history while reckoning with the evils of both. A book with (not so) hidden depth that I’m already looking forward to reading again.
Da bambina, avevo iniziato a leggerlo e ricordo di averlo lasciato lì perché non mi piaceva per nulla. Trent'anni dopo, grazie al club del libro, ci ho riprovato e... wow. Bellissimo, emozionante e divertente.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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:
N/A
«Había comenzado a despedirse también de la luz para entrar lentamente en las sombras»
Mi primer libro de Isabel Allende ha sido una gran revelación: me absorbió la densidad de su relato, me conmovió la historia de los Trueba en sus múltiples generaciones, me permitió habitar e imaginar su mundo que sentí tan particular como familiar. Mi único reproche, que no tiene mucho que ver con el libro en sí, es su similitud con Cien Años de Soledad. Si bien es conceptual, principalmente por el realismo mágico que exuda de sus páginas, nunca se me quitó la sensación de estar leyendo una especie de fan fiction (sorry) increíblemente bien contada, pero muy cerca de la inspiración original como para que me encantara. Espero leer más de la autora pronto, aunque dejaré descansar sus letras, pues el libro me dejó emocionalmente agotado y no puedo esperar a cambiar de aires literarios
Mi primer libro de Isabel Allende ha sido una gran revelación: me absorbió la densidad de su relato, me conmovió la historia de los Trueba en sus múltiples generaciones, me permitió habitar e imaginar su mundo que sentí tan particular como familiar. Mi único reproche, que no tiene mucho que ver con el libro en sí, es su similitud con Cien Años de Soledad. Si bien es conceptual, principalmente por el realismo mágico que exuda de sus páginas, nunca se me quitó la sensación de estar leyendo una especie de fan fiction (sorry) increíblemente bien contada, pero muy cerca de la inspiración original como para que me encantara. Espero leer más de la autora pronto, aunque dejaré descansar sus letras, pues el libro me dejó emocionalmente agotado y no puedo esperar a cambiar de aires literarios
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is clearly a masterpiece. In weaving together so much of Chilean history into a compelling narrative of this family culminating in a powerful account of the nightmare of the coup and early years of the dictatorship, it is a triumph of the imagination.
BUT -- I have two major reservations:
1) That the magical realism is more magical than realistic, especially for American readers who aren't deeply familiar with Chilean history. It may mystify and exoticize more than it helps people see the reality of the world. (Admittedly, this may be more of a criticism of a particular audience than the book.)
2) But I'm also deeply suspicious of the conclusion that resolves the historical conflict and traumas depicted so well in the novel in the reconciliation of Alba and her grandfather. This seems far too easy and evasive.
BUT -- I have two major reservations:
1) That the magical realism is more magical than realistic, especially for American readers who aren't deeply familiar with Chilean history. It may mystify and exoticize more than it helps people see the reality of the world. (Admittedly, this may be more of a criticism of a particular audience than the book.)
2) But I'm also deeply suspicious of the conclusion that resolves the historical conflict and traumas depicted so well in the novel in the reconciliation of Alba and her grandfather. This seems far too easy and evasive.
Took me a month to read and annotate, but its cyclical nature is remarkable, both in style and structure. Allende executed this not only beautifully, but perfectly. On a side note, if Pedro Tercero and Blanca didn't end up together, I'd be denouncing her as a heartless, cruel reptile. Just saying.
adventurous
challenging
emotional