Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
This book has left me speechless. What a superb work of Latin literature! For those with an understanding of Latin American culture realize that magical realism is a part of culture. To watch the evolution of the book through each generation---political climate changes, cultural changes, world influences, and world leadership---lends the reader the ability to empathize both with each generation; hoping for a cross-generational reconciliation. Superb, well-written, enrapturing, Ms. Allende, weaves bright colors of common threads across the changing face of her literary tapestry. A masterpiece.
There are so many pieces in this unraveling multigenerational tapestry that it's hard to finalize which part that I liked and simply the parts I don't understand how to connect, yet.
The symbolism, motifs, and censorship were on point. The way that they pushed the masculine vs feminine antics and their lasting impacts was deep. The historical references interwoven but held apart from the novelization were brilliant. And her prose is lyrical. It's beautiful
Bechdel: pass
DuVernay: Pass
Tito: Pass
PM: Fail
The symbolism, motifs, and censorship were on point. The way that they pushed the masculine vs feminine antics and their lasting impacts was deep. The historical references interwoven but held apart from the novelization were brilliant. And her prose is lyrical. It's beautiful
Bechdel: pass
DuVernay: Pass
Tito: Pass
PM: Fail
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am not sure why, but I was a bit underwhelmed by this one. I still think it is an expertly constructed story with a very poignant and emotional ending. I think the writing style just left too much distance to the characters for me.
To be fair, I mostly read this in the evenings before bed, very tired. I have read three other books by Allende before and enjoyed them very much.
This is part of the StoryGraph onboarding challenge 2024: random number game (4/geographical).
To be fair, I mostly read this in the evenings before bed, very tired. I have read three other books by Allende before and enjoyed them very much.
This is part of the StoryGraph onboarding challenge 2024: random number game (4/geographical).
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
I cannot think of a single good thing to say about this novel. This is all coming from personal taste, but I thought the stream of consciousness narration was terribly boring, I didn't like the plot or really any of the characters, and I especially hated the character Esteban Trueba. He literally r*pes HUNDREDS of women all cause he's bored and upset, and I was 100% done with this novel because of his sexism, terrible physical and emotional assaults against SO many people, and homophobia. He also kicks his sister out of the house for being a lesbian (yes, she was attracted to his wife, but literally talk it out?? Let her have a wife of her own???), which also pissed me off. Anyway, I can understand why this novel is important culturally and historically, but it is definitely not for my personal taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment
I can't believe I made it all the way to 2019 before absorbing House of Spirits. How did I miss this work during the Great Latin American Magical Realism Spiral of 2004? When I read almost all of them over one furious, sunburned summer?
Maybe it's better I read it now, when I could luxuriate in it without the burden of a million comparisons running through my mind, and after visiting Chile, so I could color scenes with my own memory.
House of Spirits starts off ahead of what we think is World War II and finishes sometime after what we think is Pinochet's military coup. The references to the world events are vague in name, but richly illustrated through the experiences of several generations of a family. I think perhaps it was better this way, especially considering the author's incredibly close ties to the events. Perhaps the personal history would have compromised the Trueba family story.
The earlier parts of the book are a little more magical. The clairvoyance and ghosts are more present, more involved. As the book winds its way through time, only strands of the magic remain, perhaps because the characters are too busy resisting a military coup. The tone shifts as each woman of the family comes of age and take up more narrative space. When Alba's story concludes the book, the only reference of magic is in the green tint of her hair, which is all that's left of her Great Aunt Rosa's mermaid legacy.
I'm a sucker for woman-focused, intergenerational stories, especially when they help firm up my grasp of a place at a certain time. It doesn't hurt that I have affection for Chile and the Allende family. Of course I loved this one.
Maybe it's better I read it now, when I could luxuriate in it without the burden of a million comparisons running through my mind, and after visiting Chile, so I could color scenes with my own memory.
House of Spirits starts off ahead of what we think is World War II and finishes sometime after what we think is Pinochet's military coup. The references to the world events are vague in name, but richly illustrated through the experiences of several generations of a family. I think perhaps it was better this way, especially considering the author's incredibly close ties to the events. Perhaps the personal history would have compromised the Trueba family story.
The earlier parts of the book are a little more magical. The clairvoyance and ghosts are more present, more involved. As the book winds its way through time, only strands of the magic remain, perhaps because the characters are too busy resisting a military coup. The tone shifts as each woman of the family comes of age and take up more narrative space. When Alba's story concludes the book, the only reference of magic is in the green tint of her hair, which is all that's left of her Great Aunt Rosa's mermaid legacy.
I'm a sucker for woman-focused, intergenerational stories, especially when they help firm up my grasp of a place at a certain time. It doesn't hurt that I have affection for Chile and the Allende family. Of course I loved this one.
This book was really hard for me to get into. Here's my clunky attempt to explain why, without spoilers.
I didn't care about any of the characters. They were either extremely unlikable or so weak they were forgettable. So many same names was confusing, but I understand this is partly cultural.
I don't mind reading differing political views, but to have them shoved down my throat is off-putting. All the characters that differed with the author's politics were hateful and cruel. The ones who were in line with her were supposed to be caring, I think, but they mostly ended up being weak or cruel in a different way.
The "foreshadowing" was actually telling me what was going to happen. Readers aren't stupid. Let us figure it out.
The flipping from first person to third person POV only served to take me out of the story and didn't help me relate to the character at all.
I assume she was going for magical realism, but it felt weird and forced and not involved enough to feel important to the story at all. Green hair? Why?
The setting or time was never explicitly mentioned, but I feel it would have added to the story. As it was, I was a little lost and the timing didn't always make sense.
In the same vein, the characters refer to The Poet and The Candidate. Nothing would have been lost to actually include the names of these real life people in this fictional account and would have added to the story and given context for the reader.
All in all, if you like family drama, brutality, and people who can see ghosts, mixed with an essay on the horrors of capitalism, this book is for you.
I didn't care about any of the characters. They were either extremely unlikable or so weak they were forgettable. So many same names was confusing, but I understand this is partly cultural.
I don't mind reading differing political views, but to have them shoved down my throat is off-putting. All the characters that differed with the author's politics were hateful and cruel. The ones who were in line with her were supposed to be caring, I think, but they mostly ended up being weak or cruel in a different way.
The "foreshadowing" was actually telling me what was going to happen. Readers aren't stupid. Let us figure it out.
The flipping from first person to third person POV only served to take me out of the story and didn't help me relate to the character at all.
I assume she was going for magical realism, but it felt weird and forced and not involved enough to feel important to the story at all. Green hair? Why?
The setting or time was never explicitly mentioned, but I feel it would have added to the story. As it was, I was a little lost and the timing didn't always make sense.
In the same vein, the characters refer to The Poet and The Candidate. Nothing would have been lost to actually include the names of these real life people in this fictional account and would have added to the story and given context for the reader.
All in all, if you like family drama, brutality, and people who can see ghosts, mixed with an essay on the horrors of capitalism, this book is for you.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Incest, Pedophilia, Car accident, Abortion
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
This really pains me because this book has been on my shelves forever, and I thought for sure I would love it. I really do love Allende’s writing. It’s beautiful and lyrical and stylistically very unique compared to anything else I’ve read. I also really love the magical realism elements. It’s quickly becoming a genre that I want to read more of. But as much as I love those aspects, and I want to see where Clara’s life takes her, I can’t allow myself to read a book that makes me feel depressed and disgusted by what some of the characters think and do to others. I literally felt sick reading certain parts of this book. If Ernesto Ferula and his sister took a backseat, then I think I could push through their disgusting way of living. But it seems like Ernesto is quite possibly going to be the main character for the entirety of this book. And I just can’t do that to myself.
Maybe I’ll try again someday. Or maybe I should just resign myself to never reading this book I’ve been dying to read for years now.
Maybe I’ll try again someday. Or maybe I should just resign myself to never reading this book I’ve been dying to read for years now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content