Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

8 reviews

apple_cider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Animal death, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Police brutality, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Rape, Torture, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, and Medical trauma

josefineisreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

• 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

4.75

A very good read I think. I didn’t necessarily enjoy it but it was interesting enough that I was able to continue reading without getting bored or wanting to give up. My favourite chapter was definitely the epilogue. 

Through this book you learn so much about the political landscape of Chile through the escapades of the characters through the generations. The horrors of the military junta are more towards the end of the book and seen through the eyes of an upper class family but nonetheless horrifying. I did enjoy learning the history through the Trueba family and all the others surrounding the household. I did think there was going to be more magical realism but maybe I’ve not read enough to solidify my understanding of the genre. 

My final thoughts are that I would recommend it but I don’t think I would reread it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, War, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Abortion, Addiction, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, Blood, and Gun violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Incest, Animal death, Racism, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Excrement, Alcohol, and Cursing

Minor: Homophobia

lavaly_1's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Cursing, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Torture, War, and Violence

Minor: Racism

dommymartinez's review against another edition

challenging funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Police brutality, Blood, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Classism, Violence, Abortion, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction and Drug use

Minor: Racism and Racial slurs

deniseh's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Confinement, Abortion, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Slavery, Genocide, Incest, Colonisation, Cursing, and Vomit

perseffable's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, War, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Murder

thewordsdevourer's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

the house of the spirits is a sprawling and gripping family epic of the trueba family, whose triumphs and trials mirror those of their own nation. quite unbelievable that it's a debut work. it's filled to the brim w/ details of everyday life in both the household and the hacienda, of the characters' persona--and, consequently, their fears, desires, and motives behind their actions--of the city and the chilean countryside, all of which bring the characters and the story to remarkable life.

however, i do find certain details a bit too gory, too many details felt overwhelming and disjointed at times, and estreban has the honor of being one of most detested male literary characters ever--everyone but the stubborn old crone ends up paying for the consequences of his actions, blerggghhh. the political stuff can be both exciting and stressful, and i learned so much abt chilean history that i'll prolly go down a wiki rabbithole after this. this is what i love abt reading translated works: u learn so much abt other places and cultures. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cursing, Confinement, Kidnapping, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Car accident, Body horror, and Death of parent

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I cannot say bad things about Isabel Allende's writing style but I had to trudge a bit to get through the book. Personally, it was hard for me to feel much connected to the characters and also to digest some of the crudest passages. 

I have to say that it's been a long time since I've despised a character as much as Esteban Trueba and I cannot emphasise enough how much I disliked the sections with him as a narrator. I listened to the audiobook and I think that I managed to finish the book only because I really liked the voice actress, otherwise I would have given up after the umpteenth of his capitalist rants or descriptions of his male prowess and insatiable desires, they made me want to scream.

I liked much better the final chapters that focused more on the social and political commentary and also the  epilogue with Alba as narrator (honestly I would have preferred her as the main point of view).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Antisemitism, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, and Suicide