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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the first book I've read by Allende. I liked it at the start, but I was a bit disappointed by the ending. The characters were more interesting than your typical detective/mystery, but at the end it seemed mundane, too expected,
El libro me llamó la atención desde que lo vi anunciado en la página de las librerías Gandhi cuando recién salió o estaba por salir. Cuando leí de que trataba me interesó bastante y cuando lo vi en la feria del libro en Mérida, decidí no pensarlo mucho y llevármelo.
No voy a mentir, tenía muchas expectativas de este libro y cuando comencé a leer, hubo un momento en el que estaba segura de que me iba a decepcionar pues hay muchas descripciones, recuerdos y anécdotas que están fuera de lugar, no tienen mucha importancia y no son muy interesantes, lo cual me separaba del tema principal y me aburría bastante. No quería salir decepcionada de un libro por el cual estaba emocionada y por el que había pagado un poco mas de lo que me habría gustado. Pero mas adelante me di cuenta de que a pesar de todo el rollo innecesario, había valido la pena, que a pesar de la prisa en la que tuve que leerlo, lo disfruté bastante.
Y ahi estaba yo, leyendo y cerrando el libro por un momento que dedicaba a pensar en ideas y sospechas para averiguar antes que nadie quien podía ser el asesino o cual podía ser la conexión entre las victimas, para que al final, Allende me sorprendiera con su ingenio, ¿cómo pudo ésta mujer pensar en todo esto? ¡Y a los 72 años!
Me gustó mucho, lo recomiendo a los que les interesen estos temas de misterio y crímenes, esta muy bien redactado, muy bien elaborado, insisto en que hay cosas que sobran, pero las puedes ignorar, vale la pena.
No me decido si la calificación que le pongo serian 3 y media o las 4 seguras...
No voy a mentir, tenía muchas expectativas de este libro y cuando comencé a leer, hubo un momento en el que estaba segura de que me iba a decepcionar pues hay muchas descripciones, recuerdos y anécdotas que están fuera de lugar, no tienen mucha importancia y no son muy interesantes, lo cual me separaba del tema principal y me aburría bastante. No quería salir decepcionada de un libro por el cual estaba emocionada y por el que había pagado un poco mas de lo que me habría gustado. Pero mas adelante me di cuenta de que a pesar de todo el rollo innecesario, había valido la pena, que a pesar de la prisa en la que tuve que leerlo, lo disfruté bastante.
Y ahi estaba yo, leyendo y cerrando el libro por un momento que dedicaba a pensar en ideas y sospechas para averiguar antes que nadie quien podía ser el asesino o cual podía ser la conexión entre las victimas, para que al final, Allende me sorprendiera con su ingenio, ¿cómo pudo ésta mujer pensar en todo esto? ¡Y a los 72 años!
Me gustó mucho, lo recomiendo a los que les interesen estos temas de misterio y crímenes, esta muy bien redactado, muy bien elaborado, insisto en que hay cosas que sobran, pero las puedes ignorar, vale la pena.
No me decido si la calificación que le pongo serian 3 y media o las 4 seguras...
This book took some time to get into. I am used to mystery novels opening with some gruesome murder to be solved, but it took a while for the story to develop into that. Lots of back and forth between multiple characters' stories, which I assume was part of throwing off the reader. Overall, it was a well-written, deep story set in a great city!
This was some trite-ass bullcrap. Let's never read it again.
Well that was disappointing! Haven't read anything by Isabel Allende before. Perhaps I should have started with one of her historical novels, because crime and mystery is definitely not her thing. Annoying characters and no sense of direction...
First book read by this author. Storyline was choppy and I didn't care to read some of the strangeness describing the characters, but the story kept me intrigued. I was not expecting the ending, but it was probably appropriate.
This was my first experience with Isabel Allende, and I realize, a bit late, that I started with a novel that is not at all typical of the author. This is a mystery. Actually, this long story took its time letting me know that; there are so many characters, so many quick character sketches, and so many background stories, that I could not tell what the central story would be, or where any of this was headed. In my opinion, there was nothing realistic or believable in the plot. And it was simply too long, partly because some of the character descriptions and background information seemed to be unnecessarily--reinforced. Also, almost every cast member was off-the-charts unusual.
Perhaps I don't get out enough.
So, I would not recommend this one to my friends, but I will pick up another Isabel Allende novel, in the future.
Perhaps I don't get out enough.
So, I would not recommend this one to my friends, but I will pick up another Isabel Allende novel, in the future.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The writing here is poor - the prose is sparse and reads like every other cut-rate, male-driven action thriller. I cannot believe that this is written by Isabel Allende.
I had zero interest or investment in the murders. The interminable villain monologue in the end is ridiculous. It just goes on and on and on. This is not an Agatha Christie novel - for a book going for a semblance of reality this is an absurd way to establish the back story of the villain.
I did like the characters though - particularly Indiana and Amanda.
I had zero interest or investment in the murders. The interminable villain monologue in the end is ridiculous. It just goes on and on and on. This is not an Agatha Christie novel - for a book going for a semblance of reality this is an absurd way to establish the back story of the villain.
I did like the characters though - particularly Indiana and Amanda.
I have history with Isabel Allende, beginning with The House of the Spirits, a book I first read when it came out in paperback. I was on my honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta and it was a wonderful place to read it and a wonderful story. I've since read many of her books and I always find something to love in them.
In theory, Ripper is a thriller, a bit of suspense, a crime novel. In reality, Ripper is the story of a sprawling network of family, friends, and acquaintances in San Francisco, particularly in the North Beach neighborhood (one of my favorite places in the city, and not just because of the City Lights bookstore, although that doesn't hurt it). If you need your crime novels to follow a standard trajectory of crime, detection, and capture, this book probably won't work for you, but if you approach it as a character-driven novel you'll enjoy yourself.
I really liked this book, even though it contains few of the elements of magical realism that have made Ms. Allende's novels famous. I loved getting to know these characters, their backstories, their current stories, and the thread of danger that interlaces their lives in this moment. From a teenager who runs an online role-playing game devoted to solving serial crime to Indiana - an unconventional healer, to Ryan - an Afghan war vet and amputee and his comrade in arms - the dog, Attila, I wanted to know everything about them all and Ms. Allende delivered. She also captures all the things I love about San Francisco and its flavors - the character of the various neighborhoods that make the city wonderful - without dwelling on (nor ignoring) its huge negatives, Ripper is a love note to the city, to family of all kinds, and will keep you reading long into the night.
In theory, Ripper is a thriller, a bit of suspense, a crime novel. In reality, Ripper is the story of a sprawling network of family, friends, and acquaintances in San Francisco, particularly in the North Beach neighborhood (one of my favorite places in the city, and not just because of the City Lights bookstore, although that doesn't hurt it). If you need your crime novels to follow a standard trajectory of crime, detection, and capture, this book probably won't work for you, but if you approach it as a character-driven novel you'll enjoy yourself.
I really liked this book, even though it contains few of the elements of magical realism that have made Ms. Allende's novels famous. I loved getting to know these characters, their backstories, their current stories, and the thread of danger that interlaces their lives in this moment. From a teenager who runs an online role-playing game devoted to solving serial crime to Indiana - an unconventional healer, to Ryan - an Afghan war vet and amputee and his comrade in arms - the dog, Attila, I wanted to know everything about them all and Ms. Allende delivered. She also captures all the things I love about San Francisco and its flavors - the character of the various neighborhoods that make the city wonderful - without dwelling on (nor ignoring) its huge negatives, Ripper is a love note to the city, to family of all kinds, and will keep you reading long into the night.