Reviews tagging 'War'

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

84 reviews

maevebm's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Unforgettable and I’m not sure any review could do this book justice. A beautiful weaving of a family’s story set against the backdrop of classism, political instability, corruption, and civil conflict. The characters felt like real people and their pain and joy was tangible. There was humanity but there was also something that transcended beyond. I wish I could read it for the first time again and again and again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Torture, Car accident, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Kidnapping, Rape, War, Domestic abuse, and Abortion

Minor: Racism and Fire/Fire injury

a_novel_craving's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Gun violence, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, Classism, Confinement, Blood, Sexual assault, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Abortion, Child abuse, and Abandonment

ambarleti's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Rape, Abortion, Violence, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Murder, Sexual violence, War, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Death

notyourhana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Rape, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, Abortion, Colonisation, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Car accident

zoinkie's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and War

_cararichardson's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

5.0

A contender for my favorite book of the year. Allende wrote such a complex story with complicated characters. All the characters are well rounded and portrayed in many different lights, even characters who do awful things are given moments of redemption. I also adored!!! the romance in this novel, both Blanca and Alba’s romantic encounters were written so tenderly. I really
enjoyed

how the story progressed after the coup and Allende’s writing was even more powerful.

Her commentary on politics, class and colorism are as applicable now as they were then. Allende was able to cover various topics, decades, generations, and different classes of people without losing the thread of the story. The epilogue was probably my favorite section. Best book ending I’ve read this year, hands down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and War

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

issyjanejane's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Rape, and War

emmagiverny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Torture, Death, War, Animal death, Rape, and Addiction

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug use, Pregnancy, Violence, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

ag_berry's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Gun violence, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Physical abuse, War, and Abortion

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pregnancy

nualasiobhan333's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

this book is a generational epic scattered with magic, pain and love. i really enjoyed this 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, Abortion, and War