Reviews tagging 'War'

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

84 reviews

cozylifewithabby's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I loved the narrative style and the weaving of different perspectives. I also appreciate the threads of events that all tie together by the end. However, though I do like magical realism and the fantastic, I had a hard time stomaching all the violence (mostly domestic and sexual with some torture) that is thrown in nonchalantly. Also, although the violence comes back to wreak havoc on the next generation it is almost always the women or the good who pay for the mistakes of the men (or more "manly" men in their lives. I might have more to say later, but for now those are my thoughts. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Car accident, Death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Police brutality, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Homophobia

chlorentine's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

I can say nothing about House of the Spirits that Latin American reviewers haven't said better. Although I was familiar with the basics of some history in South America, I learned an astonishing amount about Chilean 20th century history specifically. Socialism is inseparable from a history of Latinoamerica and the genre of magical realism itself.

That history is going on in the background of a simple family dynamic, but the writing and the rich imagery throughout keeps you engaged until the politics come into play in the final act. I think the Del Valle/Trueba family is best summarized in the moment Clara tells Alba that all families have at least one member infected with madness, meanwhile their family has the madness spread out evenly amongst them all. Every striking image from the first chapter returns by the end, and so much has happened between the first and last chapter that you feel nostalgia for kinder times alongside the characters. Truly haunting.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Death, Confinement, Colonisation, Classism, Torture, Violence, War, Child abuse, and Abortion

Moderate: Car accident, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Police brutality

Minor: Ableism

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

---

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

notmyselfimareplica's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Abortion, Blood, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal cruelty

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

A story of a family that starts with rape and violence and will end the same way. There’re no spoilers here since it’s constantly reiterated by the narrator what to expect in the future. And, so be warned this is not for the faint of heart.
At the beginning I felt so disgusted and revolted with the rapes and violence of the man of the family, Esteban Trueba, I almost wanted to quit, but I didn’t because I soon realised this is mostly the story of the strong women of his family, the women that survived him and the evil that he festered with his deeds, and how they tended and healed and suffered. How in a family ruled by this conservative moralist patriot every family member was not, how they diverged, maybe because of their mother, the patriarchs wife, Clara, a clairvoyant, a mystic, a beautiful woman who brought even to the horribly tempered husband a light and hope he did not deserved. But, such is the story of this family that pays for the mistakes of the father, for their bravery, for their giving and romantic hearts, not made for a world like that of their patriarch, and worse even.
A family saga in Chile spanning almost a century, and ending during the violent fascist dictatorship. A hard historical fiction and magical realism tale, but so worth the read due to its writing, and the hope that is born of ashes and love.
I can’t believe this was the debut of one of my fave authors. She was destined to be great from the very beginning.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and War

dgdrgn's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

My experience reading this book was a good lesson in reviewing the content warnings before reading any book. 😬

Besides that, this fictional story is very insightful as it depicts Chilean history, politics, and feminism through the lives and struggles of the Trueba family, in particular through the three generations of women and the patriarch Esteban Trueba. Overall, it was a relatively heavy read with some lightness that came from the magical realism depicted through some of the family members as well as the absurdities of Esteban Trueba. Allende does a great job of writing the story in an almost playful method, using timelines and character POVs to tell an engaging story. Would recommend - just make sure to review the content/trigger warnings ahead of time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Torture, War, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

albac63's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.5

What a rollercoaster. Felt like I lived 3 lives. Never read SO MUCH PLOT in one book. Nice to read about Latin America. Nice to finally meet my namesake as well. The first 3/4 is ahh what a quirky family the last 1/4 is

the horrors of war.

Sort of like Encanto but super fucked up. Will read it again in 20 yrs.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Rape, War, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism

anmariefweeks's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is almost entirely description and while it is beautifully written, it’s a lot to get through. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, War, and Torture

amandabcook's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Torture, War, and Violence

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Animal death, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and War