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azilleruelo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
primmajayne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
megankirby's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I was supposed to like this book a lot more. I wanted to like this book a lot more. A few tories were really stand-out, but I got so bogged down in the middle that I kept putting this collection down for weeks at a time. Part of that was the dense writing (not necessarily a bad thing, but it made it hard to tear through multiple stories in a days' commute.) Another struggle was the ambiguity of each story. I'm not asking for a tidy moral or anything, but I had trouble figuring out what to take away from each chapter. This might partly be my background in Western lit clashing Allende's Latin American magical realism. Sometimes I honestly felt like I didn't know how to read these stories, which I think is more on me than the material.
So my rating is PERSONALLY low with the caveat that I can totally recognize the beautiful prose. Maybe I would have liked these stories better if I learned them in a classroom.
So my rating is PERSONALLY low with the caveat that I can totally recognize the beautiful prose. Maybe I would have liked these stories better if I learned them in a classroom.
nathys_8's review against another edition
5.0
Really short and fantastic stories. I love the way she mixes the supernatural with the historical. I enjoyed seeing the characters from her previous novel come back and learn some more background on them. I enjoyed the tales of torturous love and vengeance. Absolutely great!
joeystarnes's review against another edition
4.0
When I read The House of Spirits, I was too young to enjoy it. This short story collection is mature, smart, and thought-provoking.
vbayman's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
justrosaelena's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great companion to Eva Luna! You do not really need to read Eva Luna before you dive into the short stories, but I do recommend it. The stories mention some characters from the original novel. I loved all of Eva's stories. Isabel Allende is a magical writer.
snaomiq's review against another edition
4.0
This is an indulging sequel to Eva Luna - it is a collection of short stories that Eva Luna compiles for her husband Rolf Carlé. Some of my favorites were: Walimai (highlighting the story of an indigenous man who frees the soul of another woman captured by Europeans) Cartas de Amor Traicionado (the story of a woman who falls in love with someone who was paid to write her letters), el Palacio Imaginado (the story of an enchanted palace), and De Barro Estamos Hechos (Rolf Carlé’s attempt to save a girl from the subsequent damage of a volcanic eruption).
The story that lingers with me the most is “Vida Interminable” - it is a story that highlights the ethics of suffering/assisted suicide.
If you have read Eva Luna, definitely read and enjoy this compilation!
The story that lingers with me the most is “Vida Interminable” - it is a story that highlights the ethics of suffering/assisted suicide.
If you have read Eva Luna, definitely read and enjoy this compilation!