Reviews

La casa de los espíritus by Isabel Allende

pastelv's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

ladyseven's review

2.0

Ufff lo enojada que estoy con este libro.
A ver, me voy a organizar un poco... por donde empiezo?

La verdad, no tengo ganas de escribir sobre este libro ahora lol
Fue MI ELECCION del club de lectura, estuve dos horas quejándome de todo lo que absolutamente odie de este libro, desde el abuso del foreshadowing hasta lo molesto que es el hecho que el pov de Esteban Trueba interrumpa la narracion que de por si esta 100% parcializada por ser el la fuente primaria de información. Las cosas buenas del libro son casi igual de abundantes, el desarrollo de personajes es 10/10 y el contexto histórico esta narrado de forma espectacular.
Aun asi mi balanza emocional esta inclinada mas hacia lo negativo que lo positivo por el simple hecho que Esteban Trueba es un ser vomitivo. Realista, tridimensional y odiable a la máxima potencia.
En fin, tanto me queje que ya no me quedan palabras para escribir acá. Fue toda una experiencia leer este libro, lamentablemente no una positiva.

lagoona's review against another edition

mysterious reflective 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

2.75

fricka's review against another edition

4.0

Audiobook

nephilimsas's review against another edition

5.0

Maravilhoso! Uma história que perpassa três gerações que de vez em quando parece uma autobiografia da autora. É uma história de forte teor político, que aborda o embate eterno entre a ordem vigente opressiva e as mudanças que batem na porta em busca de sair de sua condição subalterna, aborda o ciclo de violência que nunca deixa de se perpetuar através das gerações, e aborda também o amor e o ódio. Perdoar quem te fez mal ou buscar justiça com as próprias mãos? Enfim, é uma história que deixa muitas indagações. Após nos apresentar os horrores mais crus da ditadura ainda consegue finalizar tudo com um tom de esperança. É importante preservar a memória e a história, porque é através delas que os acontecimentos ganham sentido, e com isso, podem ser direcionados de modo que evite que os horrores voltem a se repetir.

shayrawd's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.5

jedwin00's review against another edition

3.0

A complex book you can really sink your teeth into. Its has a very intricate storyline with characters whose lives and goals are very intertwined and a treat to get absorbed into. It also has a very interesting story going on at first in the background and then in the foreground about the Chilean political history from the rise of president Allende to the overthrowing of the left wing government by the military coup and Pinochet's reign. A good i will recommend for anyone who is looking for a sory they can lost in.

dimolkova's review against another edition

3.0

this was an interesting read. it made me feel both emotionally detached and emotionally involved, sometimes at the same time

dmwilderson's review against another edition

3.0

Beautifully written epic novel, filled with lush and colorful depictions of people and place. The problem for me is that I didn't care about any of the characters, so the ups and downs of their lives didn't draw me in. I did find the history interesting.

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

2.5

This is difficult to rate because the things about this book that I enjoyed (the magical realism, basically all of the female characters) are almost equally balanced with the things I disliked (most of the male characters, the last third of the book, the sexual assault and pedophilia), but the things I disliked about the book I feel strongly enough about that I think they’re a smidge more influential in my overall rating. To start with, the magical realism was just so lovely and really scratched an itch that I didn’t realize I had. That it only manifested itself in the female characters is also something that I really loved because in some ways it felt like it was intended to create more balance within the clearly male-skewed power dynamics (because of the time period, it wasn’t particularly effective, but it helped a little). I also loved how all of our female protagonists are so well-developed, even the ones that are mostly relegated to side characters (and also, I love how Ferula is low-key queer). But those things pale in comparison to how much about this book I actively disliked. First of all, most of the male characters are garbage, but basically any character named Esteban is racist, homophobic, emotionally and physically abusive, a rapist, and a pedophile to top it all off. Honestly, the amount of rape and pedophilia in this book is disgusting and extremely unpleasant to read about. It fills me with rage that one of the most abhorrent characters in this book (Esteban the patriarch) is the only one who gets a first-person narrative throughout the book (up until we get to the epilogue) because he is not only the most morally disgusting person in this book but also one of the least interesting. On top of that, after Clara dies about 2/3 of the way through, the book really shifts focus from being a family drama to being more focused on Chilean history (which I don’t know or care much about) and just got so boring because most of the interesting characters were already dead. I mean, Alba’s kind of an interesting character but I just wasn’t invested in her story enough to make me actively want to read the last 150 pages or so. I’m not actively opposed to reading another of Allende’s books, but if they’re all like this one, she may not be the author for me.