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crimsonprose's review against another edition
4.0
I cannot believe I have waited this long to experience the graceful beauty of Isabel Allende's magnificent prose. Her writing is lovely and picturesque and she is master of the short story and anecdote. Her character portraits are thorough as they are interesting and unique, and I fell in love with likable and unlikable characters both.
However the plot itself, touted in descriptions and at the beginning mysteriously, is little more than a thread that follows her life. Perhaps that is the intention, and it is meant to mirror an autobiography in that not all things come back to the one event in her life that the story is supposedly centered on.
I definitely look forward to reading the next Isabel Allende I find, and will focus on enjoying the experience her writing gives rather than trying to follow a barely perceptible plot.
However the plot itself, touted in descriptions and at the beginning mysteriously, is little more than a thread that follows her life. Perhaps that is the intention, and it is meant to mirror an autobiography in that not all things come back to the one event in her life that the story is supposedly centered on.
I definitely look forward to reading the next Isabel Allende I find, and will focus on enjoying the experience her writing gives rather than trying to follow a barely perceptible plot.
mflores94's review against another edition
2.0
This was probably my least favorite of Allende's works that I have read so far. Still, the characters captured my attention and I particularly enjoyed seeing more of Paulina del Valle. The storytelling itself felt very long-winded, with few breaks to come up for air. As a result, I often found myself losing my place and struggling to find it again, as individual paragraphs could stretch for multiple pages.
wtmaai's review against another edition
3.0
De los tres, es el que menos me ha llegado a agradar. Se me ha hecho un poco pesado.
kdudek's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
lottie1803's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
nichcrod's review against another edition
5.0
¡Otra de las tantas joyas de Isabel Allende! ❤️
Es hermoso como se conecta con otras de sus obras.
Es hermoso como se conecta con otras de sus obras.
misshappyapples's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Isabel Allende and it was assigned for my book club. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have gotten around to reading her at some point but this did fit into that goal, and also a 2018 goal of mine to read a book by an author from every South American country. That checks Chile off the list.
I found this book to be pretty dense. It's only 300 pages and yet I felt like every page took ten minutes to read. It was discouraging at points. But I did truly enjoy this tale of Aurora del Valle and her two extraordinary grandmothers. Her tale from childhood trauma, to marriage, separation, and eventually discovering the long buried secrets of her past was very appealing. This is Aurora's story, but it's really a family epic. It could have easily felt too soap opera-ish but didn't to me. Probably due to the beautiful writing and the quality of the characterizations.
I found this book to be pretty dense. It's only 300 pages and yet I felt like every page took ten minutes to read. It was discouraging at points. But I did truly enjoy this tale of Aurora del Valle and her two extraordinary grandmothers. Her tale from childhood trauma, to marriage, separation, and eventually discovering the long buried secrets of her past was very appealing. This is Aurora's story, but it's really a family epic. It could have easily felt too soap opera-ish but didn't to me. Probably due to the beautiful writing and the quality of the characterizations.
lindseyletellier'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
claudiasantos14's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0