Reviews

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende

mercy_lop's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

georgia_brown's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

anneewentworth's review against another edition

Started this after reading The Book of Night Women and I could not endure another book describing the horrors of slavery. 

tedski's review against another edition

3.0

I really tried to like this book more than just 3 stars' worth. Allende certainly has the chops - she strings words and creates strands of pearls, and creates vivid, unforgettable characters. The research into the historical period of the novel is also commendable - everything rang true. What held it back, though, was the slow pacing, and the excessive exposition - the old "Show, don't tell" maxim. Many times, while listening to the audiobook, I found myself mentally yelling at the author, "Quit explaining to me what happened and telling me what someone said. Show me the action, and give me some dialogue."

I never got a feeling of urgency during the scenes describing the rebellion and escapes. And in the end, I didn't share Zarite's sense of personal "triumph-despite-her-losses." The whole story just ended up like a souffle that's gone flat in the oven.

I could see this being turned into a great film, and it could be one of those rare ones that is actually better than the book. But, Google reveals nary a word about one.

I have two other books by Isabel Allende in my bookshelf, "Of Love and Shadows," and, "Paula." which, despite my underwhelming introduction to the author, with "Island, " I do look forward to reading.

kimreadz's review against another edition

I just couldn't get interested in this one. The characters weren't relatable and the descriptions far too detailed. The story dragged too much and I gave up on it.

blueregard's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

3.0

It's very slice of life and has the Haitian revolution as a backdrop. 

kdawg420's review against another edition

2.0

This was my second book by Isabel Allende, and after reading "The Wind Knows My Name," (which I ADORED), I was extremely disappointed. The pacing is uneven, and while there were a few moments of fast-paced activity and plot development, the pages were littered with heavy language and historical facts that read more like a textbook than a story. This was nothing like TWKMN, in which Allende integrates historical facts in a comprehensible way so that they are a relevant part of the story. I think the history of Haiti is important and this is the first I'd learned on the subject, but the story could have been edited and condensed to be an actionable tale that accurately and interestingly captures Haiti's history. Several reviews mention that the first half of the book drags on, while the second half picks up. However, I was still disappointed upon reading the first 100 pages of the second half. DNF for me.

readingraeorshine's review against another edition

5.0

Could not recommend highly enough, one of my very favorite books of all time.

fricka's review against another edition

3.0

Audiobook. Loved the narration, loved the story and then hated it.

mzstarr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? No

4.25