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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 me sorprende lo mucho que pudo escalar este libro, cada miembro de la familia es grande a su manera y logras empatizae con todo. Mi único problema es que algunos temas se profundizan demasiado a él punto de volverse tediosos, pero además de eso todo bien.
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-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
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Translated by Magda Bogin
This is a sweeping family saga that traces three generations of the Trueba family and their ascent to power, all set against the backdrop of political upheaval and societal change. Allende masterfully weaves magical realism into the fabric of everyday life, creating a rich, immersive and at times humorous narrative.
The family dynamics are rife with passion, betrayal, violence and paternalism.
The heart of the story is their two homes, a grand city mansion and rural hacienda, Tres Marias, where the patriarch, Esteban is the domineering patron. Esteban is an unlikable figure - brutal, violent, remorseless and focused on the accumulation of wealth and status to overcome his modest origins. The woman surrounding him suffer under his control, until his granddaughter challenges him.
Allende explores a wide range of complex themes with compassion and depth: political revolution, class structures, the helplessness of the land labourers, poverty, romance, and the suffering of women. The characters are unique, vivid, and multifaceted, each offering a distinct voice and perspective that adds emotional depth and richness to the story.
Despite its length, the story grips you. It’s a haunting, lyrical, and powerful novel that I highly recommend.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The House of the Spirits was an atmospheric and descriptively rich read. I completely understand why it’s seen as a classic of Latin American literature. The plot is thoughtfully developed and the way magical realism blends into the reality of Chilean historical events is quite unique.
I do have some reservations about the novel, firstly because I feel that the foreshadowing was done in a way that fell flat. Instead of letting the reader uncover things gradually, the book often just flatly tells you what’s going on. I think that softened much of its emotional impact, which could have been more profound.
A lot of the time, the characters kept doing things that felt really out of place for who they were described to be by that point in the story. Much of the character development does not read as organic and it feels like the story is being pushed forward whether the characters are ready or not.
Regardless, it was still a very enjoyable read. I just wish the emotional pacing had been a bit more subtle.
I do have some reservations about the novel, firstly because I feel that the foreshadowing was done in a way that fell flat. Instead of letting the reader uncover things gradually, the book often just flatly tells you what’s going on. I think that softened much of its emotional impact, which could have been more profound.
A lot of the time, the characters kept doing things that felt really out of place for who they were described to be by that point in the story. Much of the character development does not read as organic and it feels like the story is being pushed forward whether the characters are ready or not.
Regardless, it was still a very enjoyable read. I just wish the emotional pacing had been a bit more subtle.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Clara has never been disturbed by the spirits who visit regularly. Only the death of her sister Rosa shocks her into silence for many years, until she announces that she will marry Esteban Trueba who used to be betrothed to her sister. He’s turned the old family hacienda into a successful estate, which he continues to visit every summer with his wife and children. Blanca doesn’t commune with the spirits like her mother, but falls hopelessly in love with one of her father’s workers, Pedro. When Blanca falls pregnant and he hastily makes her agree to marry a French count, he thinks that’s the worst his family will have to deal with. But years of oppression have made the lower classes ready for change and the growing political unrest is about to cost him more than he could have foreseen.
I was keen to read The House of the Spirits because I loved Violeta when I read it last year. While they are both sweeping family epics that see the protagonists navigate the changing times, this read very different. I think I’ve ended up disappointed because The House of the Spirits is pitched as Clara’s story, whereas the voice that rings loudest is that of her husband Esteban Trueba. Part of the narration is his, interspersed with his granddaughter Alba who has found Clara’s diaries and is telling the history of the family. Alba has to lend her voice to the many women that came before her, while Esteban is allowed to rant about all his accomplishments and achievements for most of the book. Allende’s writing style and ability to construct characters remains excellent, but this novel was too patriarchal for my liking.
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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
I don't know how to explain how much I loved this book. It blew my mind!
Set in an unnamed Latin American country (but we now know it's Chili), the novel is a sweeping epic novel that follows three generations of women - Clara, Blanca and Alba - and the patriarch of the family, Esteban. Each character is unforgettable, Allende wrote incredibly strong female characters, but I have a preference for Clara - the one who is the most linked to spirits and magic.
I also really enjoyed the criticism of the capitalist system, how the wealthiest family created the dictatorship - because, surprise (no), rich empires would profit more from a fascist government than from a socialist one (see how history could easily repeat itself?). From the beginning, almost every characters try to help people around them, trying to create a community where everyone would gain from it - except Esteban, who is the metaphor of an old patriarchal capitalism.
Magic and spirituality are everywhere, but the core of the novel revolves more around memories than spirits. The whole book is a recollection of theTrueba intertwined with Chilean history, written in captivating prose - that's where the magic is !
Set in an unnamed Latin American country (but we now know it's Chili), the novel is a sweeping epic novel that follows three generations of women - Clara, Blanca and Alba - and the patriarch of the family, Esteban. Each character is unforgettable, Allende wrote incredibly strong female characters, but I have a preference for Clara - the one who is the most linked to spirits and magic.
I also really enjoyed the criticism of the capitalist system, how the wealthiest family created the dictatorship - because, surprise (no), rich empires would profit more from a fascist government than from a socialist one (see how history could easily repeat itself?). From the beginning, almost every characters try to help people around them, trying to create a community where everyone would gain from it - except Esteban, who is the metaphor of an old patriarchal capitalism.
Magic and spirituality are everywhere, but the core of the novel revolves more around memories than spirits. The whole book is a recollection of theTrueba intertwined with Chilean history, written in captivating prose - that's where the magic is !