Reviews

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

nataliamar's review

3.0

3,5
Chegou um ponto que eu cansei e não estava mais prestando atenção, tento que demorei mais de 1 mês pra ler e ele é bem curtinho…

gretasbookclub's review against another edition

2.0

Honestly I really struggled to read this book, mostly found it required more brain power than I had capacity to give it. Felt like a slog reading it, and I was making very little progress
Great choice for book club because there was genuinely so much to discuss. 

gray_reading's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

annekap's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

3.0

A strange, scattered tale which felt much longer than it was. At times very bizarre, at others a bit of a slog. The prose was beautiful and it’s set in an interesting part of history but ultimately I struggled to get through it. The last couple chapters… girl wrap it up 

texreader's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Like all Allende’s books I’ve read, Eva Luna is a winding tale starting with her mother, as a baby with blazing red hair, crawling out of a Latin American jungle knowing nothing of her parents. Eva’s own story is full of unique characters and loves, including her mother’s unusual father figure, multiple mother-like guardians, a revolutionary, a colorful transsexual, a child survivor of WWII, and more in a world coming undone in a dictatorship. 

garleighc's review

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

book_concierge's review against another edition

4.0

Audible audiobook performed by Cynthia Farrell & Timothy Andrés Pabon.


From the book jacket: Meet Eva Luna – a lover, writer, revolutionary, and storyteller. Eva is born poor, orphaned at an early age, and works as a servant. Eva is a naturally gifted and imaginative storyteller who meets people from all stations and walks of life. Though she has no wealth, she trades her stories like currency with people who are kind to her.

My reactions
I’m already a huge fan of Allende’s magical realism, and this book did not disappoint. I loved the many characters – from the Lebanese merchant to the petty criminal/guerrilla leader to the transsexual entertainer. As Eva tells the story of her life, she tells the story of this South American nation – of corruption, class struggle, peace, war, feast and famine. The story comes alive with saints and ghosts, servants and political leaders equally profiled, skewered and cherished.

Both Allende and Eva Luna are great storytellers, and this a marvelous escape.

The audiobook was performed by Cynthia Farrell and Timothy Andrés Pabon. These are two talented voice artists, and having them both narrating, makes it easy to follow the shifts in perspective
.

mariugonza's review against another edition

5.0

I read this instead of using effectively my time and study for the SAT, as I was supposed to do.

So yes, this book is pretty good

cappog's review

dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

aghanty's review

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0