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holasisoymaca's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
"—No lo sé. ¡Si pudiera entregarle mi vida y morir en su lugar! Estoy perdida, no sé quién soy, trato de recordar quién era yo antes, pero sólo encuentro disfraces, máscaras, proyecciones, imágenes confusas de una mujer que no reconozco. ¿Soy la feminista que creía ser, o soy esa joven frívola que aparecía en televisión con plumas de avestruz en el trasero? ¿La madre obsesiva, la esposa infiel, la aventurera temeraria o la mujer cobarde? ¿Soy la que asilaba perseguidos políticos o la que escapó porque no pudo soportar el miedo? Demasiadas contradicciones..."
Paula es la dolorosa carta (y también, una especie de autobiografía) dirigida a su hija de veintiocho años que padecía de porfiria, quien un día entró en un sueño profundo y jamás volvió a despertar. En esas largas horas de espera entre la incertidumbre y los pasillos de hospital, Isabel le escribe a Paula relatando su vida y recordando el pasado familiar (y su propio pasado): desde su niñez, su primer matrimonio, el exilio ante el Golpe Militar chileno, su larga estadía en Venezuela y su ascenso como escritora latinoamericana en la escena internacional.
La escritura es hermosa. Lloré un montón de veces y lo terminé entre sollozos en el tren, a la vista de muchas personas que seguramente se preguntaron qué le pasaba a esa loca que lloraba con un libro en la mano. Retrata la pérdida de un ser querido de una forma tan extraordinaria que inevitablemente nos lleva a reflexionar sobre lo efímero y delicado de la vida, el espíritu, el alma, la religión y el amor.
Paula es la dolorosa carta (y también, una especie de autobiografía) dirigida a su hija de veintiocho años que padecía de porfiria, quien un día entró en un sueño profundo y jamás volvió a despertar. En esas largas horas de espera entre la incertidumbre y los pasillos de hospital, Isabel le escribe a Paula relatando su vida y recordando el pasado familiar (y su propio pasado): desde su niñez, su primer matrimonio, el exilio ante el Golpe Militar chileno, su larga estadía en Venezuela y su ascenso como escritora latinoamericana en la escena internacional.
La escritura es hermosa. Lloré un montón de veces y lo terminé entre sollozos en el tren, a la vista de muchas personas que seguramente se preguntaron qué le pasaba a esa loca que lloraba con un libro en la mano. Retrata la pérdida de un ser querido de una forma tan extraordinaria que inevitablemente nos lleva a reflexionar sobre lo efímero y delicado de la vida, el espíritu, el alma, la religión y el amor.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
bealmg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
I feel weird rating a memoir, so I'll just write down my thoughts after finishing this book. It took me a long time to read it, longer than a 350-page book usually takes me. I don't know if it was because of its slow pace and non-linear timeline (the narrator jumps from present-day to her memories quite quickly) or because of the narrator herself, whose voice alternated between the devastating sadness of witnessing her daughter slowly die and between her colourful memories.
The one aspect that touched me the most was the complete devotion of Paula's husband to his wife and how Allende described their relationship, from when they met to Paula's death. I liked how Allende described historical events and how she interlinked them with her own experiences of those times. However, some parts of these recollections left me uncomfortable because the narrator sometimes showed a lack of awareness of her family's privileged position, which enabled her to get a job at the UN just by mentioning her family's surname.
Nonetheless, this is profound reflection on the relationship between mothers and daughters, on what it's like to see your children die before you, and on how the past lives on in the present.
The one aspect that touched me the most was the complete devotion of Paula's husband to his wife and how Allende described their relationship, from when they met to Paula's death. I liked how Allende described historical events and how she interlinked them with her own experiences of those times. However, some parts of these recollections left me uncomfortable because the narrator sometimes showed a lack of awareness of her family's privileged position, which enabled her to get a job at the UN just by mentioning her family's surname.
Nonetheless, this is profound reflection on the relationship between mothers and daughters, on what it's like to see your children die before you, and on how the past lives on in the present.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child abuse
bee_interrupted's review against another edition
Paula is Isabel Allende’s daughter, and she is in a coma. Allende starts writing this book as a letter to Paula, for her to read when she wakes up. She tells stories from their past mixed with what
is happening in the present.
I feel really bad for saying this since this book is an emotional memoir, but it's going on my DNF list.
I fought my way through until page 186 but it just didn’t touch me. A lot of the stories from the past are very political, which just isn't my thing
and I found the abrupt jumps between past and present stopped me from really getting into the past
storyline. Allende also talks about her sex life which I found really out of place; I would definitely not want to know those details from my mother.
In general, this book has me wondering why Paula doesn't know many of the stories already; she’s a grown-up woman so surely the Allendes have talked about their past before?
Overall it was just a very dull read so I would give it 1/5⭐️
is happening in the present.
I feel really bad for saying this since this book is an emotional memoir, but it's going on my DNF list.
I fought my way through until page 186 but it just didn’t touch me. A lot of the stories from the past are very political, which just isn't my thing
and I found the abrupt jumps between past and present stopped me from really getting into the past
storyline. Allende also talks about her sex life which I found really out of place; I would definitely not want to know those details from my mother.
In general, this book has me wondering why Paula doesn't know many of the stories already; she’s a grown-up woman so surely the Allendes have talked about their past before?
Overall it was just a very dull read so I would give it 1/5⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and War
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