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A review by hardkaapi
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A book I had such high hopes from, this one unfortunately didn't hit the mark. The author narrates the story of the Chilean War beautifully but it is the characters that disappoint. I was unable to connect with any of them as those parts are pretty dry. There is emotion, but it gets lost in the multiple timelines of all the characters. I also found that some characters who become very prominent by the second half were never explored. Instead, the second half describes the political climate so much that it takes over the story and ends up becoming a discourse.
However, the homage paid to Pablo Neruda's works is wonderful. Each chapter of the book begins with a line from one of his poems that directly relates to its theme. The title itself is how Neruda described Chile, as "a long petal of the sea and wine and snow". I cannot find appreciation for anything other than the poetry, which obviously isn't by Allende. The writing seemed inconsistent and passive but that might just be the translation. All in all, it doesn't deliver the emotional punch I expected it to.
However, the homage paid to Pablo Neruda's works is wonderful. Each chapter of the book begins with a line from one of his poems that directly relates to its theme. The title itself is how Neruda described Chile, as "a long petal of the sea and wine and snow". I cannot find appreciation for anything other than the poetry, which obviously isn't by Allende. The writing seemed inconsistent and passive but that might just be the translation. All in all, it doesn't deliver the emotional punch I expected it to.