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jfballenger 's review for:
The House of the Spirits
by Isabel Allende
This is clearly a masterpiece. In weaving together so much of Chilean history into a compelling narrative of this family culminating in a powerful account of the nightmare of the coup and early years of the dictatorship, it is a triumph of the imagination.
BUT -- I have two major reservations:
1) That the magical realism is more magical than realistic, especially for American readers who aren't deeply familiar with Chilean history. It may mystify and exoticize more than it helps people see the reality of the world. (Admittedly, this may be more of a criticism of a particular audience than the book.)
2) But I'm also deeply suspicious of the conclusion that resolves the historical conflict and traumas depicted so well in the novel in the reconciliation of Alba and her grandfather. This seems far too easy and evasive.
BUT -- I have two major reservations:
1) That the magical realism is more magical than realistic, especially for American readers who aren't deeply familiar with Chilean history. It may mystify and exoticize more than it helps people see the reality of the world. (Admittedly, this may be more of a criticism of a particular audience than the book.)
2) But I'm also deeply suspicious of the conclusion that resolves the historical conflict and traumas depicted so well in the novel in the reconciliation of Alba and her grandfather. This seems far too easy and evasive.