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A review by amyvl93
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
informative
reflective
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
3.5
It's always exciting to finally get to an author that has been on to your 'to-read' list for a while, and Isabel Allende is definitely one of those. A Long Petal of the Sea was released in 2019 and follows the story of Spanish refugees fleeing the Civil War to Chile onboard a boat commissioned by Pablo Neruda. In particular, we follow Victor and Roser Dalmau - he a doctor and she a pregnant pianist forced into marriage by circumstances after the death of her lover, Victor's brother, who loses his life fighting for the Spanish Republic.
This is a sprawling narrative that takes into account events from the 1930s to the 1970s between Spain, Chile and Venezuela, as the Dalmaus search for a new home and belonging within new communities. The story told here is based in part on events in Allende's family's own life and that of her family friends - in addition to the sheer scale of events captured - means that at times the novel reads more like narrative non-fiction than a novel - though this may be more of a challenge with the translation. This did sometimes mean that the reading experience is a little dry.
That being said, I did find the characters compelling even if certain beats of their story became a little repetitive or convenient, with friends or family reappearing in unexpected ways. Both Victor and Roser felt well drawn, and used their experiences to explore the life of refugees and migrants - which is explored further in the characterisation of Marcel, Roser's son born in Chile, and who lacks the connection to Spain that his parents have.
Alongside the story of people, Allende also weaves in the story of Spain and Chile which I found to be incredibly interesting. I knew some of the events captured here but the lens that Allende applies, through both the Dalmaus and a wealthy local family who are frightened of socialism and thrive under Pinochet was really valuable.
In addition to the occasional dry prose, there was also sometimes some casual racist language that I couldn't quite get a sense of if this was due to the 'timing' of the novel, the characters, or an accident of translation - but given the content, and the focus on the experience of people integrating, these felt a little out of kilter with the overall narrative.
It was good to tick this off my reading list - and I'm excited to read more Allende in the future.
This is a sprawling narrative that takes into account events from the 1930s to the 1970s between Spain, Chile and Venezuela, as the Dalmaus search for a new home and belonging within new communities. The story told here is based in part on events in Allende's family's own life and that of her family friends - in addition to the sheer scale of events captured - means that at times the novel reads more like narrative non-fiction than a novel - though this may be more of a challenge with the translation. This did sometimes mean that the reading experience is a little dry.
That being said, I did find the characters compelling even if certain beats of their story became a little repetitive or convenient, with friends or family reappearing in unexpected ways. Both Victor and Roser felt well drawn, and used their experiences to explore the life of refugees and migrants - which is explored further in the characterisation of Marcel, Roser's son born in Chile, and who lacks the connection to Spain that his parents have.
Alongside the story of people, Allende also weaves in the story of Spain and Chile which I found to be incredibly interesting. I knew some of the events captured here but the lens that Allende applies, through both the Dalmaus and a wealthy local family who are frightened of socialism and thrive under Pinochet was really valuable.
In addition to the occasional dry prose, there was also sometimes some casual racist language that I couldn't quite get a sense of if this was due to the 'timing' of the novel, the characters, or an accident of translation - but given the content, and the focus on the experience of people integrating, these felt a little out of kilter with the overall narrative.
It was good to tick this off my reading list - and I'm excited to read more Allende in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Torture, Grief, and War
Minor: Suicide and Abortion