henryk_2557 's review for:

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
4.75
challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Breathtakingly epic. Legendary, even. Allende makes the emotionally wrenching saga of this family feel like the most important thing in all the world. Every character is beautiful, their stories alone would be enough to fill one's soul, yet we also see their inseparable stake in the dignity of their nation, and Allende's masterpiece becomes a bastion of Latin American democracy.

A new top ten novel, easy.