Reviews

The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende

catelam's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

catilopes's review against another edition

4.0

4.25/5

Um clássico que sempre quis ler mas nunca parecia o momento. A edição comemorativa dos 40 anos deste livro chegou na altura certa. E porquê que não li este livro mais cedo?!

Uma história que acompanha três gerações de mulheres. Clara, Blanca e Alba, três personagens muito bem construídas e que nos conquistam cada uma a seu jeito.

Pela vida destas mulheres, vamos acompanhando também a história do Chile, os golpes militares, as fricções políticas e toda a infelicidade que advém destas lutas.

Recheado de amores e desamores, mortes e nascimentos, a escrita da autora agarra-nos desde a primeira página. Somos conquistados por estas personagens tão imperfeitas e perfeitamente construídas.

Um livro que merece muito ser lido! Recomendo muito!

bellabertolazi's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sineadxh's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

crrieandrsn26's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mothcannibalism's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

addictedtolife's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

5.0

marieakeith's review

3.0

Very dense. Appreciated how a single sentence could time travel 9 years into the future. Didn’t love the violence against women, even if it is based in true/realistic events

nanvdand's review against another edition

5.0

I have enjoyed all of the Isabel Allende books I have read. This is possibly my favorite but right next to Daughter of Fortune. Although I just finished this book today, I suspect it will be one that I will think about for many years to come which is one of my criteria for a 5 star rating. As always, I love Ms Allende’s characters and her foreshadowing. Speaking of her foreshadowing, she magically weaves it in her novels, even to the point of giving away the ending, and yet it never seems to detract from my desire to finish the book.
While this story is very much a family saga, it is also a reminder to us of the dangers of power and political differences that turn violent, even in a previously peaceful democratic country such as the USA.

katescholastica's review

5.0

Allende’s blending of magic and Latin American culture is truly something to revisit again and again.