Scan barcode
monseeee_05's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
amberacks12's review against another edition
This really pains me because this book has been on my shelves forever, and I thought for sure I would love it. I really do love Allende’s writing. It’s beautiful and lyrical and stylistically very unique compared to anything else I’ve read. I also really love the magical realism elements. It’s quickly becoming a genre that I want to read more of. But as much as I love those aspects, and I want to see where Clara’s life takes her, I can’t allow myself to read a book that makes me feel depressed and disgusted by what some of the characters think and do to others. I literally felt sick reading certain parts of this book. If Ernesto Ferula and his sister took a backseat, then I think I could push through their disgusting way of living. But it seems like Ernesto is quite possibly going to be the main character for the entirety of this book. And I just can’t do that to myself.
Maybe I’ll try again someday. Or maybe I should just resign myself to never reading this book I’ve been dying to read for years now.
Maybe I’ll try again someday. Or maybe I should just resign myself to never reading this book I’ve been dying to read for years now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
kdominey's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lucia_28's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow
Hace años leí por primera vez a Isabel Allende en “La ciudad de las bestias” sin llegar a comprender el alcance y la fama de la obra de esta autora. Ahora, unos 8 años después, me dispuse a plantarle cara a su opus magna, y ha sido sin duda una gran decisión.
La historia de esta familia te atrapa, sientes a los personajes tan vivos y familiares (seguramente debido a que se basan en la propia familia de la autora) que los hechos pasan vertiginosamente sin que te des cuenta. Aún así el libro no se siente apresurado ni le faltan partes, todo está tratado a su tiempo y las generaciones se suceden unas a otras, pasándose el foco de manera muy sutil.
Además, los fast forwards que da advirtiendo de hechos que sucederán mucho más a adelante en el libro me recuerdan a las habilidades sobrenaturales de Clara.
Sin duda una de las mejores lecturas de este año, no puedo ponerle ninguna falta. Estoy deseando hincarle los dientes a “Paula”.
Hace años leí por primera vez a Isabel Allende en “La ciudad de las bestias” sin llegar a comprender el alcance y la fama de la obra de esta autora. Ahora, unos 8 años después, me dispuse a plantarle cara a su opus magna, y ha sido sin duda una gran decisión.
La historia de esta familia te atrapa, sientes a los personajes tan vivos y familiares (seguramente debido a que se basan en la propia familia de la autora) que los hechos pasan vertiginosamente sin que te des cuenta. Aún así el libro no se siente apresurado ni le faltan partes, todo está tratado a su tiempo y las generaciones se suceden unas a otras, pasándose el foco de manera muy sutil.
Además, los fast forwards que da advirtiendo de hechos que sucederán mucho más a adelante en el libro me recuerdan a las habilidades sobrenaturales de Clara.
Sin duda una de las mejores lecturas de este año, no puedo ponerle ninguna falta. Estoy deseando hincarle los dientes a “Paula”.
lauryz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
carysjw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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? No
4.5
alinaedwards's review against another edition
5.0
I have Anne Lamott to thank here, as she's the one who pushed me to finally pick up one of Allende's novels. In Bird by Bird, she mentions Isabel Allende and speaks of her work in such high praise that I had to get my hands on one of these novels right away. I own a copy of Violeta, but I wanted to start with the author's first book, also considered one of her best. So I went out and bought The House of the Spirits, and I am a changed reader because of it.
I began this novel halfheartedly. I'll admit I was a little skeptical, not entirely sure that I would enjoy this kind of story. Usually I don't go for long, multigenerational sagas, although there's one exception I can think of—Pachinko. Also, I quickly noticed that there is very little dialogue in the novel, and usually I like a decent amount of dialogue in the fiction I read. Needless to say, I'll never doubt the power of this genre (subgenre?) again, and I'll think twice before attributing value to how much or how little dialogue there is in a novel again.
I effortlessly read through the first thirty pages, and figured that I seemed to be enjoying this well enough, so why not keep going. The more I read, the more immersed in the world I became, until I felt like I had landed within the pages and I was really there with the Truebas. Every character, every scene left a memorable imprint on my mind. Allende somehow makes every character—and there are at least ten important ones, all coming in and out of the story—stand on their own, convincing me that each figure in this story, every minor and major player, could be the protagonist of their own novels and each would be a brilliant story. I can't remember the last time I have been in the hands of a writer whose skill in developing characters matched Allende's. What's more, the world is immersive and riveting precisely because it is built around the novel's characters, constructed to complement who and what they are—not the other way around.
After finishing the novel I reflected a bit on who the protagonist of The House of the Spirits is, and I concluded that simply based on who had the largest presence in the book, it must be Esteban Trueba, the most detestable character in this story (tied with another minor character). He is the only one who is with us from beginning to end, and the only one with a clear arc. Although there were times when I truly hated Esteban (obviously intentional on Allende's part), I really admired Allende's choice to stay so close to this man throughout the story, highlighting his flaws more than his virtues while also focusing in on his humanity. He represents the worst of our species, and yet we feel for him anyway, especially at the end of the novel. Allende takes a big risk here, but it plays out beautifully and tragically.
Despite the protagonist being a violent and brutish man, The House of the Spirits is a uniquely feminine novel. This is hard to explain. My perception of the novel's inherent femininity exists on a subliminal level; in short, it's an intuition. The focus on spirits, the two houses, intuition as a magical experience, and love as nurterer and nurtured combined to form a feminine aura. Additionally, the novel's strongest characters are three women of three generations: Clara, Blanca, and Alba. Together, they stand as the backbone of this magnificent novel.
I am planning to read either The Japanese Lover or Eva Luna next. The House of the Spirits has blasted the bar up to the sky, but I don't doubt Allende's ability to blow me away yet again.
I began this novel halfheartedly. I'll admit I was a little skeptical, not entirely sure that I would enjoy this kind of story. Usually I don't go for long, multigenerational sagas, although there's one exception I can think of—Pachinko. Also, I quickly noticed that there is very little dialogue in the novel, and usually I like a decent amount of dialogue in the fiction I read. Needless to say, I'll never doubt the power of this genre (subgenre?) again, and I'll think twice before attributing value to how much or how little dialogue there is in a novel again.
I effortlessly read through the first thirty pages, and figured that I seemed to be enjoying this well enough, so why not keep going. The more I read, the more immersed in the world I became, until I felt like I had landed within the pages and I was really there with the Truebas. Every character, every scene left a memorable imprint on my mind. Allende somehow makes every character—and there are at least ten important ones, all coming in and out of the story—stand on their own, convincing me that each figure in this story, every minor and major player, could be the protagonist of their own novels and each would be a brilliant story. I can't remember the last time I have been in the hands of a writer whose skill in developing characters matched Allende's. What's more, the world is immersive and riveting precisely because it is built around the novel's characters, constructed to complement who and what they are—not the other way around.
After finishing the novel I reflected a bit on who the protagonist of The House of the Spirits is, and I concluded that simply based on who had the largest presence in the book, it must be Esteban Trueba, the most detestable character in this story (tied with another minor character). He is the only one who is with us from beginning to end, and the only one with a clear arc. Although there were times when I truly hated Esteban (obviously intentional on Allende's part), I really admired Allende's choice to stay so close to this man throughout the story, highlighting his flaws more than his virtues while also focusing in on his humanity. He represents the worst of our species, and yet we feel for him anyway, especially at the end of the novel. Allende takes a big risk here, but it plays out beautifully and tragically.
Despite the protagonist being a violent and brutish man, The House of the Spirits is a uniquely feminine novel. This is hard to explain. My perception of the novel's inherent femininity exists on a subliminal level; in short, it's an intuition. The focus on spirits, the two houses, intuition as a magical experience, and love as nurterer and nurtured combined to form a feminine aura. Additionally, the novel's strongest characters are three women of three generations: Clara, Blanca, and Alba. Together, they stand as the backbone of this magnificent novel.
I am planning to read either The Japanese Lover or Eva Luna next. The House of the Spirits has blasted the bar up to the sky, but I don't doubt Allende's ability to blow me away yet again.
btrz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
angelakate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75