Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

La casa degli spiriti by Isabel Allende

19 reviews

louberry360's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lovetlr's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

_barbarei's review against another edition

Hated everyone

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Car accident, and Death of parent

taracloudclark's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

The House of the Spirits is a family saga following Clara, a unique woman who, at an early age, reveals a mystical inclination, and her family through the Chilean tumult in mid-20th century. 

This is a long book. At times I had difficulty maintaining attention, but I think overall it was worth it. It was definitely outside my personal or familiar experience, and I feel I’m better for reading it.

Narrators were excellent.  

This was part of the StoryGraph read around the world challenge. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

milliminal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

This story is as wide as it is deep, spanning decades with a multitude of characters and storylines, intertwined with a family and a nation's history of revolution. The density of the writing and the sheer amount of trauma described in these pages make it a challenging read, but a worthwhile one. I leave feeling both sorrow and hope simultaneously, with an immense appreciation for the importance of recording our histories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

april_liebt_libros123's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.0

This story is LONG but not without intention. As a multi-generational tale, I was often left wondering what was the point of it all. There is a rather extended climax of the end of the book, but it ties all the experiences of the many varied characters together in a way the mirrors the story telling of its protagonists. I finished it feeling an appreciation for the journey it took me on, even if it took me a minute to get there. While I won't say I ENJOYED this book, I do definitely feel like I learned from it and have a good representation of this style of writing and what the author is known for. I'm grateful for the read, even if I had to force myself through some of it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

mightyoscura's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

felkyo_grey's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

kaffee_auf_ex's review against another edition

dark informative tense slow-paced

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

1.25

oh. my. fucking. god. 

I was so relieved when I finished this book. I wouldn't have finished this if I hadn't been reading it for a book club.

Let's start with the positive: Isabel Allende obviously knows how to write. I also really enjoyed the historical context that we got. That's about it.

The book is very graphic. I don't mind that in general, in fact I enjoy it sometimes. But not when we have to listen to the thoughts of pedophiles, rapists, racists and killers and also get the very details of their actions described to us.

We have 3 female main characters but never get their perspective. Instead, we hear from men that are the literal worst. 

People tend to love Clara because "omg she's so dreamy and quirky" when really, she just enables her husband to do the worst things to the women around them both including his sister even though Clara supposedly loves here. I mean, what's that about?

Also, I hated the racist terms used but I know that it's  because this book is old.

In conclusion: This book was well written but I hated every second its content.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia

anahisa's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.75

FUCK ESTEBAN TRUEBA, BABY IM A HATER TO MY BONESSSSSSSSSS

now, I experienced such a disconnect with this book largely in part because of its characters. they were flawed and real, true! also true is that I did not care for a single one of them!! for a family drama spanning multiple generations, very few of the emotional beats landed for me (🤨😐😔) sadly.

in a shocking turn of events, I was drawn more towards the politics + history that informed the background of this saga. the novel’s attention to women’s rights, unionization, revolution, and the west’s presence in foreign governments were its saving grace for me. 

and one thing this book tackles brilliantly is the violence of men + power. so so so many terrible ways in which these individuals + institutions possess, demean, and violate others. while earlier I mentioned that many of the story’s emotional beats were a miss for me, it never failed to make me absolutely livid! the anger I felt when reading some of these scenes! every man in my line of sight should be afraid! rage enough to burn the world I think!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Car accident, War, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Xenophobia, and Abortion