Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

La casa degli spiriti by Isabel Allende

5 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

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

nannahnannah's review against another edition

Nope.
DNF @ 1%.

That’s the most pathetic percent I’ve ever left a book at, but it’s actually about 50 pages in; this book is just short of 500 pages. Sticking with it when I hate the protagonist with such a passion would be torture, classic or no classic.

The House of the Spirits is a very famous and classic book following three generations of the Trueba family in Chile. Covering political issues, love stories, and things that can only be described as otherworldly, the book is one of the most famous and well-loved Latin American works from the twentieth century.

Again, I barely put a dent into this long book (not only is it 500 pages long, but the pages are also nearly transparent and the text is small), but what I read was enough for me to know if I could bear reading on or not. As I said, it was the protagonist that made the book unbearable. He was engaged to Rosa, an ethereal mermaid-like beauty from the Trueba family, but before he could make his fortune and marry her, she died. 

His grief had him blaming her at her graveside for everything that basically went wrong in his life. I get it; grief is a powerful force and it makes people do things and think things they normally wouldn’t. But then he admits, totally heartfelt, that he even never touched other women those past years he was trying to make a fortune -- well, except for those prostitutes, lmao. 

Not only this, but he was already wearing me thin, because to win her hand he literally stalked her every day, learned where she lived and when she went outside, and apparently this won her family over? The whole thing was so intensely creepy but was framed as romantic. I don’t care what “generation” this mindset is from, I just didn’t want to share 500 pages with this dude anymore. I have a life to live and other books to read.

So no thanks.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Racial slurs

[I barely started this book, so the content warnings are only for, lol, 1% of the book before I said nope]

menomica's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

Aunque es un libro muy largo y muy denso, a mí me ha gustado el linaje familiar y como los eventos y sucesos tienen se influencian entre sí. Está lleno de trigger warnings, pero si lo puedes aguantar, y si tienes mucho tiempo que perder, y eres fan del drama y historias largas y enrevesadas, te recomiendo este libro (no lo digo como insulto: como ya he dicho, me ha gustado el libro bastante).

PS: El peor personaje de todo este libro es sin duda, Esteban Trueba. La mejor fue Clara Del Valle

y ADIVINAD QUIÉN MUERE PRIMERO

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Miscarriage, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I cannot say bad things about Isabel Allende's writing style but I had to trudge a bit to get through the book. Personally, it was hard for me to feel much connected to the characters and also to digest some of the crudest passages. 

I have to say that it's been a long time since I've despised a character as much as Esteban Trueba and I cannot emphasise enough how much I disliked the sections with him as a narrator. I listened to the audiobook and I think that I managed to finish the book only because I really liked the voice actress, otherwise I would have given up after the umpteenth of his capitalist rants or descriptions of his male prowess and insatiable desires, they made me want to scream.

I liked much better the final chapters that focused more on the social and political commentary and also the  epilogue with Alba as narrator (honestly I would have preferred her as the main point of view).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Suicide, Antisemitism, Stalking, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury