Reviews

El viento conoce mi nombre by Isabel Allende, Isabel Allende

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samyag's review against another edition

1.0

I really enjoyed Violeta, which is part of why I’m so disappointed in this. It honestly gave me the sort of uncanny feeling of something written by AI at times. Maybe it was just so underdeveloped that it came off as bizarre? Characters are completely flat, their decisions make no sense at times, dialogue is stilted, and the whole thing reads like how an 8th grade history book might describe events like the Holocaust, mass murder and genocide in El Salvador, and immigration conflicts in modern-day US.

Imagine you’re watching a movie, and you can see two characters arguing on screen, screaming at each other, gesturing, crying even, but the argument is muted. And then a narrator shows up on screen and tells you what the argument is about. As an audience, you don’t get to truly engage with the scene. It’s spoon fed to you, rather than experienced. That’s the best way I can describe the prose of this novel. Scenes are summarized rather than shown, and we only really get to experience the events of the novel on a completely superficial level.

Spoiler

Lastly, I CANNOT get over Selena’s relationship with Milosz and her family’s support of him. This is a woman raised by two generations of women who crossed the US/Mexico border, and whose entire career is centered around helping immigrants seeking asylum. It is clear to the reader that one of her main values in life is compassion for immigrants, especially refugees. And yet she’s been with the border wall supporting racist conservative boyfriend for EIGHT YEARS?? She thinks it’s ok if she just doesn’t talk about immigration or politics with him ever, because he’s sexy?? He wants her to quit her career and be a housewife, and she’s like “but he’s so masculine and hot that I’m not sure if I should trust my gut” I mean??? I’m sorry, but I cannot suspend my disbelief for even a second to buy that a woman with her background and her career would entertain a man with those opinions for one conversation, let alone an eight year relationship and engagement.

I do own A Long Petal of the Sea and I haven’t read it yet, so someday I’ll get around to that one, but beyond that I think I’m done with Allende. We’ll see. Maybe she’ll surprise me with something astounding next time.

em_likes_books's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

lovelyoutliers's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

A beautiful, empathetic story weaving together experiences of family separation and tragedy separated by half a century - a young boy (Samuel) sent on the kinder transport after Kristallnacht on the kindertransport trains and a young girl (Anita) who was separated from her mother at the US-Mexico border.

Sensitively weaving stories of loss, the obstacles people will face to find safe places, and how families can be built in many different ways.

Content Warnings

4lberj's review

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3.0

Esperaba mucho más del último libro de Isabel Allende. No es que se trate de una mala novela, ya que tiene una prosa pulida e impecable, pero conectar tanto con los personajes como con sus historias me ha resultado un poco complicado, sobre todo al principio, ya que va "dando tumbos" de uno a otro. Es verdad que es entretenida, pero me ha faltado algo para ganarme.