amandamuchmoreparker's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, Abortion, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Drug use, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Infidelity, and War
livelaughomo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Sexism, and War
Minor: Dementia and Abortion
mariafh91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: War, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Death, Torture, and Suicide
lautodd_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
And, boy, am I glad to be finished with this book.
The story follows Violeta del Valle, a woman born in an unnamed South American country in 1920 during the Spanish Influenza, who is writing and recounting the phases of her life in the form of a letter to her grandson, Camilo. In her present-day— the year 2020 during coronavirus—, Violeta is 100 years old and wants to leave behind her story that it might not be erased/forgotten by her death.
I was very intrigued and excited to read this book, just based off of the autobiographical qualities indicated by the premise of the book. I enjoy reading about people recounting their lives, their joys, grieving, confusions and misgivings, their passions and strengths, their failures.
This book kind of does that (in a way? if I’m being generous) but it is so incessantly lifeless. Character development felt completely missing from me, and I felt no connection to any of the characters. For a moment, I considered that maybe that was Allende’s aim, was to establish an extreme and extensive anonymity throughout the entire structure of the story, but good God was it boring.
I feel truly disappointed and sad to even be writing this, especially because it has so many encouraging and gleaming reviews from other readers— I was hoping to be among them. But, the only thing that even motivated me to finish this book was my pride. I have a goal to read a certain number of books by the end of this year. And I hate to say, I’m very disheartened that I spent time reading this one.
I’m just relieved it’s over, truthfully.
The final nail in the coffin is that this is my first time reading Allende’s work, and now I’m skittish to read any other (joking, but serious lol).
Humbly and desperately asking for any better recommendations by Allende than this one. I know Allende is a skillful writer in her own right, but something happened with this book that I’m hoping an older work might redeem.
Moderate: Drug abuse, War, Addiction, and Domestic abuse
emolr's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Genocide, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Classism, Death of parent, War, Dementia, and Domestic abuse
l0v3lu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual assault and Violence
chb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, War, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization
kwahl's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Dementia, War, Domestic abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
indigopuzzle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, and War
leahkarge's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abortion, Death, Terminal illness, Vomit, Body shaming, Classism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Bullying, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Self harm, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Addiction, Gaslighting, Genocide, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicide