Reviews

Violeta by Isabel Allende

nermrlib's review against another edition

5.0

Isabel Allende has done it again! She is a masterful writer at the top of her craft. The entire book is a letter Violeta writes to her grandson explaining her life story, the choices she made, and how she got to where she is. She explains that she was born in a pandemic and will die during another pandemic. She doesn't look at her life through that lens, however. She is honest about her life, how she lived it, and how those around her lived theirs. As with other Allende titles I've read, I could not put this one down. Highly recommended.

clay1914's review against another edition

3.0

Fascinating life, but I didn’t love the whole book written as a letter.

faroreness's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-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

4.5

l_vivienn's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jknoxwhite's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? Yes

3.5

Nicely written but a little pat and on-the-surface in it's execution. Would be interested in reading something else by the Allende, to see more of what she offers.

shanimal_d's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.75

leacharlotte's review against another edition

5.0

Such a good book. 10/10 would recommend

sheherselfishaunted's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

jwinn's review against another edition

reflective medium-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

This was a wonderful book to read and listen to. Like listening to your grandmother tell her life story…

schnauzermum's review against another edition

3.0

Covering 100 years in just over 300 pages is a difficult job and the result is a breathless canter through the history of a South American country that may - or may not - be Chile. There is no space in which to develop the characters and so they all seem rather two-dimensional. While Allende is good on age, I was disappointed with the book as I’d loved reading The House of the Spirits earlier this year.