jeannamarie's review against another edition
4.0
I randomly checked this out from the library and wow.
Pachinko meets War & Peace.
The richness of the time period and the generational storylines make this book vast and immersive. While I think the previously mentioned books hold their own revenant weight and highlight their own cultures, this book covers another area of the world. I really enjoyed this book and had no expectations going into the story.
Great read.
Pachinko meets War & Peace.
The richness of the time period and the generational storylines make this book vast and immersive. While I think the previously mentioned books hold their own revenant weight and highlight their own cultures, this book covers another area of the world. I really enjoyed this book and had no expectations going into the story.
Great read.
kbratten's review against another edition
3.0
This feels like three separate novels: one, a personal refugee story with a focus on people, two, a summary of characters with the focus on political upheaval, and three, a tying up of loose ends. All three have Allende's beautiful language, only the first was satisfying to me. There were parts of the second and third that drew me in, but somehow they felt unimportant or distant.
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
4.0
This book was great at teaching me about a few pieces of history that I knew nothing about (Spanish Civil War and decades of political unrest in Chile). I always appreciate a well written historical fiction piece that introduces me to threads of history I would otherwise have never followed. I also absolutely loved the love story and I very rarely say that about any books. Completely charming and believable.
captaincocanutty's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable read about refugees from the Spanish Civil War who resettle in Chile and the challenges that they face.
I was invested in the characters and their situation until not long after their arrival in Chile. After that it felt like there were no stakes or tension, and the characters felt very distant and difficult to relate to.
There were interesting overarching themes to think about after the book was over, but the book did not really stick with me much past that.
I was invested in the characters and their situation until not long after their arrival in Chile. After that it felt like there were no stakes or tension, and the characters felt very distant and difficult to relate to.
There were interesting overarching themes to think about after the book was over, but the book did not really stick with me much past that.
atomic_tourist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
A nice read. I appreciated that Allende balanced sentimentality and depth. Her characters were all strong personalities but she resisted turning them into complete stereotypes. It's impossible for me not to compare Long Petal to Min Jin Lee's magnificent Pachinko, and where I think Petal fell short is that it doesn't spend enough time with its characters. Multi-generational sagas are meant to be lengthy works. When they're on the shorter side, like this novel, it means that we readers don't get to know all of the characters very well. I felt that Allende didn't fully flesh out Carme and Marcel, who represented the older and younger generations in the story, and their perspective was lacking.
Also, in a roundabout way, Allende's insertion of her relative (father's cousin), the Chilean politician Salvador Allende, as Victor's close friend, reminded me of Louise Erdrich's fantastic covid novel, The Sentence, where Erdrich inserts herself as the main character's boss. There's something salacious about a self-insertion into a work of fiction. It feels very intimate.
Also, in a roundabout way, Allende's insertion of her relative (father's cousin), the Chilean politician Salvador Allende, as Victor's close friend, reminded me of Louise Erdrich's fantastic covid novel, The Sentence, where Erdrich inserts herself as the main character's boss. There's something salacious about a self-insertion into a work of fiction. It feels very intimate.
toricameron0's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
susan_e's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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? No
4.75
lely12's review against another edition
4.0
Justo lo que necesitaba leer. Hace tiempo no leia algo de Isabel Allende que me recordara a sus primeros libros.
Se nota que mucho de los relatos tienen que ver con su propia historia, con lo que le pasó a sus seres queridos.
Se nota que mucho de los relatos tienen que ver con su propia historia, con lo que le pasó a sus seres queridos.
lottesofie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.0