Reviews

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

jamy_ane's review against another edition

4.0

Very interesting history and characters. But a few too many affairs for my taste. I also feel like her style of writing works better in a blatantly magical realism book like The House of the Spirits. But this book was very sobering in that this man lived through 2 totalitarian dictatorships where thousands of people were murdered. And both dictatorships were made possible when the religious conservatives in the country were concerned that the liberals were taking over, so they decided that in order to preserve morality and the future of the country they needed to seize power from the democratically elected government. And in both cases, this created an unintended situation where an evil man was able to seize power, and then used his power to murder and silence anyone who spoke up against him or was even associated with the other side. And both regimes lasted for decades. And I found this a little upsetting because let's just say there are parallels to some things I've heard in the USA. So if you're concerned about the state of politics in your country please learn from Spain and Chile and try to find a peaceful way to change the world for the better.

jun1pper's review against another edition

4.0

I adored it, but I generally adore Allende to begin with.

gracegawecki's review against another edition

5.0

This book is soooo good. It made me cry so many times. It should 100% be a required reading in high school.

liiyko's review against another edition

5.0

There’s honestly nothing more you could want from a book. It’s all in there. Amazing.

toriicannon's review against another edition

4.0

I really don't like writing reviews; it's not my jam.

kolez's review against another edition

2.0

The start of the book is very dull and almost like reading a report on the Spanish Civil War. Too much of dumping of facts on the reader. Around halfway I could predict how certain plots would end and they proved right in the end. A bit too stereotypical of love story. I'm interested to know which parts of the novel are fictionalized because from what I've heard parts of this are true accounts. I wasn't impressed by her writing style although I did learn much about the Spanish Civil War and the Military Government in Chile from 1970s. The story could have had a bit more depth in character and emotion because the only feeling I got was what empathy I get from watching the news.
Disappointed because she's my mum's favourite writer and I guess I expected more :(

wole_talabi's review against another edition

4.0

Highly enjoyed this sweeping historical romance betwen people, nations and families touched and moulded by war and struggle.
I found the history and the references to Neruda particulatly enlightening.

judysutherland's review against another edition

4.0

It is indeed a sweeping historical saga, but somehow I felt at one remove from the characters. I’m not sure why. I did learn a lot about the Spanish Civil War, it’s impact on the people of Spain, and about Chile. It is a story of survival, of finding a way through, of loving and living in the midst of it all. Definitely worth reading.

kathyreadslots's review against another edition

4.0

I love the way she writes. This one does not disappoint.

attabeyrodz's review against another edition

4.0

Bittersweet ending but reflective of what life is like and how sometimes we are so engrained in the future thst we forget to live in the now.