House of the Spirits started my love affair with Isabel Allende's writing twenty years ago. I remember how the first line "Barrabas came to us from the sea" left me captivated and eager to read on. In college, I was fortunate that La Casa de los Espiritus was required reading for one of my classes, so I read the prose a second time in Spanish. Allende's writing is exceptional in both languages. Recently, I completed Allende's memoir The Sum of Our Days. She reveals that Clara represents her own

Gabriel Garcia Marquez comparisons aside, it's hard to review this book without references to the magical realism and the narrative styles of Latin America. I truly believe that anyone not familiar with the above mentioned, would likely be a bit thrown, even put off by these influences. Still, this is a brilliantly written story, epic in its truest sense. Covering four generations of women (with a man as the common thread between them), it races through the simplicity of the old world into the c...

"If this world is going to be a better place for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, it will be women who make it so." —Isabel Allende.Phewee!The House of the Spirits is a tumultuous epic which chronicles four generations of two extraordinary families.The eponymous house is large: it boasts three courtyards and a Chiléan version of the Addams Family.Imagine too, if you will, Barrabás, the somewhat unnatural domesticated dog/horse, who was ill-advisedly fed olive oil until he covered th

When I was a kid, me and my brother used to spend most weekends at our grandparents house. And most of those weekends we would watch one of the same two movies on the good ol' VCR: Steel Magnolias and The House of the Spirits. No one seems to know the latter movie when I mention it, but it starred a bunch of impressive names: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Antonio Banderas and Winona Ryder. My memory might be painting a better picture than the truth, but me and my brother LOVED the mov...

(Book 276 from 1001 books) - La Casa De Los Espíritus = The House of The Spirits, Isabel AllendeThe House of the Spirits, is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best seller, was critically acclaimed, and catapulted Allende to literary stardom. The novel was named Best Novel of the Year in Chile in 1982, and Allende received the country's Panorama Literario award. The

2.5 stars, actually. (Still waiting for Goodreads to give me that half-star option.) Let's be honest, Isabel Allende is chick lit that you're not embarrassed to read on the Metro. It's got just enough faux-Garcia-Marquez, magical-realism-lite charm to fool people into thinking it's moderately intellectual. I don't have a big problem with that (as long as people realize what's going on) because Allende is a fine storyteller. This novel, her first and most famous, is a fairly traditional family sa...

4.5/5Esteban, Trueba,how does your childhood grow?With fear and guilt and such hard workand a love that leaves you low.In thoughts of grief and thoughts of rage,and a slump of of broken land,you will rape your heart out, Esteban,set life to your demand.Clara, Clara, clairvoyant,how does your marriage keep?With magic silent and so near,to where your children sleep.When tragedy has struck your home,and the bull is in the shop,reality will find you there,your disengagement stop.Humans, humans, high...

I have never in my life read a book where SO MUCH HAPPENS. AY. Generation after generation of DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, AMIRITE? I seriously don't know how to rate this book. Personally it wasn't a favourite, I found myself overwhelmed and bombarded with so much tragedy and injustice and found no love in any of the characters, but I really appreciated so much of what happened and really enjoyed learning more about magical realism.Here's my video review of this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awofw...

I did not finish this book. I didn't think it was one of the worst books for me but it was simply not destined to entertain me. There was some potential in it. But it was disjointed. I tried further than I should've, because it's a rec, and I've already got 3 likes from it, but when a book is spurned in favor of David Copperfield, that tells the whole story. Another thing that made me try harder than usual is the cover. It's so wonderful. But the book, not for me.

Why I chose to read this book:1. I love Isabel Allende's writing style; and,2. since February is my self-appointed "Classics Month", Allende's debut novel must be included!How does one write a review for an epic book such as this that others haven't already said? I will try by sharing my humble personal thoughts.Positives:1. Allende's unique gift of telling the saga of one Chilean family, combining magical realism with authenticity, is incredibly awe-inspiring in its look into humanity. For the

"In almost every family there’s a fool or a crazy person." —Isabel AllendeThe House of the Spirits is set in the capital of an unnamed Latin American country during the twentieth century, and that is where I first met the del Valles. Patriarch, Severo del Valle, has lofty political aspirations, but his magical, out-of-control family doesn’t quite conform to his ideals, leading to conflicts that are both laughable and tragic. Unworldly Rosa del Valle, the oldest daughter, is graced with a spl

Wow! If you look up 'epic family dramas, sweeping sagas' you are sure to find the The House of the Spirits at the top of the list. It's hard to capture what this book covers as it covers so much. The story of the three generations of the Trueba family. How their lives have changed over many, many years. Their loves, grief, joy, family, politics, greed, desires, and more. I felt that there was so much heartbreak and tragedy in this story. But I kept thinking about this one....even when I was not

This took me some time to read as I wanted to savour it for as long as possible and not have it end. This is my first Allende novel which depicts an epic story of a Latin American family that spans 3 generations. Weaved throughout are hints of mysticism, history, political unrest, cultural richness along with vivid descriptions of a cast of characters in which some evoke ethereal auras and others violent furies.Allende’s masterful style of writing is lavish with foreshadowing and thematic contra...

Our souls has no place in this world even if we lived in a one thousands room House We continue to run madly behind freedom and love,money and beauty; justice and power; master ship and independenceFor 75 years, and three families Allende have taken us to run behind the mirage and fall under the disappointments of an old house.that opened for her the door of literature kingdom We struggle and suffer isolation and cruelty and alienation must defeat us There are many kinds of life that makes you r...

Passions, Politics, Psychics in Three Generations of Chilean FamilyIsabel Allende's stunning saga, The House of the Spirits, spans three generations of the Chilean Trueba family ending a few years after the Sept. 11, 1973 government overthrow led by General Pinochet, the awful right-wing dictator who, with the U.S. govt's support, seized the chance opened upon fears that Marxists would take over Chile.Ms. Allende', who to my mind should soon be Chile's 3d Nobel Laureate in Literature, wrote the

Isabelle Allende's first novel was a bildungsroman covering four generations of a family with lightly veiled allusions to actual people in Allende's family and circle of acquaintances and enemies. A true chef d'oeuvre, it is a book written with the courage of the niece of the assassinated Salvador Allende and yet does not come off a just a bitter vengeful book but rather is a fictionalised history of Chile also incorporating the magical realism of Marquez with her own unique female perspective.

A novel both historical and fantastic, I admit that it left me perplexed and that I started reading this intrigued, not sure of liking. Well, I won over! This mix of genres coupled with Isabel Allende's talents as a storyteller takes us to a South American country (Chile is never named) from the beginning of the 20th century to the dictatorship. Many subjects discussed, the characters are very complex; the magic is present without heaviness. An interesting and pleasant reading!