The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The House of the Spirits
Book Review: An Enthralling Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Once in a while, I come across something that makes me think about life in its entirety. Rarely have I come across a novel that truly portrays humanity, and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende is one of these novels. Although I have read this work in translation and may not have had the benefit of getting to know the Chilean culture beforehand (it is set in Chile, albeit an unnamed country in the novel itself), it is nevertheless an enthralling work. The novel depicts Chile and its rough and turbulent political atmosphere in the background while drawing the reader in irrevocably into the lives of the Trueba family in the foreground. The reader is intimated with every fiber of their lives. We follow the family, both matriarch and patriarch, from their childhood to their old age and eventual death. The reader sees Esteban Trueba, the violent, sharp-tongued patriarch - really a caring yet reserved man - and Clara, a detached, spiritual woman who seems fragile and yet keeps the house together in a way. The reader witnesses the tragedies, the successes, and basically accomplishments and flaws of many generations. Tragedy, love, hubris, and sacrifice are all major forces at work in this masterpiece. What really captured my heart was the way this novel is not just about the Trueba but also, in a way, about us and the world today. The reader becomes part of their family and feels what the Truebas feel. Towards the end of the novel, Alba, the beloved granddaughter of Esteban Trueba, reminisces about her life and the lives of her family. It was a truly heart-wrenching piece of writing when Alba told the reader how she no longer cared about her rivalries and how everything is how it is meant to be. At this point, anyone with half a heart would be forced to think about life, what the world is, and what we make of our own lives. The House of the Spirits is not a novel I will soon forget, and the reader who picks it up will never want to put it down, such is the enchanting and beguiling yet perfectly human and touching epic of the Trueba family.Book Review: Clever
Summary: 1 Stars
When I say "clever", I mean that this book was very clever in the way that it hid the fact that it had no plot and a horribly biased author so well that I didn't even start hating it until about two thirds of the way through.
Am I the only person in the whole world who hates extremely biased writing? Just the fact that the author holds socialism and feminism in such high regards throughout the entire book that she portrays all socialists and women as good-hearted, selfless or otherwise independant people, and all capitalists as raping, heartless baftards (yes, I said baftards) is enough to turn me off. I mean, while it is true that the characters were relatively well-developed and I could pick out a motive behind every single rape, abuse, or discrimination that went on, the fact that the capitalists are the only ones doing the raping or abusing every single time is NOT a coincidence.
So basically, once the novelty of having scenes of rape, abuse, torture, abortions and sex described to me in loving detail wore off, all I had left to concentrate on was the plot. And there wasn't one. This book was 400 pages of aimless rambling through several generations of a family. And then about fifty pages from the end it the pacing and mood changes entirely. All in all, it doesn't make for a very good novel. As a story it wasn't very continuous and none of the characters stayed in the limelight for very long except Esteban Trueba, who I didn't have very much sympathy for.
All in all, the book could have been better. If Allende had been a little more objective I could have enjoyed it. But I found that her message is a little too obvious and a little too one-minded for me to enjoy the book very much.
Book Review: Author of YA Biography "Isabel Allende: Award-Winning Latin American Author"
Summary: 5 Stars
Isabel Allende claimed the spirits of her grandparents guided her as she wrote The House of the Spirits, her first novel. This amazing story has it all: passion, fury, sensuality, magic, mystery, brutality, humor, psychic events and all the drama to keep a reader turning pages deep into the night. And the wonderful thing about Isabel is that her life has been as dramatic and exciting as her novels. She is a gifted author and fascinating person.Book Review: House of Spirits
Summary: 5 Stars
Allende is an intriquing storyteller and this is my favorite book written by her. I found myself drifting through her story wondering what was reality and what was fiction. I'm far from being a young adult, but another book I enjoyed by her is Zorro.Book Review: Don't let it sit on your shelf for 20 years!
Summary: 4 Stars
Yes, this novel has been on my personal bookshelf for approximately 20 years. My Mom had read it years ago and raved about it and, through the years, I'd heard so many good things about it. It did not disappoint. It is a wonderful story of a family and a country. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars may be my problem. I found the last part, about the political intrigue, confusing. I couldn't tell the good guys from the bad guys--they all seemed bad to me. I loved the descriptions of the del Valle and Trueba families as well as the peasants they came in contact with. Although Esteban Trueba was easy to dislike there was still something about him I liked. Even though in many cases he was ruthless I still liked reading about him. I love family sagas and this one was rich in story and characterization. This genre has been called "magic realism" and that is a good description. There is just enough magic and things that go bump in the night to keep it interesting and believeable. This is just a wonderful, wonderful read.