Couldn't get into this one. ( )

This book, Allende’s first novel, follows the fictional Trueba family through four generations. Astute readers who know something of Chilean history will no doubt recognize that the family history echoes the 20th-century history of Chile, which Allende’s own family was part of. Her father’s cousin was Salvador Allende, the president of Chile who was overthrown by a coup d’état in 1973. In her novel about this period, Isabel Allende fictionalizes these events, using different names, which allows her to take some liberties with the story. A smart move, I think. Historical fiction writers who want to use real history as a jumping-off point without hewing to the known facts would do well to follow her example.

Allende’s fictional story tale is infused with magic, as the women of the family have visions and call on spirits. Although the spiritual is ever present, it is the political that drives much of the narrative. Characters are bound by class and conviction to behave in certain ways. There are no huge surprises in the plot; it follows the pattern of history.

Allende writes in long paragraphs of gorgeous prose that reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s lush writing style, but it lacks some of the humor that I enjoyed so much in Márquez's Love in the Time of Cholera. Also, the story jumps from third person to first person, with the sometimes despicable patriarch Esteban Trueba acting as the first-person narrator. There’s a reason for this technique that is explained in the last chapter, but it was jarring, and I’m not convinced that it worked—especially without the information in the final chapter. This might be a case where a minor spoiler early on would make for a better reading experience.

Another barrier, common to many multigenerational narratives, is the fact that not every generation is equally interesting. Personally, I found each generation more interesting than the last, and my favorite parts were toward the end of the book, but that won’t be the case with every reader.

I had mixed feelings about the characters. Some felt like representations of particular types—the fiery woman, the passionate rebel, the vengeful sadist, and so on. But Allende does make a point of exploring why they are as they are, and in a story about the reoccurring patterns of history, the presence of archetypal characters might not be a bad thing.

See my complete review at my blog. ( )

A look into the life of a family in Chile. The story covers several generations of the Treuba family, through the highs and lows of finances, political struggle, and revolution. A hint of mysticism runs in the family in the form of speaking with spirits and glimpses of the future.

We see the coutry's stuggling political changes through the eyes of Esteban Trueba and the journals of his wife Clara, who took detailed journals of her life. We see the familly struggles as the times change and traditions are rewrittin in the eyes of the younger generation. There is discord and arguments and emotional undonditional forgiveness, there is love at first sight and grudge held through many years that see shocking conclusions.

The story of the Trueba family kept me captivated throughout the entire read. I will putting this book on my list of ones to read again in the future. ( )

3 generations of women are the leads in this story. At first I wondered what the point of this book was. Where was the author going with her magical realism ramblings and in-depth character development? Allende has a real way with creating characters. This book is amazing. It's deep on so many levels -- the 3 women and their relationships with the men in their life, their levels of independence, battles for equality, and civil war in their country. I first read it when I was 14 but had to do so once again. ( )

Another Allende classic with tales of family feuds set in a historic past fueling passion and drama. ( )

Sprookjesachtig met een bitter smaakje ( )

Money, hate, revenge, political change, rape, love , jealousy. "Pretend you care for me"The plantation owner and the peasants who wanted to organize.

Just not my cup of tea.I actually won a book way back, and out of the poor choices I chose this one. I figured I'd read it- it sounded amazing! And [author: Isabel Allende] had such good reviews all the time, so why not?Great mistake. I found her writing to be tedious to my personality. I couldn't get past the first pages as it failed miserably to catch my interest and was clearly not the type of literature I enjoy. I guess I'll stick to the genres I know I enjoy from now on, because clearly my incursion in others has failed. ( )

I read this book about half way and finally gave up. I found her pace and plot to be really frustrating. She would give endless seemingly inconsequential details, and drop and pick up traits of characters (like the twin brothers) that gave them no sense or trajectory. I found myself very annoyed and have put it aside. ( )

if you like some pleassure in a little complicated way, most probably, in the reading discpline , this will be the best, second to One Hundred Years of Solitude of garcia marquez! ( )

The big problem I have with these "roman-fleuve" kinda family histories is that I get attached to a single permutation of the family and when they age and die, I have trouble feeling that the children/grand-children characters are as 3d as the ones I began with. This book has that issue, but it is otherwise consistently a joy. ( )

Another all time favorite. ( )

If word of mouth or reviews do not convince someone to read this novel, the opening sentences will. They immediately draw the reader in, and prepare them for what they are about to read:

"Barrabás came to us by sea, the child Clara wrote in her delicate calligraphy. She was already in the habit of writing down important matters, and afterward, when she was mute, she also recorded trivialities, never suspecting hat fifty years later I would use her notebooks to reclaim the past and overcome terrors of my own."

In reading this beautifully woven tale, it becomes evident why it has been consistently on the challenged/banned book list. However, I never took offense at any of the language or subject matter. Never did I sense that any of the passages in question, did not belong or fail to further the plot. It must be noted though, that there will be those who take offense as there are scenes of rape and torture. But the story takes place during a tumultuous time in South American history, thus they have their place.

This was a difficult book for me. I have not read many novels of this nature, so I found that I couldn't read it for long stretches of time. This is a genre that, for me, requires I digest its narrative slowly. So much is said, and so much is meant by every sentence, many of them long and descriptive such as:

"During the summer, she had complained about the stifling evenings, which she spent shooing flies, about the dust clouds in the courtyard, which covered the house as if they were living in a mine shaft, about the dirty water in the bathtub, where her special perfumed salts became a Chinese soup, about the flying cockroaches that got between the sheets, about the burrows of the mice and ants, about the half-drowned spiders she found kicking in the glass of water on her night table each morning, about the insolent hens who laid their eggs in her shoes and shat on the lingerie in her dresser."

Also, the story is told in three "voices" or points of view. The flow was not affected, and I never became lost, as there was always a break before a change. It was just another aspect of the book that I needed to become accustomed to as I read.

I did like the book, and if you are a fan of magical realism, family sagas that span generations, narrative that flows like a raging river at times and a quiet stream in others – then this is a novel for you.

I am giving this a 3 Star rating as it is a good read, but one I could only do in stages. Perhaps it's me, but I cannot see sitting down with this book and completely digesting it in a single afternoon. I also feel its style may be challenging to others and some of its subject matter too disturbing for sensitive readers.

Don't let the lower rating fool you. I liked it well enough that it is not the only Allende book in my library. I look forward to reading Daughter of Fortune and Portrait in Sepia, whose stories are connected to The House of the Spirits. ( )

This is a wonderful book to read of you enjoy magical realism and family history. I will miss the characters for a long time to come. This is the first book I have read by Isabel Allende but it will not be the last. ( )

My first foray into magical realism. And I loved it. Plus, I like ghosts. And Chile. I think the movie was rather dumb though. ( )

This was the first of Allende's that I had read and it took me ages to get into. However I finally devoured the last three quarters last night and this morning and overall I enjoyed the book and will look out for more books by Isabel Allende. ( )

It had it's memorable moments, which will stay with me, and I got a glimpse of life in Latin America during this sprawling time period and how calamaties such as earthquakes and government coups can destroy so much. But yet in the face of destruction, so many brave people survived and were able to claw their way back to life again when all seemed so lost.

http://ktleyed.blogspot.com/2009/01/h... ( )

I read this one long ago and have always been captivated by the deep and intertwined stories and lives of each character. The lines between what is real and what could not possibly be are blurry making for a captivating journey of imagery and family ties. My first introduction to Allende and what led me to discover Marquez and others who write magical realism. ( )

Wonderful wonderful wonderful book. All of the comparisons to Garcia Marquez are truely deserved, in regard to both structure and the quality of the writing. The story is engrossing, the characters stay with you long after the book has been finished. What adds the extra touch is the ability of Allede to write about a terrible subject so close to her and her famiy with such beauty. ( )

The House of the Spirits was a whole world wrapped into a 433 page book. It followed several generations of a very interesting family. Often, while reading, I wondered if the book was every going to actually go anywhere. When I decided (halfway through the book) to try and explain what it was about to my husband, I realized just how much had already happened.

Allende beautifully combined a solid world with a transient one of spirits and magic. Clara was, by far, my favorite character. I was a little disappointed that Esteban was the sometime-narrator. He was one of my least favorite characters - but I think that was intended. He didn't seem to be written to be likable.

The last quarter of the book seemed to not really fit, to me. It sank into politics, government, and misery. I realize these are all part of life, but it was just so concentrated that I felt I was reading a totally different book all of a sudden. The cyclical nature of the characters was evident to me even before Alba spoke of it in closing. The epilogue brought everything to a comfortable finish. I wasn't left feeling like anything was missing or neglected. I've already recommended this book to my husband and would easily recommend it to others as well.

I hated Esteban Trueba, who narrates part of this novel, and figures prominently in the rest of it. But, I liked the book. To me, this is a real accomplishment of the author.....here is an unsympathetic character/narrator, who nevertheless participates in a compelling story of 3 generations of women.

Ms. Allende has told a story of family, and at the same time, a socio-political story of Latin America, with a perfect balance between the two.

Well worth reading. ( )

The first book of Allende's that I read, and still my undoubted favourite, The House of the Spirits is an epic which spans multiple generations of the same family, living through the social and political upheavals of post-colonial Latin America, and echoing in many ways some of the events which occurred in Allende's own life. Even in translation, her prose is elastic, expressive and vibrant, and her characterisation is a marvel: revealed by her use of magical realistic techniques, but never overwhelmed by them. The image of Rosa the Beautiful with her long, green hair has stayed with me. ( )

You could smell, see, hear and taste all the descriptions that Ms. Allende uses in her story. ( )

One of the best living Chilean authors tells the story of the fall of the Salvador Allende government in 1973. ( )

I loved this rich and imaginative book. You have to read and re-read it to get the feel of the musty old farm house, the dusty fields and the levitating furniture. ( )