- Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Bantam USA; Reissue edition (1 July 1986)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0553273914
- ISBN-13: 978-0553273915
- Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 2.4 x 17.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 493,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Spectacular."--"The New York Times Book Review
"
"Nothing short of astonishing . . . In "The House of the Spirits" Isabel Allende has indeed shown us the relationships between past and present, family and nation, city and country, spiritual and political values. She has done so with enormous imagination, sensitivity, and compassion."--"San Francisco Chronicle"
"A vivid, absorbing work of art . . . [Allende's] characters are fascinatingly detailed and human.""--People"
"Extraordinary . . . powerful . . . sharply observant, witty and eloquent."--"The New York Times"
"Mesmerizing . . . a novel of force and charm.""--The Washington Post"
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Allende's magical realist epic is an international classic - 'thick with plot and bristling with characters. A novel to be read for its brilliant craftsmanship and its narrative of inescapable power'El Pais
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book took me by surprise from beginning to end. It's magical and realistic at the same time. Every page had something to say and the way you move with the story is amazing. It's a must read for all!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
319 reviews
127 of 133 people found the following review helpful
POLITICAL, HISTORIC, ROMANTIC BLEND THAT READS EASILY
3 May 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The House of Spirits is probably Allende's most famous and important book. In it, she chronicles the life of a family, as the patriarch grows from a child to an elder, with the world changing all around him while he tries to keep it the same. Through the lenses of the Trueba family, we follow the portion of Chilean history that eventually leads to the 1973 coup. Of course, the author is niece of Salvador Allende, the socialist president democratically elected that was removed from power and killed by Pinochet.
The book is based on clashes; old versus young, communists vs conservatives, landlords vs tenants. As the story unfolds, we view the extremist positions that each side takes: landlords attacking tenants, conservatives attacking communists, and vice versa. From the polarization of positions emerges a military dictatorship that no one wanted, but that was a product of the system setup by polarization.
In the end, the distinctions that originally separated young from old, conservatives from communists, are removed, as both sides realize the futility of their disputes in the face on an authoritarian regime.
63 of 64 people found the following review helpful
The Adventure of a Lifetime
18 Oct 1999
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I watched a young student the other day on the subway reading the House of the Spirits. He slowly rose from his seat when he reached his destination and almost walked into the subway doors as they were closing. I then followed him as he walked down the platfom bumping into people all the way. He could not take his eyes from the pages, even as he walked. I was excited for him because I knew he was in for the ride of his life but I was also jealous because he was experiencing for the first time one of the most dynamic and complex books I have ever read. The incredible Ms. Allende created some of the most remarklable relationships between people in any book; husband and wife, brother and sister, mentor and student -- but the most beautiful and complete relationships are among the phenomenal women in this breathtaking novel. As soon as I finished the novel, I gave a copy to everyone I know who cares about literature. I then read everything that Allende has put between two covers and called a book. I have never been disappointed.
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Now I understand
21 Feb 2002
Format:Mass Market Paperback
"The House of the Spirits" gives the reader an extraordinary view of 20th century Chilean history. Through the Trueba family and the myriad characters that drift in and out of their lives, we see so many of the elements of the political and class struggle that continues until this day. Beginning with the landowner vs. tenant worker conflict and culminating with the left-wing vs. right-wing political/social conflict, we are given a glimpse into the inner workings of a country in turmoil. We see the horror of the Conservatives when a Marxist government is democratically elected, and their terror when the coup they so finely crafted becomes a dictatorship as terrible as they expected the Communists to be. Neither the left nor the right were winners--only the military.
I lived for several years in Chile during the 1990's. Even though Chile is emerging as a stable, fairly democratic economy, the political struggle remains. I could never grasp the true essence of my Chilean friends' passionate hatred for or passionate support of the Pinochet regime until I read this book. I always marveled that there was no middle ground. Now I understand why.
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