![]() ![]() “Isabel Allende’s extraordinary first novel, The House of the Spirits, mixes fiction, journalism, and a sense of magic in an epic that qualifies her as one of Latin America’s most inspired writers…The richness and texture alone of Allende’s book put it with the best of the sweeping family chronicles.” She is, above all, another remarkable storyteller from a continent blessed with many such enchanters…Allende has an affection for her characters quite beyond politics, and an estimable ability to bring them to life.” “ can create diverse characters of depth, nudge the plot with ease, and shift ably from the domestic sphere to the political. “Allende is a talented writer who deftly uses the techniques of magical realism but also shows great sensitivity in the delineation of character.” “Her novel is possessed by an immense energy, a fecund imagination and…an elegant way with the language.” “Compelling…A splendid and fantastic meditation on a people and a nation.” “Magnificent…Imaginative and compelling…A truly enchanting world where hope is never lost.” Altogether, this is the most sophisticated first novel, rich in language, that I have read for a very long time.” Allende in a stream-of-consciousness, but in fact this is a strongly constructed book. “There are so many stories packed into this novel that it would be tempting to think that they sprawled from the pen of Ms. Allende’s native Chile, but might just as well be a mythic nation levitating somewhere over the Andes…By turns hilarious, fantastical, portentous and grotesque, the story follows the Trueba family from the turn of the century to the present.” “In an exquisite union of structure, plot, and metaphor, Isabel Allende has written-and Magda Bogin has brilliantly translated-a saga in which unforgettably eccentric characters live a fairy-tale existence in a tragic South American country that could well be Ms. “The only cause The House of the Spirits embraces is that of humanity, and it does so with such passion, humor, and wisdom that in the end it transcends politics…The result is a novel of force and charm, spaciousness and vigor.” “Moving and powerful…Her novel captivates and holds the reader throughout… The House of the Spirits is full of marvelous and unforgettable women who add a special dimension to the book.” She has done so with enormous imagination, sensitivity, and compassion.” “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. ![]() “An alluring, sometimes magical tale…In its tumultuous story of rebellion and love among three generations, it is an allegory in which any family should be able to recognize a bit of itself.” Her characters are fascinatingly detailed and human.” “Allende’s writing is so inventive, funny, and persuasive that in the process of creating a stimulating political novel she has also created a vivid, absorbing work of art. That experience is available in The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende…Although remote from our country and our time, the characters, their joys and their anguish, could not be more contemporary or immediate.” “There are few trips more thrilling than those taken in the imagination of a brilliant novelist. “A strong, absorbing Chilean family chronicle, plushly upholstered-with mystical undercurrents…There’s a comfortable, appealing professionalism to Allende’s narration, slowly turning the years through the Truebas’ passions and secrets and fidelities…The characteres are clear and sharp…A fine array of exotic, historical settings…Uncommonly satisfying.” Allende has her own distinctive voice, however…it has a whimsical charm, besides being clearer, more accessible, and more explicit about the contemporary situation in South America…Richly and meticulously detailed.” It is both an engrossing narrative and an impassioned testimony to the people of Chile…Because of its supple integration of the supernatural with the real, the book will be compared with Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. “A runaway bestseller in Europe, this accomplished first novel is a richly symbolic family saga by the niece of Salvador Allende. Alexander Coleman, The New York Times Book Review It is also a moving and compelling first novel, translated with grace and accuracy by Magda Bogin.” “Spectacular…An absorbing and distinguished work…A novel of peace and reconciliation… The House of the Spirits with its all-informing, generous, and humane sensibility, is a unique achievement, both personal witness and possible allegory of the past, present, and future of Latin America. Int'l Women's Conference - México, 2013.Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Ceremony, 2017. ![]()
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