The House of the Spirits: Isabel Allende (VINTAGE CLASSICS) Paperback – 7 July 2011

super book - interesting - fascinating - well written as are all of Isabelle Allende's books.

'The House of the Spirits' was a book that I had introduced to me through an English literature class. A blessing with a work as multi-layered as 'The House of the Spirits', where dissecting it truly helped to grapple with the purpose and principles behind Allende's writing. Stylistically, the book is a fantastic reflection of Allende's magical realism - taking reality and twisting it into something where the mystical and unnatural are intertwined with the everyday. A family saga of Soprano-like proportions (with similar levels of betrayal and violence), 'The House of the Spirits' is one that you will find yourself coming back to time and again.'The House of the Spirits' (set in an unnamed country - but well recognised to be Chile) follows three generations of the Trueba family, opening with the story of the del Valles and their young daughters, Rosa and Clara. Clara is set-apart from the outset through her talent for clairvoyance and her prediction of the death of her sister (also fiancee of the central male character, Esteban Trueba), Rosa. It is after the subsequent marriage of Esteban and Clara that the novel truly gains momentum, following the couple as they move to the remote hacienda, Tres Marias. At Tres Marias, in his capacity as the hacienda's patron, Esteban's brutality and cruelty are brought into sharp focus. The novel introduces a number of parallel story lines, diverging most notably after the birth of Esteban and Clara's three children - their daughter Blanca and twin sons Jaime and Nicolas. Blanca's affair with the lower-class folk musician Pedro Tercero Garcia, which leads Esteban to a violent confrontation with the boy, results in a break-down of relations between Esteban and Clara (in fact, she never speaks to him again) and the introduction of our third Trueba generation - Blanca's daughter, Alba. Forming what is essentially the novel's second part, the family relocate to the city and move into the Trueba's 'House on the Corner'. The saga continues with Esteban's decision to become involved in conservative politics and Alba's simultaneous love affair with the revolutionary Miguel. Bringing the novel to its climax, the country undergoes a military coup, in which the trials, tragedies, and tribulations that have haunted the Trueba family through its three generations are brought to a head. We find Esteban forced to confront the violence of his past, question the principles of class superiority and self-interest that have motivated his actions, and realise that there is no escaping the demons that you create.'The House of the Spirits' is a story of true complexity. It is a family saga of epic proportions, detailing not only the lives of the three Trueba generations, but doing so in a manner that explores themes of class-conflict and the cycle of violence. It provides a social narrative from personal perspective. Allende's skill undoubtedly lies in her ability to detail historical reality in a manner that makes the reader invested in its outcome. While the anonymity that Allende applies to the places and key historical figures means that you could read this novel without appreciating the historical nature of the book, missing this theme would be to miss Allende's motivation. As the granddaughter of Salvador Allende (the socialist president of Chile deposed by the military coup depicted in the plot), Isabel Allende has written 'The House of the Spirits' as a fundamentally political novel. But it is not political in the sense of affiliation, promoting a choice between socialism and liberalism. Rather, the political point is one of sympathy and solidarity. It is a point about what social conflict can do to a country - where a break-down of understanding between people can lead to a situation in which common humanity is forgotten.If you choose to pick up this book, you will be faced with a story of terror and fear, redemption and reconciliation. You will feel, after finishing the final pages, that you know the Trueba family as well as any other. Because they, like your own family, will make you laugh, think, despair, and grieve. This is a book that I have re-read on numerous occasions, and I find myself constantly surprised by the strength of my reaction to it. Whoever you are and whatever your situation in life when you read this book, I can promise you that it is one you will remember.

Great book! Lovely written, interesting. Publishing not good at all. Not enough space between lines makes it difficult to read, and there is no content page! So you cannot look at it and find the chapter you want!

I purchased The house of the spirits after listening to an interview with the author Isabel Allende, her personal story and the way she talked about how she came to write The house of the spirits really touched me. I have just finished reading it and was not disappointed. Beautifully written (I wish I could have read it in Spanish), raw, intense and sometimes violent but also, funny, emotional and magical. Amazing read. Thank you.

The house of Spirits by Isabel Allende, is a sweeping and epic story which chronicles the lives, fortunes, torment and rise and fall of three generations of the Trueba-del Valle family, in Latin America.The early part of the book focuses on Rosa the beautiful and Clara the clairvoyant and their lives in a simple but stable home. In parallel, the story of Esteban Trueba begins, the central male character, whose brutality and cruelty are brought into sharp focus through his treatment of his land tenants. Esteban is a man who lacks principles has conquered a lot of women and fathered several children through force but sets himself up as the perfect landlord who has rebuilt the local community and provided stability for its people.After predicting the death of her sister Rosa, Clare remains silent for 9 years, only speaking again to announce her marriage to Esteban Trueba. Despite giving birth to a daughter Blanca and twin sons Jaime and Nicolas, Clara too suffers at the hands of this fierce and brutish man. However, it is only after a violent confrontation with Blanca’s lover, Pedro Tercero, that the relationship with Esteban breaks down and Clare leaves vowing to not speak with him again. Whilst they are together the relationship never recovers.The family relocate to the city and move into the Trueba's 'House on the Corner' but the conflict within the family continues with Esteban's arrogance taking him into conservative politics and Alba following the path of the revolutionaries and Miguel, the leader. The story of this family echoes the change in ideologies and turbulence that shaped Latin America, but tragedy is never far away and this is where the story comes to a climax and ends. “…The sins of the father are passed to the children” an underlying theme that plays brilliantly in this book.There is an array of powerful characters, multiple plots and stories, a mix of tragedy, love, conflict, and survival that grabs at the readers heart and is written by a superb author making this a true 20th Century classic for me. Everyone should read a book like this.

This edition was bought by a few of us for a book club. We all agreed that the font was horrible to read.Overall, I thought the story was alright, albeit far too long. If you are going to buy this book, I recommend a different print.

This is my first book I have read which is written by Isobel Allende, and it didnt disappoint! I was rivetted throughout the book, with the vivid images , so descriptively and cleverly written by the author. Anyone with an interest in South America should read this book. The horror,in some parts, and the love, the sense of the unknown which freaked me out, along with the emotive psychic images which raise goosebumps., make for a marvellous all round read. You will laugh and cry with this book. I loved it and I dont normally read non fiction, but this seemed very real, Im sure the author must be speaking from at least some personal experience. An excellent book!!!

Been trying to get an English print of this book for ages. Very pleased to have received it promptly