The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (1993, Paperback, Reissue)

This book is a summer reading recommendation for my high school freshman child. Being a responsible parent, I decided to read it first. I had never heard of Isabel Allende or any of her writings. I am extremely glad I used my instinct with this one. This is most definitely not a book I will let my teenager read.

Unlike my fellow reviewers, I found this novel full of unnecessary violence especially violence against women. In fact, if I didn't know the writer was a woman, I would say this was written by a socially inept male.

From the beginning of the story, the lead male character has issues with keeping his pants zipped. He goes throughout the countryside and rapes every female age 13 and up. He fathers illegitimate children by the score and refuses to acknowledge or support any of them. He refers to women as "mares to be ridden" and prostitutes (he calls them whores) as necessary when he is living alone. As if sex is a requirement in order to continue living. He beats his wife, he cuts off his future son-in-law's fingers, and supports a whore house madam in a new business venture.

Through the whole book, one main character out of approximately 10, is a virgin when she marries. Another woman, feeling homosexual tendencies, sneaks into her sister-in-law's bed. If this is typical behavior of Chilean people, count me out as a visitor. The magical and mystical part of this book doesn't disturb me near as much as the violent nature of the writing.

Did I like anything about the book? I rather enjoyed the parts with the magical aspects. Do I think it's a real phenomenon? I'm not sure yet. But, I don't want to read violence of this magnitude. The social interaction and the political aspect with the conflict between communist, socialist and elitist thinking is exceptional. If only the story could have been told with more compassion toward the female gender. I watch the news. I already know these kinds of things are real. Do I have to read violence, too?

I needed this book for my English 201 class and I'm very pleased with it. It arrived in good shape. The margins are tiny so there's no room to take notes while you're writing, but the story is intriguing and I recommend it to recreational readers.

In the House of the Spirits,Isabel Allende has crafted a book that explores different aspects of human and societal nature.Focusing on the Trueba family,Allende touches on politics and womanhood and ingeniously embeds heavy bias all throughout the book as seen in the story's culmination.The the story is very intricate in that there are many different plots and characters to remember,but all of them more or less tie in with one another.However,I believe that is how Allende is able to maintain the readers interest in the story.In addition to the mentioned themes of politics and womanhood,Allende added thea aspect of magic and mystere,as seen through Claire the Clairvoyant.All these elements of the book make for a read that is unique and memorable.

Once again, I had a positive experience purchasing the above-referenced book from Ebay. I have grown to trust the company and its practices. Therefore, I continue to purchase items from the company. I am a very satisfied customer.

If you're looking for a book that exemplifies all the qualities of Magical Realism, The House of the Spirits, is it. The 2 generations of women at the heart of this novel, exist in a world where spirits seem real and real characters seem otherworldly. Allende takes her family from life in the country to the end, in the world of city life; and the the story unfolds in a beautiful almost poetic rapid pace. Here strong fascinating characters interaction seems almost preordained. Wow! What a book! Strongly recommended!

This book will either strongly appeal to you or leave you profoundly shocked and disturbed. Either way it is a must read for anybody.

The novel is written in three different narratives, told primarily in a documentary fashion, giving it the feel of an epic. The story follows three generations of women in the Trueba family, whose patriarch is the selfish, dictatorial, but ultimately understandable Esteban Trueba.

By naming the female characters of the story specifically to symbolize purity ("Blanca" means "white" in Spanish, while "Clara," "Nivea," and "Alba" embody clarity, snow, and dawn respectively), Allende deliberately explores feminism, setting her story in a society which thrives on conservative, chauvinistic ideals.

Thanks so much, we needed this quickly. It came within 2 days. A++++++++++++++++. The teacher had told us that this was available anywhere, we could not find it in any of the bookstores around

I have not read the book yet the reason i bought the book is because i need it for one of my english classes

The House of the Spirits is to be savored like a gourmet meal...it is at once poetic, musical, shocking and funny, and we are truly blessed to be able to experience the work of a writer as gifted and subtle as Isabel Allende. The journey of a well-to-do Chilean family over three generations, culminating in the time of the coup against Salvador Allende is fascinating, educational, and entertaining. The reader is immediately pulled into the lives, personalities and individual fates of the family with the first six words of the novel, "Barrabas came to us by sea..." This is a wonderful book, and a literary experience not to be missed. Pass it up, and it will be your loss, and a shame.

Love it. Excellent reading. The characters and their roles are very real. Isabel Allende is great story teller.

This novel follows three generations of an aristocratic family in Chile (the Trueba family)and effortlessly involves the reader in the history of this country prior to the election of President Allende in 1970 and the subsequent military take-over of Pinochet's fascist government (which was supported initially by the U.S.) But this is no dry history book! The characters are vibrantly drawn, and the passionate, fast-paced plot makes this a real page turner. But I couldn't believe how interested I became in the history Chile because of this story. I kept researching Chile's history after I read the book. Some Americans may find the "magical realism" of the book different or confusing at first (for instance, one character is described sort of like a mermaid with green hair and yellow eyes), but this sort of symbolism is common in much Latin American literature, and I find it adds to the ambiance of the story. I think this book might have been the great American novel, if it had been written in English and if it had been about the United States. I read it for a book club, and I am so glad I did!