The House of Spirits

Rating:
Summary: Fairly Satisfying Book
Review: The House of a Spirits was a well written book that I enjoyed. It portrays the movement of Marxism very well. The book shows how it is impossible to attain a Marxist system in such a large nation. It describes the rise of Marxism, but then shows how it fails because of the flaws in the system. For example, a criterion for Marxism is that people are not greedy and do not wish for extra profit. However, this is not true for people which causes a power struggle between various groups of the nation. It are these ideas that are well portrayed in the book. One of my criticisms is the book covers such a large time span. It also gives many instance of foreshadowing. When the book foreshadows, it makes the event that is foreshadowed seem very dramatic and exciting. However, when the event actually occurred, it became very dull. For example, the book foreshadows how Amanda was suppose to give her life for Miguel. However, she does it in a way the reader would not expect and leave him or her a little unsatisfied. Overall though, the book was excellent and should be read by all mature audiences.

Rating:
Summary: A Review (the most original of titles)
Review: House of Spirits is an odd odd novel. Yet although there are things that require a strech of the imagination, there are very real aspects in it such as the revolution and many of the conflicts that the characters experience. A reader will truly get what they want out of it: one may read it strictly superficially in order to follow the plot (which is capitivating) or they may choose to be open-minded enough to notice that it is rich with symbolic detail. I would recommend reading it if you have a lot of time to kill because it is extremely long.

Rating:
Summary: Read the book, don't watch the movie
Review: Isabel Allende has created an intriguing book tracking the rise and fall of the Trueba family. She has mixed family crisis in with political crisis that have racked the land. The strong female members in this story hold the family together while the rest of the country is being torn apart and make this book truly worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Good stuff
Review: I read the book for English class, and it's one of many in whose plot I've cared about. But the thing that sets this book apart is definitely the symbolism. It's awesome how the house of prostitution represents the society as a whole, and Esteban's attempt to deal with society is a problem that we've all had at some point (especially us males). Isabel Allende does an impressive job with this book through the magic realism of Clara and of Alba. Just when you think the book can't get any more weird, Allende manages to surprise you. Anyway, this book is great and I would recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: IT'S GOT EVERYTHING
Review: This text provides a number of angles from which to analyze, proving its worth. The Hosue of Spirits includes many enjoyable aspects. There's the interesting plot which is more or less a grand character development. The dynamism of each character (the tragic protagonist, Esteban Trueba, the carefree and enchanting Clara, the "savior" and symbol of womanhood, Alba) is astounding as the reader witnesses generations of the same Trueba family and their members. The theories expressed are also phenomenal. She writes of the Marxist struggle, the Freudian dreams, the feminist ideology, all wonderfully spread out on the page. Just do it. Read it I mean.

Rating:
Summary: Super Dooper
Review: From a Marxist point of view, the House of the Spirits is absolutely stock-full of social conflict. It outlines both the struggle of the underclass and the concervative nature of those that have material wealth. The culmination of this conflict is absolutely remarkable. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best book I have ever read.
Review: Isabel Allende has it all in this remarkable novel. From Magical Realism to Civil War, Allende touches all aspects of a torn society. This book is about the importance of the family bond and love above all other things. One of the most inspirational books ever written, and a true testimony to the power of women in holding together not only a family, but a country destroyed by revolution.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing in commom with Gabriel García Márquez
Review: I'm a College student at Brooklyn College majoring in Spanish Literature, and as such, I just finished reading The House Of The Spirits. In my own words, this novel has nothing in common, nor it is a copy of A Hundred Years of Solitude, because Isabel Allende does not use the magical-realism technique that Marquez does; therefore, both novels are different, and both have a special place in Literature. The main factor in the novel, is the portance of a woman narrating a story (her own and that of her family) including, of course, the political aspect that's part of the novel. The narrative technique of Allende isn't the same as other writers, hers is more complex and more vivid; it is a writing technique that must be mastered very well.

Rating:
Summary: House of the Spirits
Review: Isabel Allende's 'House of the Spirits' is the best book I have read in years, and I love to read. From the first sentence I was captivated by Allende's amazing imagination and her beautiful and expressive use of language. The way in which she weaves the supernatural into the everyday and her powerful political commentary only serves to make this book more interesting. I recommend this book to EVERYONE!

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best book I have ever read
Review: I read this book for the first time 7 years ago. When I got to the last page, I flipped back to the beginning and started again. I have never found another book that made me want to do that. I still reread and reread it. It covers 4 generations of a single family, set among the upheavals in Chile in the 1900s. It is at once funny, dramatic, sad, relevant, and I guarantee it will never bore you.