Paula

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Summary: it changed my life
Review: It made me realized that life is to short to worry about prejudice or social status, only I have to live my life and I can not live from other peoples experiences. I don't want to regret later on in life not doing the things I always wanted to do. Paula reminded me that each day that goes by is a day less in my life.

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Summary: It's one of the best book I've read !!!
Review: I have read several books from Isabel Allende I can not say that there is one better than the other!!!, but personally, I think this is a very special book because you can see how is the personality of this writer and all the good feelings she has for her family, life, moments... On each word in this book you can find many aspects of your own life: funny situations, sat situations, love, hopes ... It could reflects anybody's life. The book is also have parts of others books she had wrote, and is also a biography of her life. If you really like the author, you will enjoy this book very much!!! I do not know if my english is good, but I hope everybody can understand want I wrote. I am venezuelan, so my language is spanish. But I could give an opinion in Spanish also.

Rating:
Summary: An intimate masterpiece of family and love open to all eyes
Review: Initially, Paula was written by Miss Allende with the conscience intentions of reminding her porphyria stricken daughter, who lays dying in a coma, of her family's history, and the unconscience intention of keeping her own sanity through such a trying time. She explains her purpose to her daughter as, "For the time being, I will tell you about myself and the other members of theis family we both belong to-", and this is precisely what she succeeds in doing. Her vivid memoir serves both as an open window to the bizarre and seizing lives of many generations of Allende's family as well as an extremely realistic record of the dreadful struggle to save a dying child. This book causes readers to shed tears from laughing at humorous family stroies and from crying at the death of characters that through such deep description, have become members and friends of their own family. Allende manages to blend aspects of intimate autobiographies with fiction-like stories. Not only is the book a pleasure to read for the actual story, but also for the wonderful description and Allende's exotic way with words.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best but still very good
Review: Isabel Allende is hands down my favorite author primarily because of her incredible gift with language. Paula was not written as well as others such as the Infinite Plan or Eva Luna, but I believe that the emotions toward her daughter were so strong that the prose was not the issue, but the feelings were. As another reviewer wrote, the mother/daughter bond was incredibly powerful in the book and I could feel the seesaw of emotions as hope appeared and then fell away. There is no doubt that this book is worth the read for anyone.

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Summary: It's a pionant account of living and dieing.
Review: This book is a perfect blend of beautiful writting, eccentric and loveable characters, political intrigue, magical events, romance and the pain of loss. Allende not only takes us through her life and times, but also her most painful and personal experience. This being the illness and death of her daughter. She does an amaizing job of bringing us through the depths of her dispair and yet never letting us forget the joy that life can hold. I would highly recomend this to anyone who has ever suffered the joy and despair of love and loss .

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Summary: This is a brilliant expression of the mother-daughter bond.
Review: Paula is written by Isabel Allende, as a way of reaching her daughter who lay in a coma, inches from her mother as she wrote the story of her family's life. Allende is a wonderful writer of fiction because of the way she weaves spirits and visions into the texture of her character's lives. In this biography, this strength is a vital force as she reconstructs her family history. So much of this book rings true you'll want to underline whole scenes and read them out loud to your friends.

Rating:
Summary: preciosa
Review: una mezcla preciosa entre novela y realidad, desgarradora, y magica, tierna, nostalgica, con momentos muy divertidos, y muy dramaticos.

Rating:
Summary: Took me awhile, but then...
Review: I have to admit that the book took me awhile to love, but then I became totally involved. About the last 100 pages held my attention more than anything. This is a remarkable journey, and one that will haunt me for years to come. Some of the historical references were interesting, but often times took away from the poignancy of the novel.

Rating:
Summary: get out the tissue box
Review: This is an absolutely brilliant book. I have reads hundreds, if not thousands, of books and this is the only one that has ever made me cry. Allende's story is more moving than I can describe. Read it and weep, then go buy a copy for your mother. That's what I did.

Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece of storytelling and emotions
Review: Outstanding storytelling, although it many not be totally non-fictional is the reality thru the author's eyes. In this compelling story, the characters are not created or do they developed as the story goes along. The characters are real and Isabel gives us a clear picture of how she sees them. Isabel images and emotions are so clear that the reader is absorbed into her persona.
The novel skillfully combines the story of her daughter sickness with her life story. Although, some episodes of her daughter sickness become repetitive, it only shows how sincere her feelings were lain down in the book.
At the end, you have read more than a story...you had lived an experience.