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Summary: If You Haven't Read It; You Don't Know the Author
Review: This was the first book I read by Isabel Allende, and I haven't stopped since (I only have like two books left of hers to read). This is basically her biography, and contains characters that she uses in other books, or on which she bases them, especially in House of Spirits. I absolutely loved the book. It made me both laugh and cry, and it was very hard to put down. I love it because most, if not all of the story, is real, and so are her feelings, which are clearly reflected in every paragraph of the book. I think it's the first book by her everyone should read. It is absolutely beautiful.
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Summary: dying
Review: For anyone who has a family member who is dying or a family member who has recently died this book is a must read. it explores the transition from life to death and the passages one must make to let go. isabel's feelings are so raw and so open that it is difficult to get through the last 5 pages. the family members who ease paula's transition to death is so descriptive that you can actually visualize paula leaving her body and being welcomed into the bosom of dead family members.
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Summary: A lesson in life, love, writing and all womanly arts
Review: This book has had a profound affect on my life. It has taught me so much about writing, about being a mother, and also about realtionships both familial and sexual. Such passion! Such talent! I was changed by this book. I was inspired as a writer and as a person. It provides a beautifully written manual on survival. I finished the book today & want to make everyone I know read it--now!
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Summary: Grabs you and doesn't let you go!
Review: Not "House of the Spirits" but this one was the first book by Isabel Allende I had the opportunity to read, back in 1995 when it first came out in Spanish. It literally grabbed me and didn't let me go until I was done with it : this book enjoys that same character that only true masterpieces have. You will cry to it and you will be amazed at Isabel's strength through the coma of her daughter Paula. Once you're done with it, you'll understand why Isabel Allende is one of Latin America's greatest authors.
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Summary: An unforgettable memoir written by a very talented writer.
Review: This book was very highly recommended. Because memoirs are usually full of blame, victimization, and whining, this particular book didn't get purchased, in spite of the high praise it garnered from friends. And then one day it just jumped into my cart, and the journey began with Allende as she examines her own life and speaks to her own daughter lying in a coma in the hospital. The journey takes one back to the beginning in Chile where Allende's family roots are explored, along with her own life, laying bare her thinking and sometimes her regrets as she looks back on her experiences. This is not a whining work by a Pitiful Pearl who recounts her victimization! This is a lush, rich exploration of the adventures of an extraordinary woman, recounted in words as poetically beautiful as one could find in any genre. Allende is so extraordinarily talented that she made a work of literature from something she began as a coping mechanism while in the hospital. Cutting back and forth from past to present, and from South to North America and thence to Europe, the book is bound together by the beautiful words framing extraordinarily poignant thoughts from a masterfully talented writer. Each tense -- past and present -- is equally fascinating, and each experience in each country is something one cares deeply about the outcome, savoring the journey and the beautiful words describing the experiences. This book will definitely enrich one's life. Pick it up with an open heart and prepare to be mesmerized by the blazing talent of the writer!! Highly, highly recommended!
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Summary: Heart warming
Review: Escucha Paula... te voy a contar una historia. I read this book a few years ago, and many passages are still with me over the years. It is extremelly well written, simple yet very profound and manages to take you through a very sad and painful road we will all eventually go through, in a very loving way, the loss of a loved one. It sometimes made me laugh, most of the time I had to remove tears from my face to keep on reading, but I am very thankful to Isabel Allende for sharing with me the most difficult time of her life, her story, and her suffering. I had never felt so identified with an author, and never had a book given me the chance to enter the author's mind, heart and soul. What is trully remarkable about this book is that it wasn't inteded for us to read, it was only meant for Paula, so she wouldn't feel lost when she woke up, and yet you can immediatly identify with what goes on, and sense the everlasting, unmeasurable love of Isabel for her daughter. It covers many subjects... history, family, war, illness, success, failures, but most of all, this is a book that celebrates life and LOVE.
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Summary: Exceptionally well-written, moving
Review: I can think of no book which has moved me as much. I'm perhaps hyper-sensitive to maudlin sentiments, but nothing here rang false. Definitely a book best read in long uninterrupted stretches. I read it in Spanish (2nd language); what I've seen of the English version leads me to believe it is has the same quality. Un libro que a mi me conmovio' mucho, y no soy una persona dispuesta a sentimentalismo. No hay ni una palabra inadequada ni artificial. Les recomiendo leerlo con el minimo de interrupciones.
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Summary: Beautifully written
Review: This is a book every mother, and daughter should read. I couldn't put it down! The best of Isabel Allende. Very insightfull and personal. One minute you are crying the next laughing. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: Allende has done a marvelous thing!
Review: "Paula" is a memoir of the author's life. It began as a letter to her daughter during her battle with the debilitating disease, porphyria. Paula slips into a coma and remains in that state for over a year. In this memoir, Allende reveals the trials of her life in Chile and her travels abroad. She writes of the political unrest in her homeland, her role in assisting political fugitives during that time and her eventual launch into the literary career she enjoys today. The book is filled with love of family, country and an unrelenting passion for life. Allende's connection with the spirits of her ancestors provides a magical and mystical backdrop for a real life experience that could not be replicated by the most imaginative of writers. This memoir allowed Allende to come to terms with her daughter's death and to appreciate her life more fully. Translated in flawless English, this memoir takes the reader on a spiritual and historical journey of discovery. Paula will remain a central figure (spirit) in the life of her family, and this story ensures that she will maintain a place in the memory of readers as well.
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Summary: Life Re-affirming
Review: The eloquent prose of this book allows us to glimpse the turbulent times that Isabel Allende lived through and how her life was affected. The profound forces of the Chilean Revolution shifted her life perspective and how she dealt with the obstacles thrown in her way. These changes helped her understand the depth of strength which she drew upon to help her daughter pass into the last phase of life with dignity. This is a must read for anyone who has read or intends to read any of her other books because it shares historical family details which give her writings a new depth of understanding and intimacy.
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