The Stories of Eva Luna

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting short story collection
Review: Lyrical, poetic and unforgettable - this collection of short stories is a sensory feast. Allende paints her characters in such rich and striking hues that they come alive for the reader. There is the story of Maurizia - the woman who leaves her stodgy husband for her exciting lover. There is the horrific plight of the childlike Hortensia who undergoes cruel punishment. Then there is the tale of the wife and concubine of Tomas Vargas who finally take revenge on the man who ill-treats them. The stories are compelling and familiar and the characters will haunt you long after you put down the book. The stories are classic Allende and the translation is superb.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting short story collection
Review: Lyrical, poetic and unforgettable - this collection of short stories is a sensory feast. Allende paints her characters in such rich and striking hues that they come alive for the reader. There is the story of Maurizia - the woman who leaves her stodgy husband for her exciting lover. There is the horrific plight of the childlike Hortensia who undergoes cruel punishment. Then there is the tale of the wife and concubine of Tomas Vargas who finally take revenge on the man who ill-treats them. The stories are compelling and familiar and the characters will haunt you long after you put down the book. The stories are classic Allende and the translation is superb.

Rating:
Summary: Love and Death Allende Style
Review: These hypnotic, strange and poetic stories deal with the darker side of love. In each tale, Isabel Allende paints mini-portraits of men and women who suffer from the twin-disease of passion and obsession. These stories will haunt you long after you've finished reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic Stories
Review: These hypnotic, strange and poetic stories deal with the darker side of love. In each tale, Isabel Allende paints mini-portraits of men and women who suffer from the twin-disease of passion and obsession. These stories will haunt you long after you've finished reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Stories of Eva Luna
Review: These stories were so amazing, creative, and vivid. I enjoyed them very much. I especially loved the shortness of each story that lends itself for quick evening reading. This book I will add to my library of "must" reads, that I'm creating for my daughter. I'm now reading each of Allende's books one by one.

Rating:
Summary: multiple impressive instances
Review: This collection of short stories is consistent with what one would expect from someone as talented, sensitive and visual as Allende. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. The stories are intervoven within the context of one prime narrator but each one stands alone as an independent and admirable piece of work. Her writing makes you want to create multiple parts and continuations to each story in your head long after you have closed the book. These fables enrichen the imagination-injecting vitality and passion. There is no better way to spend a sunday afternoon at the beach than with this book right by your side. I promise you.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: This fantastic book is a must read. Isabel Allende is a very gifted writer who continues the story set out in Eva Luna (the first book) in a series of vignettes. Definately of the calibre of Gabrielle Garcia Marquez or Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) this book embodies all of the best aspects of the Latin American fiction novel.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: This fantastic book is a must read. Isabel Allende is a very gifted writer who continues the story set out in Eva Luna (the first book) in a series of vignettes. Definately of the calibre of Gabrielle Garcia Marquez or Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) this book embodies all of the best aspects of the Latin American fiction novel.

Rating:
Summary: A book to pass on to others to be enjoyed.
Review: This is not a feminist novel in the politically correct fashion, yet still enables an integrity in the women that is rarely seen. Isabel Allende has extraordinary ability to tell stories that reflect emotions so strongly that the characters become a part of you. I don't recall how many times I've read this book. I'll read a favorite story before I go to sleep for pleasant dreams, or the whole book from time to time. Everytime I borrow the book out, my recipient has enjoyed it so much that I end up giving the book to them. Read this book, and realize the beauty of Allende's world.

Rating:
Summary: Very good, concise and strong
Review: What I enjoyed most about these short stories was how they were complete and concise. In Allende's work there tends to be a propensity to drift as she introduces so many possible roads for the story/character to go to. But the short story formula forces Allende to stay on topic/character and not digress into irrelevant historical facts.
The one flaw I would say that I noticed about this book, and I wouldn't term it flaw but there are points where a character or situation touches briefly onto a former story or heralds something of a future tale. Unfortunately this skill is used so deftly that it left me clamoring for me but there wasn't any. That was my only disappointment with the book. Buy it, an excellent resource for teaching short story form (which is what I used it for) or for studying how to do it well. Or even to read on a short trip, the subway perhaps....?