The House of the Spirits

A Novel

De: Isabel Allende

Narrado por: Thom Rivera, Marisol Ramirez

The unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world's most gifted and imaginative storytellers.

The House of the Spirits brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife, Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world. When their daughter, Blanca, embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter, Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

One of the most important novels of the 20th century, The House of the Spirits is an enthralling epic that spans decades and lives, weaving the personal and the political into a universal story of love, magic, and fate.

©1982 Isabel Allende. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Better read, perhaps.

I wish that I had read this instead of listening. There are so many characters and it covers so much time that I wanted to go back to check on previous events and people but that was not possible in the audible format.

Family saga brought to life

Loved it! Great narration, vivid descriptions, good and bad. Fascinating story. Can't wait to hear more by Isabel Allende.

Just as good now as it was 20 years ago

I originally read this book freshmen year of high school. I had been a childhood reader and didn’t think anything of my reading level then, but I adored this book. Listening to it now makes me wonder how shocked so many of my classmates must have been. Bless Ms. C. who had us read this.

I was struck my the surrealism of this book and some its characters versus the grounding of others that somehow always wound up wrapped up in the more fantastical ones, and still am. I was so struck by this book of hers that I owned most of her books in actual bound form until recently losing many of my books to water damage. This was one that was on the top of my list to replace, not only in my collection in general, but of Isabel Allende’s in particular. If you do enjoy this book as a newbie to her work, read some of her other earlier works then her memoir Paula. When I did so it made me examine some of the “characters” and events in my own life and wonder how they would come across in a book.

Classic

This is the best book I have read by Allende. Through the lives of generations of family members we are presented with social and political issues as well as class disparity.

Love this book

Isabel Allende Is so talented character development you know these people you can understand them.

I had to stop reading

I was all about the book and I was all in. Then there was random animal cruelty that kept coming up. There was also rape. I just had enough when the butcher knife was in Clara’s dog’s back and, of course, the dog bled out, in her arms, on her wedding day. Uh, No thanks. Last straw for me. I understand that the author is gifted and has many fans. I just can’t.

A masterpiece

I can't believe I just got to this book. Thank you Ugly Betty!! It was so good I finished , cried because it was just so perfect, and started it over again. What a masterpiece. I can't wait to listen to more from Isabel Allende.

Great book

Wonderful whimsical novel with much insight into the plight of the Chilean people and there capacity to overcome so much.

Wonderful wonderful.

I was transported to a time and a place that Is so unfamiliar to me- Early to mid 20th century Chile. I loved the setting - both pastoral and urban ; wealthy and poor. ( a taste of two Chile’s). The quiet spoken narration in two beautiful voices, the mysticism, and the profound epic story which I understand is loosely autobiographical were all wonderful wonderful. I was sorry to see it end.

I can't believe I didn't read this sooner!

Loved it! Why did it take me so long to read this? The story was captivating from start to finish, sweeping through generations with paced revelations, charm, intrigue, and foreshadowing of tales to come. The story spans the full range of multigenerational lives, both divided and united, in love and loneliness, political uproar and revenge, hate and forgiveness, all unbudgingly intertwined. Allende peels back each cross of the braid that is her history, and it is riveting.