The House of Spirits – Isabel Allende

Am I being overly harsh or is this book simply not of the same standard as Paula? The answer is that maybe I’ve just completely outgrown magical realism (which is sad, because back in the day I had loved A Hundred Years of Solitude so very much).

I honestly think that, had it not been for Clara’s extra sensory abilities, I would have enjoyed the novel a lot more. And I would have probably also liked it better if the characters weren’t ultimately representations of various social and political groups (and periods) in Chilean history (the roman à clef as a genre often gets a bit on my nerves). And the fact that Allende also openly declares that Blanca never married Pedro Tercero because she didn’t love him enough just stings – the guy deserved better.

But then again, most of this probably applies only to 85% of the book, because from the moment Alba gets arrested the novel gains massively in literary, political and moral weight (although it’s really too bad that Allende picked the allegoric name of Alba/Dawn for the character that is meant to symbolize hope for the future – think outside the box!)

Paula – Isabel Allende

 

This book made me discover a number of things. Firstly, that Isabel Allende is not Salvador’s daughter, but rather a loosely related niece (bad historian!). Secondly, that, after having problems with it for at least a year, I can still love Latin American literature (in particular if it leaves behind magical realism – because reality in the continent is a lot more fun than “magical reality" – and if it’s coated in events of historical significance). Thirdly, and more surprising than everything else, that I can love a book that is so feminine (one of my huge shortcomings as a reader, no doubt about that).

The characters are hugely fascinating, their resourcefulness inspirational (although, being a memoir, I have the feeling that some things might have been idealized a bit too much), and Isabel’s granddad, somehow, made me think about my own when I was a kid and he was the loveliest of men (speaking of idealizing the past...)