So far, I think The House of the Spirits is ok. Personally I think there are a lot better books out there, but I wouldn’t say that it’s terrible. After the first two chapters I figured I was going to be stuck reading some stupid book for hours, but somehow I made it through a few more chapters. I got a little more into it as I went, and even kind of liked the way Allende writes. She keeps things moving by switching viewpoints frequently. This helps the reader access a character’s inner feelings, instead of a narrator just telling you about them. For example, when Esteban is the narrator, I feel like we know more thoughts and feelings than when he is described in the third person.
I also like the foreshadowing Allende uses. For me, I didn’t really realize how events in the opening chapters would connect back later in the novel. When Clara mentioned there was going to be an earthquake, I figured later on there might be a little quake that wouldn’t really do anything. However, it turned out to be very destructive and hugely impacted peoples’ lives: Nana was killed, Esteban broke every bone in his body, and foreign pamphlets were distributed in the hacienda.
The magical realism throughout the story is definitely different to me. It seems weird that events that cannot happen (Clara playing a closed piano from a different room) are mixed with things that are real and do happen. I think I would like the story better if it was more realistic, because it would be easier to believe it and also to feel a connection with it.
So overall, I have to say this book is mediocre. It’s far better that the The Day of the Locust, but I don’t know if it earns the praise on the back cover.
I agree with you about the book being way better than The Day of The Locust. Honestly, that book is not hard to beat, in my opinion. I actually really enjoyed The House of The Spirits. I loved the magical realism, and the fact that the story had some realistic aspects intertwined with make-believe. It reminded me of how a little kid views the world (Rosa with her green hair like a mermaid). Like you mentioned in your blog, foreshadowing is a big part of the book. I love how she put hints in previous chapters about what was going to happen, but the reader doesn't realize until after the event occurs. That has got to take a lot of thought and planning on the authors part.
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, your post's title sums up my feelings on House of the Spirits, "I've read better." The novel at times seems to pointlessly drag on with another bizarre event, self-absorbed character, or twisted thought. Whether this sounds lacking in literary depth, I believe that Allende could have left out an entire generation in the book and still have the same effect on her audience. On the whole, I place this book on the same level as Day of the Locust (and that's not saying much)!
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