Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical novel explores personal, political passions.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS takes place in Chile and tells the story of four generations of characters, beginning with the intersection of the del Valle family and the Trueba family before the start of World War I. As a young man, Esteban Trueba becomes engaged to the beautiful Rosa del Valle, who looks strikingly like a mermaid. Later, Esteban becomes a wealthy landowner, or patron. He eventually marries Rosa's sister Clara, the youngest of the wealthy and politically active del Valles, who communicates with spirits and can see the future. Esteban becomes a senator, but his way of life is threatened by political war between the right-wing conservatives he supports and the Marxist underclasses, and then by a violent government takeover by militarists. Meanwhile, the Trueba children follow very different paths in their choice of lovers and careers. Two generations -- Esteban and his granddaughter, Alba -- tell their family's story, which intertwines with the story of Chile's 20th century political struggles.
Is It Any Good?
Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits is epic in its personal and political scope, and in its sheer beauty. Her elegant prose weaves easily between the two different points of view in the book: the patriarchal grandfather clinging to the past, and his forward-thinking, soft-hearted granddaughter. All of Allende's characters are complex and beautifully realized. This brilliant novel is a great literary achievement on every level, as it seamlessly intertwines the characters' personal and political passions and the momentous events of their times.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Isabel Allende's use of magical realism the blending of supernatural and realistic fictional elements. Do you believe that Clara could talk to spirits? Why do you think the author added this fantastical quality to The House of Spirits?
Talk about the ways gender/sex roles change over time in the book, and the ways they don't.
Can you see why an oppressed underclass of people would embrace Marxism or socialism?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House
- Publication date : April 12, 1985
- Number of pages : 448
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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