“The House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende

I first read this book whilst I was in university, I was about 20 years’ old and it was the first semester of the new year. I spent a lot of time reading this book and so, I got it completed in just under two days. The reading experience of it was absolutely brilliant and so very immersive. For the next year and half I could not stop talking about it. I kept recommending it to everyone and everyone I knew who had read it, loved it so very much. I was completely enamoured with the characters, the atmosphere and the whole rich cultural history of the book. I read it more than once obviously because this book changed my perception of the entire aspect of Latin American Fiction altogether. It was one of those books which allowed my scope to expand ten-fold and after that, I proceeded to read everything by Isabel Allende. But nothing was quite as an experience as “The House of the Spirits”.

My favourite character in this book was probably the patriarch, Esteban. I know what you’re going to say - he’s a horrid human being most of the time, but he allows for the book to expand beyond him and in this family saga, it couldn’t really get rolling if he hadn’t married the other sister. After Rosa dies, it’s clear that Esteban needs children to continue his lineage and when he remarries, there is a certainty that makes his arrogance come back, an arrogance that was only there in the few moments when Rosa was actually alive in the novel. It is this that convinces the other characters down the line that they don’t want to be like him in personality and allows for everyone else to develop very clear and opposing personalities and character. Esteban’s biggest fault is also his greatest attribute - his arrogance and his perseverance. It’s all about how he tends to push people around without brute force, but with his aspect. He represents the way in which the old regime worked in Latin America, before the revolutions began to break out. With his arrogance, his confidence and the way in which he perceives himself as a self-made man, he represents the loneliness of the pre-revolutionary days and the days before the socialism and togetherness of the new and future years.

A key theme in the book is definitely magic realism. Magic realism can be seen through the way in which the matriarch holds herself. She sees fortunes, she helps people and she is entirely different to her husband, Esteban. Even when her children are growing up, she seems to compose herself with an air that could only suggest that she was a magical being - even if the book didn’t say it. Other characters that play out the theme are Rosa the Beautiful as when she was alive, she was known by the other characters as a clairvoyant as well. It’s like magic realism with the supernatural but not with the unbelievable essence of folkloric magic. It’s magic in the traditional and believable sense. It’s almost religious in the way in which it is show to the reader. It really impacts the way you read the book because the magic realism adds an atmosphere to the book that when these characters show up, we cannot help but think about the vibrance of their culture and religion. It really makes their characters come through more.

This book means a lot to me because seriously, it made me very emotional throughout the whole thing. Even the ending is absolutely brilliant, it doesn’t close the book but it ends on this note that really makes you notice the continuing rich history, culture and changing world of Latin America during a politically charged time. My latter experiences of reading this book have been highly emotional as well because the more I read it, the more I realise the differences between the old generation and the new generation. The massive difference between Esteban and his children is also very apparent but only when you’ve read the book a few times. The best thing about re-reading this book though is probably the way in which the family gains power and you see clearly how they turn that power into revolution throughout the novel.

I think far more people should read this book because it is far more emotional than a lot of people realise. The last person I recommended it to couldn’t put it down and would talk about it to me all the time. A lot of people have read this book though and for that, I am very appreciative because it means that the book is still a big part of people’s lives. When I read it, I had to seek out people who had read the book too so I had someone to talk to about it. If I re-read this book again, I want to check out the revolution and see if there’s any foreshadowings towards the destruction of old ways in favour of the new generation from the beginning of the book.