The House of the Spirits [ESP/ENG]

Yesterday I finally finished reading this marvel of Latin American literature, written by none other than Isabel Allende. This work, brimming with magical realism, especially in its early chapters, is a gem that highlights the resistance and resilience of those who fight for just and noble causes.

Ayer terminé de leer finalmente esta maravilla de la literatura latinoamericana, escrita por nada más y nada menos que Isabel Allende. Esta obra cargada de realismo mágico, sobre todo en sus primeros capítulos, es una joya que resalta la resistencia y resiliencia de aquellos que luchan por causas justas y nobles.

The novel spans four generations of the same family, the Trueba family, and from its founding to the end we see all the processes of change amidst fantastic events and drastic political revolutions that force them to make tough and difficult decisions.

The novel touches on themes such as class differences and the struggle between them; however, amidst all the chaos, there is still room for love, like the love that blossoms between Clara, the Trueba family's daughter, and the leftist leader Pedro Tercero García. From this union comes Alba, a key figure in the story, the weakest link in the Trueba family, upon whom the blame for her grandfather Esteban's actions falls.

I won't deny it, I cried a lot with this book because there are many scenes that are hard to stomach, too many injustices, but at the same time, these events reflect the reality of years past. It's no secret that most Latin American haciendas arose from the almost slave labor of peasants, and that the landowners did whatever they wanted with their land and the people who lived on it. They thought they owned the world, capable of moving pieces at will, of even making and removing presidents. But what happens when all those decisions turn against you? Total chaos, karma...

In this way, the novel has a very fascinating narrative that moves between Magical Realism, such as ghosts, clairvoyance, and girls of extraordinary beauty with green hair (like Clara's older sister), and the harsh political reality (the invasion, the bombing, the coup d'état). In this way, magical realism becomes an incentive, a light in the midst of the darkness of Alba's new reality; it is what makes her survive and overcome adversity.

It's not a book I would read a second time, as it really impacted me a lot, but I recommend it and believe it should be read at least once in a lifetime.