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Jun 17, 2011

K.D. rated it:

My second Allende and it if this is bowling, this is her second strike.

The first one was last year. "Paula", Allende's memoir of her daughter who died while in coma. I liked it so much that I told myself that I will try to read all her books. Her crystal-clear prose, told in a simple straightforward fashion, is like a breath of fresh air and her stories about Chile that go back to the times even as far back as her great-great grandparents' years are so interesting that I envy More...

12 comments like (9 people liked it)

Jan 24, 2011

Chandra rated it:

The five stars may be a little misleading, but aren't all ratings really? But this one in particular is based a very personal reaction/memory. Also, I know it's not hip or smart to admit to loving an author like Isabel Allende - even worse it's a damn Oprah book! The horror! But I can't lie - this book is still special to me. It was my first time to really read Allende. I had tried House of the Spirits once and put it down in complete disgust around the second or third chapter. (I later re More...

6 comments like (9 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Sammy rated it:

I remember beginning to read Daughter of Fortune several years ago but for some reason put it aside and never finished it. How I was able to do that so easily, I will never know because the second time around this book ended up being difficult to put down.

Isabel Allende has created a very engaging and well-rounded character in Eliza Sommers. I found the most endearing thing about Eliza was her stubborness and her imperfections. Often that is what will draw me to a character becaus More...

3 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2008

Rebecca rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

4 comments like (6 people liked it)

Oct 29, 2010

Aneen rated it:

اقتباس من الرواية
" يبدو لي أننا جميعاً جئنا نبحث عن شيء ووجدنا شيئاً آخر "

كان هذا الاقتباس هو شاهد الروايه
او بالاصح الرسالة التي أرادت ايزابيل أن توصلها لنا
من خلال روايتها هذه .. اسبوع كان كافياً ربما لأنتهي من قرائتها
لكن لن يكون كافيا للكف عن التفكير بالمغزى الاهم
من الانتهاء هو بداية التعرف على ما بحثنا عنه
لنجد أننا أضعنا الكثير قبل اكشاف أن هناك شيء آخر
كان هو سبب بحثنا منذ البدايه !

شكراً لصديقتي مشاعل لمشا More...

2 comments like (8 people liked it)

Oct 30, 2011

Bader rated it:

جو الرواية كان جميلاً جدًا برأيي وفي لحظة من اللحظات جعلني أغوص بالعمق لدرجة انتظار موعد لقائي بالكتاب مرة أخرى. البطء والتسارع بالأحداث كان جذابًا وتستحق لأجله الروابة القراءة. أضيف إلى ذلك أن التصوير والوصف في الكتاب جعلني أشاهد المقاطع وكأنها لقطات في فلم سينمائي, في كل جزء من أجزاء الرواية.
لم يعجبني بالقصة بعض الاستطرادات الوصفية في أكثر من موضع, لدرجة أني رغبت أن أقفز بعض السطور. التكرار أيضًا كان موجودًا حتى وإن اختلفت الصيغة.

النتيجة على أي حال أني تحمست لقراءة غير باولو More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 29, 2010

Mashael rated it:

من العبث أن نرمي بأنفسنا في متاهات ونحن نعرف مسبقاً بأننا هالكون لا محالة , لكن لو كان لنا قوة إلزا سوميروز قد نجد في روحنا المغامرة سبباً للمجازفة , الشخصيات التي تقدمها إزابيل لنا في حياتنا هي خليط غريب من المشاعر المتنافضة قوية رقيقة روح المغامرة مدفونة كــ كنز القراصنة في أرواحهم , أحببت إزابيل الليندي كثيراً ربما لأنها تتحدث عن شيء طالما بحثت عنه ( المغامرات ) أعلم أن الواقع بعيد مختلف عن سطور الروايات لكنها مستمدة بشكل او بآخر من الواقع مع بعض التعديلات , الروح القوية More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 17, 2010

Mojgan rated it:

ما در زندگی به جایی نمیرسیم...تنها مسیر را قدم می زنیم

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2011

Taliser rated it:

I enjoyed Allende's wonderful descriptive writing. It made for tough reading in Spanish, but excellent reading when I resorted to the English version. I am a sucker for an adventurous tale with a strong female protagonist and multi-cultural setting and this book provides both. The characters where were sympathetic, while also having humanizing flaws. Allende also captured the complexities of family relationships beautifully. I'd recommend it to friends.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 19, 2007

LadyM rated it:

Ironically, the strength of this book is the very thing that annoyed me by the end. Allende does an amazing job crafting complex characters and weaving their multiple stories together. Her descriptions invoke all the senses and make the reader feel like she/he is actually experiencing mid-19th century gold-crazy San Francisco. Tracing the lives of a half dozen main characters over seven years through three different countries is no easy task, and while Allende mostly handles it well, there ar More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

Aug 09, 2007

Allison rated it:

Isabella Allende writes good stories with strong female characters. Her books always have an interesting plot that reveals her Hispanic heritage. Daughter of Fortune takes the reader back to Allende’s homeland, Chile, before going to San Fransico. The book has wonderful detail, although the plot requires to much “backstory,” which often occurs at awkward times and interrupts the flow of the narrative. If you’re an Allende fan looking for a quick read, you can’t go wrong with this book. Ho More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 03, 2008

Susan rated it:

This book starts out VERY engaging and remains that way through the first 3/4. Then, very abruptly, it is as if Allende ran out of things to say, or rather, became distracted by another project. The book ends TERRIBLY! The last 1/4 is a slog to get through and, becuase the first part is so wonderful, I kept reading and thinking "surely, this will work out." But no joy. I would suggest reading it BUT don't hope for a great wrap up at the end. It is a lot like drinking a cold bottl More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 06, 2007

ANGELA rated it:

This book is so intriguing- and so deliciously written...what captivating and colorful detail...i love it....maybe even a bit Dickensian...I love it...This book is so rich w detail, characters, and excitement! I love it! Its dee-lish! The main character is a spirited heroine who really engages you and makes you feel for her and her plight...the characters are all very rich and interesting and the book really teaches you alot about the history of the period California Gold Ruch 1849, and South Am More...

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 04, 2011

Angel added it

Una novela que comienza con tintes costumbristas, coquetea con el erotismo, se pasea por la aventura y cierra con una nota romántica a más no poder.

Narrativa explícita que en ocasiones parece demasiado lenta, se mueve poco a poco y hace que la historia avance como si no quisiera, reptando para hacer que el tiempo no pase, como queriendo que Eliza no crezca porque llegará el momento en que eso será su perdición.

No es mi estilo totalmente pero hubo partes que me gustaron más que otras, o tal vez h More...

0 comments like

Mar 23, 2009

Adele rated it:

I'm a big fan of epics, so my first Isabel Allende read, Daughter of Fortune, was a natural choice. My mom read the paperback, sent it to my Grammy, and when I was visiting Minnesota in November, my Grammy gave it to me. Fitting. The scene is the nineteenth century (always promising) and our heroine, Eliza Sommers, is a girl without true family or place. She's adopted by some wealthy British colonists in Chile, though she herself is at least half Chilean, she's raised as a proper young Briti More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 09, 2012

Karo rated it:

Daughter of Fortune is a fast and pleasant read -- it's a plot-driven novel in which all things are clearly spelled out for the reader. The two protagonists of the book are likable and well-developed. There's the young Chilean woman, Eliza, who flees her adoptive home for California to follow her first love, who has been lured there by the promises of riches in the Gold Rush. Then there's Tao Chi'en, a Chinese man who is part sailor, part doctor, and part sage. The adventures of the two up and d More...

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Feb 03, 2012

Dawn rated it:

I picked this audio book up in desperation of anything to listen to besides the radio. I was pleasantly surprised. I very much enjoyed it. The story follows a girl named Eliza Sommers from her childhood in Chile through her escape to San Francisco and beyond. She was in love with a boy, Joaquín Andieta, and became pregnant just before he ran off to California for the gold rush in the mid-1800s. Eliza boards a ship in order to follow her elusive love and meets a Chinaman named Tao Chi’en. Tao hel More...

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Aug 31, 2011

Cori rated it:

My SIL has been encouraging me to read Allende for years — she’s one of her favorite authors. I can see why! Allende’s grasp of historical events, her ability to bring those events to life, and the depth in her descriptive writing combine to create a very beautiful novel. While the plot was perhaps so-so, I thought her characters were fascinating, and I didn’t feel like I’d read them before (which is always nice). She also killed setting. It was like I was there.

And I kind of was. Grow More...

0 comments like

Aug 13, 2011

Laura rated it:

This book made me realize that historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. It started off slow, but once I got into it (during the trip to and from Buffalo to visit Morgan) I couldn't put it down.

Setting: Mid-1800s Valparaiso.Chile, China, California Gold-Rush. I am intellectually stunted in the area of history. Good to learn while I read.

Main characters: Eliza, Rose/John/Jeremy Sommers, Mama Fresia, Joaquin Adieta, Tao Chi'en, Jacob Todd. Very colorful and mult More...

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Aug 13, 2011

Whitty rated it:

I wound up being disappointed in this book by Isabel Allende. The premise of the story is quite fascinating with tons of potential. An abandoned baby girl, Eliza, is taken in by a wealthy family and is raised within two cultures, English and Chilean. Her family is very complex and her day to day needs are provided by a Chilean house servant. She has a charmed but rather sheltered life while being influenced by the colorful yet mysterious ways of the Chileans. As Eliza enters her teenage years, s More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 03, 2011

Tina rated it:

This book is 399 pages and I loved them all, but I rated it four stars because it should have had more and included a proper ending! I found the main character, Eliza to be a pleasure to follow and I enjoyed traveling with her on her many adventures. I was particularly fond of her individual growth and seeing how a woman's role can change, even in this time period. She starts as a "traditional" woman bound by honor and the proper formalities of British society (even in Chile), to posin More...

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Jun 19, 2011

emily rated it:

I started out loving this book. Well, not loving it. But liking it well enough. I will, as always, kind of love a good historical fiction (embarrassing but true), and this one is solid, moving along through nineteenth-century Chile, a time/place I know nothing at all about. I was enjoying the pants off of Eliza's growing-up -- the mixture of drawing rooms (I'm always a sucker), evident ship traffic (also always a sucker), semi-mysterious origins (do I need to repeat myself?), all that.
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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 31, 2011

Andrea rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

May 05, 2011

Gina rated it:

The heroine of this book, Eliza Sommers, is orphaned at birth and raised by Victorian spinster and her brother, Rose and Jeremy Sommers in the English section of Valparaíso, Chile. She is raised by the Sommers's housekeeper, Mama Fresia, who teaches her to cook and dabble in some superstition and magic. When Eliza is a teenager she falls in love a clerk who works at her uncle's company, Joaquín Andieta. About this time the gold craze is going on in California and Joaquin takes off to make his fo More...

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Mar 26, 2011

Carrie rated it:

This book is BAD. So bad. I never stop reading midway through, but as a public service, needed to b/c this book was making me surly. I was starting to underline passages and write angry notes in the margins. a sure sign that things have gone too far. But, truly, everything is bad. The characters are completely undeveloped. The dialogue is terrible and anachronistic. Really, would a woman say this in 1849: "If in order to eat you have to hustle your ass, you'll hustle your ass. You More...

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Sep 04, 2010

Faith rated it:

From the back:

"An orphan raised in Valparaiso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold rush of 1849 -- a danger-filled quest that will become a momentous journey of transformation. In this rough-and-tumble world of panhandlers and prostitutes, immigrants and aristocrats, Eliza will discover a new life of freedom, independence, and a love greater than any ever dreamed."

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Sep 28, 2009

Lara rated it:

This book almost had five stars from me. Almost. So why three? Because of the ending. It was abrupt and unsatisfying, and it left the arc of most of the characters in limbo. I should have seen it coming. The author's ill-timed and abrupt chapter conclusions should have tipped me off that the end would be the same. Still, I confess it was a total surprise.

Still, there are myriad good things about this novel. For one, it's beautifully written and it tells a curious tale that weaves thr More...

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Sep 24, 2009

Steve rated it:

The story begins with a focus on Rose, the young spinster sister of Jeremy, with whom she lives quite comfortably in Valparaiso, Chile, and John, a ship’s captain at sea much of the time. After learning Rose’s history in England, her present situation and tendencies, the story becomes Eliza’s. Rose raised Eliza but is not her birth mother and the reports of her coming into Rose’s household vary and are inconclusive, but seem to indicate that Eliza was abandoned at Rose’s door as an infant. Th More...

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Apr 04, 2009

bookczuk rated it:

I found this book oddly compelling, the characters interesting. This is the first (and only) novel of Allende's I have read. A novel not to be rushed, but savored...

I am putting below an on-line review I found at B&N, plus the publisher's blurb:

Meghan Erickson (merickson@durango.s.k12.co.us), a thespian in Durango, Colorado, November 7, 2002,
Chapter descriptions make the reader fall in love with the characters.
There comes a time in life when everyone must emba More...

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Feb 10, 2012

Kari rated it:

This was the first book read for 2012, and I've got say: What a big disappointment.

I have never read Isabel Allende, and I probably never will again. I found this book in a Goodwill for $2 and was immediately drawn to the portrait of Eliza Sommers on the front. Yes, I judged this book by the cover.

The story takes place during the mid-1800s in a world governed by societal strictness, where a woman is to always look her best, act demurely, and never, ever find herself at the ce More...

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