A finales del siglo XIX en Chile, Aurora del Valle sufre de un trauma brutal que borra de su mente los primeros cinco aNos de su vida. Criada p... read full description
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Feb 09, 2012
Mashael
rated it: 
*لقد كنت جوّابة أفاق في أعماقي على الدوام , فما أرغب فيه هو الترحال دون وجهة محددة .
* إزابيل الليندي
,
,
,
هممم قررت قرار أخير , في رحلتي حول العالم التي خططتها سراً في"دفتر الأمنيات" الذي أخفيه عن عيون عائلتي هرباً من التعليقات الساخرة إبتداءً بإسم هذا الدفتر وإنتهائاً بما يحويه,هناك عدد لا بأس به من المدن والأرياف والمناطق النائية التي ستكون خريطةَ رحلتي ومحطاتها , ستبدأ رحلتي في أمريكا اللاتينية ( قراري الذي أشرت إليه أعلاه ), تسكنني أحياناً أحلام " More...
* إزابيل الليندي
,
,
,
هممم قررت قرار أخير , في رحلتي حول العالم التي خططتها سراً في"دفتر الأمنيات" الذي أخفيه عن عيون عائلتي هرباً من التعليقات الساخرة إبتداءً بإسم هذا الدفتر وإنتهائاً بما يحويه,هناك عدد لا بأس به من المدن والأرياف والمناطق النائية التي ستكون خريطةَ رحلتي ومحطاتها , ستبدأ رحلتي في أمريكا اللاتينية ( قراري الذي أشرت إليه أعلاه ), تسكنني أحياناً أحلام " More...
Feb 09, 2012
Aneen
rated it:
"كل واحد منا يختار درجة اللون كي يحكي قصته الخاصه "
+ ايزابيل اللندي على لسان أورورا
.
أي لون اتخذته هذه الحكاية ؟
كانت هذا السؤال بداية لرائعه أخرى من ابداعات ايزابيل اللندي
ملحمة تشيلية أنيقه عابقه برائحه عطر الغاردينيا وكرمات العنب
حملت الحب الحرب والخيانه على صهوة الزمن الذي مر مخلفاً آثاره في نفس أورورا حفيدة مرت باليتم مرتين ..
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استطاعت ايزابيل وصف الوضع الاجتماعي لتشيلي من بذاخة الحفلات
وتشددات الدين الى ثرثرة العجائز More...
+ ايزابيل اللندي على لسان أورورا
.
أي لون اتخذته هذه الحكاية ؟
كانت هذا السؤال بداية لرائعه أخرى من ابداعات ايزابيل اللندي
ملحمة تشيلية أنيقه عابقه برائحه عطر الغاردينيا وكرمات العنب
حملت الحب الحرب والخيانه على صهوة الزمن الذي مر مخلفاً آثاره في نفس أورورا حفيدة مرت باليتم مرتين ..
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استطاعت ايزابيل وصف الوضع الاجتماعي لتشيلي من بذاخة الحفلات
وتشددات الدين الى ثرثرة العجائز More...
Feb 09, 2012
بثينة
rated it: 
تشكل الرواية حلقة وسط في ثلاثية، بين "ابنة الحظ" و "بيت الأرواح" .. لم أكن مدركة لهذا الأمر في البداية وتساءلت لماذا يبدو كل شيء مألوفاً :)
الرواية جميلة، ولكنني بدأتُ أعتاد على عوالم الليندي، وصرتُ أتكهّن تقريباً بانعطافاتها، وتبدو لي حيلها السردية مكررة في كثير كتبها. الانطباع إياه الذي تركته فيّ قراءة رواية " الجزيرة تحت البحر " ..
لم تدهشني، ربما تدهش آخرين.
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الرواية جميلة، ولكنني بدأتُ أعتاد على عوالم الليندي، وصرتُ أتكهّن تقريباً بانعطافاتها، وتبدو لي حيلها السردية مكررة في كثير كتبها. الانطباع إياه الذي تركته فيّ قراءة رواية " الجزيرة تحت البحر " ..
لم تدهشني، ربما تدهش آخرين.
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Mar 05, 2009
Karima
rated it: 
Read this book because I will be traveling to Chilé in April and am attempting to educate myself. Am somewhat familiar with Allende's writing and am looking forward to seeing her when she comes to Buffalo in April....but this book...: skip it.
It just doesn't work. I can't even accuse the author of trying too hard. I don't think she had her heart in it. The characterization was inconsistent and I found this very confusing. She would flesh someone out in a particular manner (colorful and More...
It just doesn't work. I can't even accuse the author of trying too hard. I don't think she had her heart in it. The characterization was inconsistent and I found this very confusing. She would flesh someone out in a particular manner (colorful and More...
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(1 person liked it)
Nov 06, 2008
Huyen
rated it:
“only passionate people make interesting characters. Nice people with common sense only make good former spouses”.
Keeping that in mind, i usually have high expectations to see rebels, outlaws, eccentrics in Allende’s novels. Much to my disappointment, she fed me with a horde of former spouses. That story kicks off with a character that belongs to the type i hate the most: a teenage girl incredibly beautiful but also endowed with a less than peanut-sized brain who didn’t do anything More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Mai
rated it:
لم تبهرنى الرواية كما أعتادت ايزابيل ان تفعل بى بكتاباتها
لا أعلم
ربما أكتب رأيا واضحا أكثر فيما بعد
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تحديثى لن يضيف الكثير عما قلته سابقا
فقط انا شاكرة جدا لصالح علمانى لترجماته الرائعة للأدب اللاتينى عامة..ولإزابيل خاصة
لاننى جربت ترجمات اخرى
وأدركت فرقا هائلا
يمكننى القول الآن ان اى ترجمة لصالح تعد بالأستمتاع والصدق بدرجة كبيرة جدا More...
لا أعلم
ربما أكتب رأيا واضحا أكثر فيما بعد
******************
تحديثى لن يضيف الكثير عما قلته سابقا
فقط انا شاكرة جدا لصالح علمانى لترجماته الرائعة للأدب اللاتينى عامة..ولإزابيل خاصة
لاننى جربت ترجمات اخرى
وأدركت فرقا هائلا
يمكننى القول الآن ان اى ترجمة لصالح تعد بالأستمتاع والصدق بدرجة كبيرة جدا More...
Feb 09, 2012
*Reem*
rated it:
شيء ما رائع خلفته هذه الروايه في نفسي ...روايه جميله مذهله كما توقعت .جعلتني التهم اسطرها بذهول شديد.لم الحظ الوقت ولا الزمان واصبت بعزله فكريه حتى انهيت اخر اسطرها ....ايزابيل رائعه وكذلك الترجمه ؟ لست ادري ان كانت روايه بيت الرواح تتمه للصوره عتيقه ام لا ؟؟ هذا ما سوف ابحث عنه .اقرأوها و لن تندمو على ذلك
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Jan 02, 2009
Jan
rated it: 
In typical Allende fashion, Portrait in Sepia is crammed with love, desire, tragedy, and dark family secrets, all played out against the dramatic backdrop of revolutionary Chile. Our heroine Aurora del Valle's mother is a Chilean-Chinese beauty, while her father is a dissolute scion of the wealthy and powerful del Valle family. At the heart of Aurora's slow, painful re-creation of her childhood towers one of Allende's greatest fictional creations, the heroine's grandmother, Paulina del Valle. An
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Sep 30, 2011
Fabíola
rated it:
LETRAS ILETRADAS:
http://letrasiletradas.blogspot.com/2011...
PORTRAIT IN SEPIA
Aurora had a life full of interesting moments. Each step, every choice had consequences in the future. Therefore, the simplest decision, taken by the main character or by her parents, determines the growth of a child.
The child is the result of an impossible love. As if in punishment, her birth dictates the death of her mother, the beautiful and irresistible Lynn. The father, Severo D More...
http://letrasiletradas.blogspot.com/2011...
PORTRAIT IN SEPIA
Aurora had a life full of interesting moments. Each step, every choice had consequences in the future. Therefore, the simplest decision, taken by the main character or by her parents, determines the growth of a child.
The child is the result of an impossible love. As if in punishment, her birth dictates the death of her mother, the beautiful and irresistible Lynn. The father, Severo D More...
Apr 06, 2011
Emma
rated it:
I love Isabel Allende's writing: I read Daughter of Fortune and House of the Spirits, and found this one good but not quite up to the quality of the other two; lacking a distinct plot of its own, it mainly serves to tie the other two (standalone) books together. Still, it was an enjoyable book: Allende's character development and writing style are excellent as always, and I'm in the camp that loves to use fiction as a way to learn about the history of other countries, which this one certainly pr
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Aug 11, 2010
Zoë
rated it:
"Portrait in Sepia picks up where Daughter of Fortune left off with Eliza Sommers accepting the apothecary, Tao Chi’en, as her husband after a long quest to find her childhood sweetheart who is lost forever. If Daughter of Fortune is all about the chances taken in youth, Portrait in Sepia is far more regretful manner even while it is told from the point of view of a youthful narrator: Eliza Sommer’s grand-daughter, Aurora del Valle. The narrative of the book revolves around loss, as it ma
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Apr 23, 2009
Belinda
rated it:
I love a good story that spans generations and gets down to the nitty gritty of the characters' foibles and triumphs. Allende delivers on these fronts for me in "Portrait in Sepia."
She has a sophisticated storytelling style that gently spins around the characters, pulling out the littlest fragments of who they are while the life-changing moments that will shape their futures are taking place. A drug addict in the midst of personal crisis is oblivious to the attention of a b More...
She has a sophisticated storytelling style that gently spins around the characters, pulling out the littlest fragments of who they are while the life-changing moments that will shape their futures are taking place. A drug addict in the midst of personal crisis is oblivious to the attention of a b More...
Oct 17, 2007
Emily
rated it:
I've already declared my love for Isabelle Allende's work. Though I wasn't quite as enamored of this as with "Daughter of Fortune", I still found the characters charming and well developed and the story full of humor and magic. This tale picks up where "Daughter of Fortune" left off. The protagonist is the granddaughter of Eliza Sommers and in the book are mentioned a number of characters from both "Daughter of Fortune" and "The House of the Spirits."
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Jul 18, 2011
Peg
rated it:
I loved Daughter of Fortune, which I read years ago and thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up Portrait in Sepia, not realizing at first that it is a sequel, more or less, to Daughter. Isabel Allende writes in a most engaging manner, focusing on the characters, rather than plot. Seeing a family tree in the front of the book gave me momentary unease, thinking that maybe I was going to read a Russian novel, where you can hardly keep the characters straight. That fear proved to be groundless. Portr
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May 04, 2010
David
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 13, 2009
Ria
rated it:
Portret in sepia speelt zich af zowel in San Francisco als in Chili, dat aan het einde van de negentiende eeuw geteisterd wordt door oorlogen en burgerstrijd. De hoofdpersoon van deze roman is Aurora del Valle. Zij lijdt aan een trauma waardoor de eerste vijf jaar van haar leven uit haar geheugen zijn gewist. [return][return]Opgevoed door haar ambitieuze grootmoeder Paulina groeit ze op in een bevoorrecht milieu. Als Aurora, toch al gekweld door afschuwelijke nachtmerries, verraden wordt door de
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Nov 29, 2011
Patrick
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 16, 2010
Mary
rated it:
Me encantan las historias de familia y desde las primeras líneas esta novela me atrapó permitiéndome avanzar incluso cuando algunos relatos me parecieron monótonos y aburridos, llegando casi a perder el hilo principal de la trama.
I love family´s stories and from the first lines this story caught my interest let me continue to the end althoug some part that I found really monotonous and boring, make me feel sometimes lost in the story.
Aunque he criticado la tendencia de la More...
I love family´s stories and from the first lines this story caught my interest let me continue to the end althoug some part that I found really monotonous and boring, make me feel sometimes lost in the story.
Aunque he criticado la tendencia de la More...
Jun 22, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
الصفحة الأولى من الرواية ..
لذا عليَّ أن أعود
إلى أماكن كثيرة قادمة
كي ألتقي بنفسي ،
أتفحّصها دون توقّف ،
دونما شاهد سوى القمر
أصفّرُ بعدها فرحًا
وأنا أطأ حجارة وتُرابًا ،
دونما همّ غير العيش
ودونما أُسرةٍ غير الطريق ..
وانا اقرأ هذه الصفحة قُلت في نفسي ( أخ..:/ هذا هو الشعور الذي أريده !)
في هذه الرواية تتبع إيزابيل قصة إليثا عن طريق حفيدتها أرورا دِل باليه التي تكتب القصة على لسانها .
أرورا التي عاشت حيا More...
لذا عليَّ أن أعود
إلى أماكن كثيرة قادمة
كي ألتقي بنفسي ،
أتفحّصها دون توقّف ،
دونما شاهد سوى القمر
أصفّرُ بعدها فرحًا
وأنا أطأ حجارة وتُرابًا ،
دونما همّ غير العيش
ودونما أُسرةٍ غير الطريق ..
وانا اقرأ هذه الصفحة قُلت في نفسي ( أخ..:/ هذا هو الشعور الذي أريده !)
في هذه الرواية تتبع إيزابيل قصة إليثا عن طريق حفيدتها أرورا دِل باليه التي تكتب القصة على لسانها .
أرورا التي عاشت حيا More...
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Nov 26, 2010
Garrett
rated it:
I thought it would be fun to try out a historical novel as a break from all the fantasy I've been reading. I've enjoyed the last several that I got from my Grandma, so I opened this one and started reading, not even really knowing anything about the author nor having read anything from Ms. Allende before. And, I can say that the book was enjoyable and engaging.
It is written in typical romance style (romance the culture, not the genre), with strong descriptions, beautiful prose, trouble More...
It is written in typical romance style (romance the culture, not the genre), with strong descriptions, beautiful prose, trouble More...
Sep 26, 2011
Mira
rated it:
The book was good but didn't match up to the book jacket description. The main character, Aurora, who is telling this story suffers a trauma in her youth. She is betrayed by the man she loves and decides to uncover her family secret and what caused this trauma. This is all nice and fine except that you don't meet this man until the last 1/4 of the book and the only mention of her trauma is a nightmare that she has. The book is more the retelling of her paternal grandmother's story. This is the f
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Dec 05, 2010
Anna
rated it:
A fascinating story with a admirable, lovable heroine. Allende could have easily portrayed (or accidentally portrayed) Aurora as a spoiled, privileged brat, but she managed to bring real depth and humanity. Aurora was a very convincing narrator, who managed to authentically portray the stories and perspectives of many members of her family. It was fun to put the pieces together, and even to realize her full role in telling that story, as the book progressed.n
Though I could have done More...
Though I could have done More...
Nov 03, 2009
Julie
rated it:
Whew... okay often when I just finish a book I want to give it 5 stars just for the fact that it brought me to the end and kept me interested. This book was an emotional rollercoaster, and if you're in the mood for an emotional rollercoaster, I'd recommend it. I read Daughters of Fortune a couple of months ago, and L-O-V-E-D it. This book ressurects some of the characters but through the eyes of one of their decendants.
The descriptions of travel, Chile, San Francisco, the clothi More...
The descriptions of travel, Chile, San Francisco, the clothi More...
Jun 07, 2011
Linsey
rated it:
Classic Allende
The book starts slowly because of the numerous characters and relationships that you have to sort out. I ended up referring to the very useful family tree nearly every two pages. The characters and settings (San Francisco and Santiago) are richly portrayed, of course, classic Allende. Aurora is fiercely independent and has a complicated history, her adoptive mother is a larger-than-life society denizen and shrewd businesswoman, Frederick is devoted, and others are as richly develo More...
The book starts slowly because of the numerous characters and relationships that you have to sort out. I ended up referring to the very useful family tree nearly every two pages. The characters and settings (San Francisco and Santiago) are richly portrayed, of course, classic Allende. Aurora is fiercely independent and has a complicated history, her adoptive mother is a larger-than-life society denizen and shrewd businesswoman, Frederick is devoted, and others are as richly develo More...
Jul 27, 2008
Wendy
rated it:
My second book to read from this author. I enjoyed revisiting some of the same characters from Daughter of Fortune. The characters in her books never have easy lives, but I guess none of us do. I have learned a lot about Chile from reading her novels.
Sep 09, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
It had been awhile since I read on of Isabel Allende's books, but a trip to Ecuador left me wanting to read something by a South American writer. It didn't take long to remember why I always enjoy her books... interesting characters that are beautiful in their own unique and often flawed ways, and twisting family trees with intertwining branches.
I enjoyed the flow of the book--it was easy to pick up and get back into the story that the fascinating characters were woven into while I was trav More...
I enjoyed the flow of the book--it was easy to pick up and get back into the story that the fascinating characters were woven into while I was trav More...
Jun 04, 2010
Jennannej
rated it:
As always, Isabel Allende writes a beautifully descriptive novel, lush with detail, adventure and romance. Her stories bring you into the characters so that you can't wait to discover what happens with them.
It's not so much a story as a saga. There is no pat beginning, middle and end - just midlife glimpse at a collection of lives that intertwine. The action jumps between Chile (Valparaiso and Santiago) and San Fransisco.
I'd previously read Daughter of Fortune and House More...
It's not so much a story as a saga. There is no pat beginning, middle and end - just midlife glimpse at a collection of lives that intertwine. The action jumps between Chile (Valparaiso and Santiago) and San Fransisco.
I'd previously read Daughter of Fortune and House More...
Feb 20, 2010
Linda
rated it:
This sequel to Daughter of Fortune explores Eliza's granddaughter Aurora's life in Chile. Eliza marries Tao and has two children, Lucky and Lynn. Lynn, the stunningly beautiful mother who falls in love with a cad - Mateas - son of a rich former San Francisco emigrant, Pauline de Valle.
Aurora is the protagonist here. Lynn dies in childbirth leaving Aurora to grow up with Eliza for 5 years, and then Pauline thereafter in Chile. As her mother and grandmother before her, Aurora marries and she disco
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Mar 12, 2009
Chandra
rated it:
The sequel to my beloved and favorite Daughter of Fortune. Nothing could ever match up to that novel, but this was a really great sequel. I was thrilled to continue this intriguing family journey. Very satisfying!
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Apr 20, 2010
Ann
rated it:
I had never read any Isabel Allende before -- but will definitely look for more of her books. I was particularly interested in reading her as she weaves in a lot of Chilean history -- which i am definitely interested in , having made one (my first??) visit there.
This is an epic novel -- telling of generations of the Del Vallee family, their loves, hates, ambitions, manipulations and all the complex relationships. The focus is Aurora del Vallee, a half Chilean, quarter Chinese girl More...
This is an epic novel -- telling of generations of the Del Vallee family, their loves, hates, ambitions, manipulations and all the complex relationships. The focus is Aurora del Vallee, a half Chilean, quarter Chinese girl More...
