Eva Luna
by Isabel Allende, Carmen Durand, Claude Durand
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2591)
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Narcissists
Perhaps it is merely a reflection of my feebleness as a reader that I assume the basic conceit of any first person novel is for the author to be the narrator, more or less. In my defense, this book is dedicated to Allende's mother. And the story itself is about a girl who loses her mother and loves her mother deeply and has all kinds of wooooonderful adventures, only to discover writing and have even more maaaaaaagical adventures, and become highly successful, and be pursued by a general and als...more
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Read in February, 2008
When I finished it, this book reminded me of a Charles Dickens life tale in which everything kind of comes together. The large cast of characters tie up nicely in the end, a love story that even ends similarly to Great Expectations in that there are almost two endings: the real and the imagined, the happy and the sad.
There's a richness to the language, but a melodrama to the plot. I'm still kind of on the fence on this book. At times, it did read like a harlequin, but at others it was pro...more
There's a richness to the language, but a melodrama to the plot. I'm still kind of on the fence on this book. At times, it did read like a harlequin, but at others it was pro...more
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Read in April, 2002
I liked it, but I feel like some of the magic was lost reading it in English instead of Spanish. I'd like to read it over again in the right language to get the full effect. I don't remember it that well - the story bounces around all over the place, following a man and woman as they have... well, bizarre experiences in their separate lives. Very hard to get into for a while there. It doesn't all start to come together until this one moment near the end when you realize both of their lives have ...more
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Read in February, 2008
I read this book to give Isabelle Allende a second chance after being unable to finish Daughter of Fortune. Although she still has not quite won me over, I think that Eva Luna showcased the author's strength - words and descriptions that are lyrical, encompassing and lyrical in their own right. Because what I appreciate about Allende's work is her descriptive style I think her work is almost like poetry which does not work as well in long form especially in a story that has a strong plot (or a...more
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Read in June, 2007
This is the first book by Isabel Allende that I've read and I can totally see myself getting addicted to her writing...That, and my mother has sent me about 10 of her books to read here in Malaysia. But I stayed up all night last night just to finish the last half of the book, and that usually means that I really like it. The story is about two people who fall in love, but the story is about thier lives before they meet. The sto...more
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Read in June, 2007
While this book was, at times, powerfully written and while I didn't have as much of an aversion to the "mystical realism" (Janaki's categorization) bit as I thought I would, I also didn't feel all that moved by the story. I identified with the characters, especially early on, but the obsession with pinning down the kind of falling in love they were all doing was kind of annoying- the exaggerated romp in the sheets with a cherubic pair of female cousins who smelled like cloves, lemon, ...more
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Read in April, 2008
"Reality is a jumble we can't always measure or decipher, because everything is happening at the same time."
Allende is brilliant, and I was very happy to have this book as a distraction during one of the most heartbreaking weeks of my life. When I thought I would go crazy because I couldn't concentrate on anything, I would turn to Allende's beautiful, magical, wonderful storytelling to forget that I am losing half of my soul for a little while. As all of her stories, this one is ma...more
Allende is brilliant, and I was very happy to have this book as a distraction during one of the most heartbreaking weeks of my life. When I thought I would go crazy because I couldn't concentrate on anything, I would turn to Allende's beautiful, magical, wonderful storytelling to forget that I am losing half of my soul for a little while. As all of her stories, this one is ma...more
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Read in January, 2007
Though not putting me in thrall, this book generally kept my attention. I enjoyed several of the characters without feeling that their portrayals were especially compelling or enlightening. The plot meandered and different episodes of Eva's life were often disjoint. Greater depth of characters, especially Eva herself, and plot continuity would be desirable. However, there were some great scenes, such as the visit of Riad's cousin.
Judging from one book, Allende seems to be a competent writ...more
Judging from one book, Allende seems to be a competent writ...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Allegra by:
Free-Box!recommends it for: People who like mangoes
I could not put down this masterfully written romance (and by romance, I do not mean slobbery mush-fest, endless lust, or repetitve thrusting "love" scenes). The book is chock-full of rich and layered culture, the characters are complex and lovable, the situations the heroine finds herself in are intriguing, and the messages are inspiring. The author patches fascinating tidbits from history flawlessly together with deep emotion and the most fanciful of fantasies. I loved it, I read ...more
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Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
those who enjoy magical realism
Eva Luna was a solid read, which follows Allende's usual pattern of joining political conflict, magical realism, and tales of passionate romances. It's a sensual read, which lingers mostly on Eva's romantic trials and tribulations, but also does some exploring of dictatorships, the role of the guerrilla, and acceptance of homosexuality in society. I love her writing style, and recommend her to those interested in the cultures and fictions of Latin America. For those capable, I highly recommen...more
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Read in August, 2007
Such a collision of steamy sex, political upheaval, self-discovery, and trans-sexualism!
I have to say that I was greatly entertained by this book, what with all the young lovers going at it "incansablemente" and the heroine and her friends being subjected to the somewhat sordid depths of Allende's crazy imagination. Allende also seems to have a habit of letting her heroines hook up with thinly veiled famous revolutionaries (it was Victor Jarra in Casa de los Espiritus, and here see...more
I have to say that I was greatly entertained by this book, what with all the young lovers going at it "incansablemente" and the heroine and her friends being subjected to the somewhat sordid depths of Allende's crazy imagination. Allende also seems to have a habit of letting her heroines hook up with thinly veiled famous revolutionaries (it was Victor Jarra in Casa de los Espiritus, and here see...more
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Read in February, 2005
recommends it for:
Yes
Awesome Book but don't forget to take your Ritalin before reading this book, if you have a hard time keeping up with too many characters in a Plot, you will need to OD on Ritalin before starting this book, trust me you will need it! This will be a great movie someday, the characters are rich, but it woulf have been better if some of the smaller characters, someday get their own book, here is a suggestion Ms. Allende!
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recommends it for:
Men who don't often read women authors
I guess you have to have an appreciation for the mystical in order to enjoy this book, though I normally don't care at all for the mystical. I don't read fantasy, sci-fi, or most others who include fantasy and the mystical in their writings.
But Isabelle Allende just lures me in with her sensual, interesting, exciting and occasionaly sexual tales. To my mind she's an amazing woman, great to hear interviewed, and repeatedly writes fascinating books. Read this one before reading Tales of Eva Luna....more
But Isabelle Allende just lures me in with her sensual, interesting, exciting and occasionaly sexual tales. To my mind she's an amazing woman, great to hear interviewed, and repeatedly writes fascinating books. Read this one before reading Tales of Eva Luna....more
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Read in April, 2007
I spent far too long working my way through Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. Allende is a wonderful writer, and I really enjoyed the book whenever I was working on it, but the plot shifts between SO MANY characters that every time I'd take a break and return to the book, I'd be all confused about who the current character was, and I'd have to backtrack to make sense of what was going on. Regardless, a good book, though I'd pick House of the Spirits over t
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Read in August, 2007
I read "Mi Pais Inventado" in the original, and I liked Allende's style enough that I'm considering going back and struggling through this in the Spanish too. This story takes place in a beautifully drawn, complex world - a world that has smells and flavors and textures - but the plot covers decades at a full sprint, and by the end I felt a little breathless and worn out. Maybe the trick is to read it slower.
I just want to note that this may be some of my favorite cover art ever.
I just want to note that this may be some of my favorite cover art ever.
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Read in February, 2008
Don't get me wrong, I love Isabel Allende, she makes me want to run off to South America and have passionate affairs with exotic men but this isn't her best book. Where The House of the Spirits was an extraordinary tale of a family that spans generations with plenty of magical realism to boot, Eva Luna is a somewhat disjointed tale of a heady girl during the nation's revolution - sure, she sleeps around, and talks to her mother's spirit, but it's not nearly as beautiful or gripping.
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Read in November, 2004
recommends it for:
people who like a good yarn
I'll admit that part of my love for this book is due to the fact that I read it while riding a bus across South Africa. That aside, it's amazing. Allende weaves bizarre characters and situations together in a travel novel that tells of an uncertain, topsy turvy Chile that is still nonetheless beautiful and engaging. I love to return to this book. Although it's not as strong in my mind as other Allende books like House of Spirits or Portrait in Sepia, it's a definite great read.
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recommends it for:
Liz
This was fun to read. Isabel Allende is so funny! I love all the little stories within the story in this book, like the Portugese man who mines gold with his chickens who are attracted to shiny things, or Eva's anecdotes about mens' noses. I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did, I liked it alot. I would recommend House of the Spirits first though, so you can fall in love with Isabel before you dive into this one.
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Read in April, 2007
I must say I was drawn into this book from the beginning. For over half the book Allende shares the lives of various characters who have yet to cross paths. She slowly begins to weave their lives together and finishes with an interesting ending. While I wasn’t really disappointed with the end, I was definitely left wanting a bit more. It was one of those books that left me wondering why authors choose certain endings.
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I love reading Allende. I get that 'guilty pleasure' feeling reading her sometimes bc she often walks the line of being a smarter, better-politicked, more spiritual Danielle Steele, and it's awesome. This one was her first. It has some holes for sure, but I flew through it the way I always do with Allende's stuff, constantly seeking that next moment I can read another chapter.
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