Questions About The House of the Spirits

by Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (19)

If you were to give this book a movie rating (G, PG, PG-13 or R), what would it be, and why? I'm a highly sensitive person and don't do well reading books with violence, graphic descriptions of medical issues, or sex scenes. Thanks for the heads up! No spoilers, please!

Ashley Will A very hard R because there is multiple depictions of rape, sexual contact by an adult with a young child, and an abortion procedure scene that made m…moreA very hard R because there is multiple depictions of rape, sexual contact by an adult with a young child, and an abortion procedure scene that made me squirm. Definitely not a good book to read with all of those issues that you mentioned. This book definitely made me uncomfortable to read and I took breaks and I feel like I read it slower than other books of the same page length. (less)

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When could someone start reading this?

Dulze Due to some content I would think 14+ that’s when I read it first, and again now 30 years later and I can honestly say I appreciated the book more at …moreDue to some content I would think 14+ that’s when I read it first, and again now 30 years later and I can honestly say I appreciated the book more at this level of maturity.(less)

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Do I need to read the first two books in this series (the Del Valle Family series) to get a solid, fulfilling read out of this one?

Kristy Vanderburg I was slightly confused too. Goodreads has it listed as #3 in the trilogy although it was published first.

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what is the theme of this story?

Alexander the desire for power and how it changes people.

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

Pande The book mentions that it was a butcher.

"It was said that [Barrabás] would not stop growing, and that if a butcher's cruelty had not put an end to his…moreThe book mentions that it was a butcher.

"It was said that [Barrabás] would not stop growing, and that if a butcher's cruelty had not put an end to his existence, he would have reached the size of a camel." (Chapter 1)

"The crowd cleared to either side, making a path for Barrabás, who staggered out blacker and larger than ever with a butcher's knife stuck in his back clear to the hilt" (Chapter 3, at Clara's wedding)(less)

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