Here, in an astonishing debut by a gifted storyteller, is the magnificent saga of proud and passionate men and women and the turbulent times through which they suffer and triumph. They are the Truebas. And theirs is a world you will not want to leave, and one you will not forget.

Esteban -- The patriarch, a volatile and proud man whose lust for land is legendary and who is haunted by his tyrannical passion for the wife he can never completely possess.

Clara -- The matriarch, elusive and mysterious, who foretells family tragedy and shapes the fortunes of the house of the Truebas.

Blanca -- Their daughter, soft-spoken yet rebellious, whose shocking love for the son of her father's foreman fuels Esteban's everlasting contempt... even as it produces the grandchild he adores.

Alba -- The fruit of Blanca's forbidden love, a luminous bearty, a fiery and willful woman... the family's break with the past and link to the future.

I've been teaching one of Allende's short stories, "An Act of Vengeance," for a few semesters (my students consistently love it), and decided that I should finally read one of her novels. Many people compare her to Marquez, and 100 Years of Solitude is one of my favorite novels, but I think Allende manages to do it even better. (IMHO, The House of the Spirits has a much stronger and more powerful ending than 100 Years of Solitude.)

The characters are so real, and so well developed, and written with such compassion. It's amazing how Allende can write Trueba, the villain for most of the novel, with such empathy. The main characters, the three generations of women at the center are vivid, strong, but at times tragically flawed.

Allende deftly transforms this novel from being about one family to an entire country. She tells the history of Chile though the history of the Truebas, and the lessons, though heavily influenced by her own politics and family, emerge organically from the story rather than sounding like a lecture.

This book is very long, but a very quick read, and kept me sleepless for two nights as I stayed awake to finish it.

Isabel Allende's books are all very realistic, but include some elements of magical realism. This book has a little more graphic violence than the others that I have read, but it sticks very closely to the realities of the period in which it is based in history. I highly recommend this book.

I thought this was a very good book, considering I had to read it for school. At first I thought I would not enjoy it because it was very wordy and there were a LOT of characters that seemed to have no real importance, but as I continued reading, I realized that it was a very well thought out and well written novel. I wish that I were fluent in spanish so that I could read the original version, but the english translation will have to suffice. I highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in Latin American politics and communisim, but also to anyone who is looking for a challenging and intriguing read.

I went into this book thinking I was going to hate it. I generally don't like required readings for school so I assumed this was just going to be another pointless book. It was actually quite interesting. If you have ever seen the movie "My Family," it really reminds me of that. It has a similar style because it explores several people's stories.

Essentially, this book is a compilation of many different tales that intertwine and explore different themes but end up being related in a way that is difficult to describe.

If I had to pick one message to describe what this book is about, I would say it is that family members don't necessarily have to have similar beliefs and agendas to love each other. The revolution in Chile separates the Trueba family to the point of hatred for one another but each member of the family ends up regretting things and treasuring the things that they share with each other in order to make each other happier, better people. Each person lives on as a spirit in the big house on the corner.

I am currently at my aunt's house and she has seen the movie so we are going to rent it. I just hope it is as good as the book. I honestly didn't know there was a movie.

Could "The House of the Spirits" be the greatest rip-off in the history of literature?

It's like Ms. Allende read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" one day and thought, "You know, I really like this story and the way that it's written, except that there's not enough socialism and female empowerment in it. Hmmm...I KNOW, I think I'll REWRITE IT to include more of these aspects and change the characters' and places' names and the title so people will think it's my own book." Well, she did it. It's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" all over again, more politically-correct and less well-written.

And now this book is studied in the prestigious International Baccalaureate English program by the smartest and most motivated high school students. It's a sign of the times, where books like this and "Mother to Mother" by Sindiwe Magona are studied over genuine classics in the name of political correctness.