This book will make you cry and laugh and everything in between. The first half of the book is a letter to her daughter written in the hope that she will wake from her coma. In fear that Paula will not remember her past Isabel Allende tells her the true story of their family. The second half is a farewell to Paula. It is a story of love and loss in many aspects. Love and loss of family, of country, and of life. It is gripping to read of people who have had to live in exile and find their way without the safety of being able to go "home." It is even more beautiful to find that their home is found wherever they are. This book should be read by mothers, daughters, immigrants, and anyone decending from people who have lived through persecution, exile, or political turmoil.

I first read Isabel Allende when my friend's mother recommended "The House of the Spirits." Later, I told my friend's mother how much I had enjoyed the novel. On that occasion she handed me her copy of "Paula," saying, "Hear. Read this." I obliged. "Paula" is the author's autobiography, written for her daughter, as she tries to nurse her daughter through a rare illness that has left her comatose. Allende visits the events in her past as she copes with the present. "Paula" moved me on many different levels. Allende's story of her own past is captivating. Her present day struggle to heal her daughter is heartwrenching. Despite the sadnesses of the book, it is a book that affirms life. I read it whenever I feel have wallowed in self-pity for too long. It reminds me that it is I who am in charge of my destiny. After crying the many tears I cry when I read "Paula," I feel cleansed, rejuvenated, and ready to live life again.

I did not expect to enjoy "Paula" when my English teacher described it as a book full of little stories about the author's life and family. Adding in the fact that it was translated from Spanish, I assumed that I had a long and unenjoyable assignment to complete. But my assumptions were wrong. The translation is wonderful - the writing is smoother that many books first written in English. And the beginning, with funny little anecdotes concerning various family members is very entertaining. Later the book shifts over to focus on Isabel's life, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed wondering what she would do next, from writing in a feminist's magazine, to enlisting superstitious cleaning rituals in order to make a failing business succeed. When I was finished, I was only dissapointed that it had to end - I hope Allende will update us in a few years! I would recommend this to anyone that wants to read about a family and life so funny and interesting it almost belongs in a novel (sometimes it doesn't seem real!) Very fun, and a quick and easy read!

This is not a feminist novel in the politically correct fashion, yet still enables an integrity in the women that is rarely seen. Isabel Allende has extraordinary ability to tell stories that reflect emotions so strongly that the characters become a part of you. I don't recall how many times I've read this book. I'll read a favorite story before I go to sleep for pleasant dreams, or the whole book from time to time. Everytime I borrow the book out, my recipient has enjoyed it so much that I end up giving the book to them. Read this book, and realize the beauty of Allende's world.

After being recommended this book by a friend, I sought out to find it. My bookstore only had Eva Luna in stock so I bought that and read it. For me, Eva Luna was a bit boring and not everything I expected so it was with hesitance that I decided to purchase The Stories of Eva Luna. But am I glad I did! Each story each worth reading, I could not put the book down and read it in two days. It has got to be one of the best books I have ever read. Magical, witty and full of imagination, Isabel Allende is truly a great author.

Anyone wishing to read a book of stories that mesmerizes you like the first stories you ever heard need look no further than this superb collection. The framing premise is that Eva and her lover Rolf have relaxed after an amorous encounter, and now Rolf wishes Eva to tell him a story ("Make it up for me," he tells her). From the bed, Eva spins 23 amazing stories drawing from fairy tales, magic realism, the chaotic history of Latin America, and the reality (including dream reality) of women's contemporary and past lives. Varying broadly in their setting and characters, the stories remain unified in their unflinchingly tough-minded view of life, filtered through the wish fulfillments of a tempestuous seductress. Using the inspiration of The Thousand Nights and a Night, Allende refracts the empowerment of women in a male-infested world through the lens of the power of words. The stories have a cumulative impact, but individual titles that stand out to this reader include "The Little Heidelberg," "Walimai," "If You Touched My Heart," "The Judge's Wife," "Our Secret," "Ester Lucero," and the wrenching final story, "And of Clay Are We Created" (with an ending similar to Woody Allen's Radio Days). Having been stranded on the flotsam of political chaos herself, Allende acutely details shifts in the characters' fates as citizens of impoverished and disempowered cultures. Moreover, the notion that postmodern narrative offers style but little feeling or substance is disproved by this author and book. Highly recommended

I really enjoyed House of Spirits while i was reading it. I thought it was one of the best books and had some of the most original and interesting characters I had ever encountered in a work of literature. After I finished reading it, I immediately read Eva Luna, another one of Isabelle Allende's book. If I had not read Eva Luna, House of Spirits would probably be one of my favorite books. However, I discovered that the characters in Eva Luna parallel the characters in House of Spirits so much, that I could not get past that while reading Eva Luna. In the end I was disgusted by both books. Although, I cannot forget how much I enjoyed reading House of Spirits. So, I only recommend reading House of Spirits if you are really fond of Isabelle Allende's characters or you have not yet read something by Isabelle Allende. I surmised that Isabelle Allende's characters are based on real people and to write about them is a form of personal exploration for her. I think it was interesting of her to do that in one novel, but annoying having to read about recycled characters.

Yes, this novel bears great similarities to Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" but that's like saying that my family is similar to other Hispanic families! Besides which, that novel is about men whereas "House of the Spirits" is very much about the women in the family - the male characters are important but they revolve around the women. I'd read "Of Love and Shadows" (in Spanish) in one day - couldn't set it down - so when my cousin gave me a translated (English) copy of "House..." I plunged in. Years later, I re-read it in Spanish and was amazed by the fact that it had lost nothing in the translation!

I LOVE this book: the characters, the story remain a part of me to this day, I think of them often even though I last read "House..." at least ten years ago. If you're into magic realism or just want a taste of Latin American family life, this is your book. Then go seek out "Of Love and Shadows" (my favorite heart-wrenching love story of all time), "Eva Luna", "Cuentos de Eva Luna", etc. I don't think you can remain untouched by the characters and the stories they emerge from.

House of the Spirits is a rare concoction of every passion known to man and woman. I was drawn to read this book in an unremarkable way, but it's story has made a profound effect on me. Each element of passion (power, family, love, race, and spirituality) flow both independantly as well as separately. The movie version should not be seen. This is a tale that must be told between the words and your mind.

Barry Brukoff has done a truly fine job of capturing the essence of Machu Picchu. I've told many that you cannot convey the feeling of this place in photos, but Brukoff proves that you can. His photos made me feel as though I was back there, discovering the majesty of the site and indulging in a leisurely and personal exploration of the details that delighted me during my visit, details that those on quick tourist jaunts usually miss. Visually, this book is five stars. Neruda's poetry, however, missed the mark for me. An earlier reviewer picked out the best of it and included those lines in his review (see below). I only wish it all worked that well. Personally, I would have preferred excerpts from Neruda's work and excerpts from the writings of Hiram Bingham (Bingham was the man who discovered the site in 1911).

Whether or not you ever visit, or think you might want to visit Machu Picchu, I highly recommend this gorgeous book to you. The combination of its poetry, photography, and design wonderfully connect us to a distant and mysterious culture which we understand little about today.

Machu Picchu, hidden high in the Andes, was never found by Pizarro and his conquistadors. The city was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Recently, landslides have made entry much more difficult, and the whole area is at risk to being lost. Should that occur, this wonderful volume will serve as a fitting tribute.

Other than the fact that the rocks themselves were considered sacred, we know little about the purpose of Machu Picchu. Clearly, it was very important to the Incas. Otherwise, no one would have put such an enormous effort into creating a city among the clouds, carved out of solid rock. Because some walls have holes cut in them that allow light into certain interior spaces only on one day a year, it is thought that the area, in part, served an astronomical purpose.

The Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, created an emotional poem called "The Heights of Machu Picchu" in which he captured our connection to the thousands who lived and toiled to make Machu Picchu . . . and are no more. In 1984, photographer Barry Brukoff hiked in over the original Inca road, to capture the scene with Neruda's poem in his backpack. The result of this trip are the remarkable, spiritual photographs in this book. You will feel like you have been there, will identify with what you see, and will make closer contact through Neruda's poem:

"True being was threshed like kernels of corn in the inexhaustible/granary of lost deeds, of memorable efforts . . . ."

"In you, like two parallel lines,/the cradle of lightning and humanity/rocking together in a thorny wind."

" . . . [Y]ou imploded as in a single autumn/into a single death."

"Today the empty air no longer weeps . . . ."

"The dead kingdom lives on."

"Stone upon stone, and man, where was he?"

"Give me back the slaves you buried!"

"Come up, brother, and be born with me."

" . . . [A]nd let my tears flow, hours, days, years,/through sightless ages, starry Autumn."

If you can read Spanish, the poem is published in both languages, side by side.

The photographs make great use of the high mountain air, changing weather conditions, and the differing light of day and night. Brukoff has also created some very stylish effects with filters and tints, in addition to breathtaking color. Many photographers are good at duotone or color, but few are masters of both. Brukoff is the rare example of this dual skill. A nice tough is the way that the book is bound in linen, and there is a rough edging to frame each image . . . to give the book an almost scrapbook-like feel. The photographic reproductions are superb and well worth the price of the book.

My favorite images included: Morning Sun and Fog; The Temple of the Moon; The Grand Rock Shrine (two views); Royal Mausoleum beneath the Torreon; Central Plaza through Three Windows Wall (first version); Sacred Plaza; Central Plaza and Fog; Agricultural Terrace; The Inti Huatana; The Condor Stone; View of the Inti Huatana Area -- Sacred Rocks Echoing the Mountains to the East; A Stone Ring; Machu Picchu at Sunset; and The Watchman's Hut at Dawn (cover image).

The book also has a helpful prologue by Ms. Isabel Allende which sets the scene for the book's contents.

The feeling of connection to the Incas, to the mountains, and to the sky are strong here. I felt a calmness fill my mind and heart as I caressed each part of the poem and each image with my eyes.

What great things we can accomplish . . . when we have a mighty purpose and connect to our sense of beauty!

Very poor book. Isabel Allende seems to have lost her way with this one. For some reason it doesn't flow, it is a mish mash of ideas and stories and strayed too far from what she is very good at.

Definitely not one of her good ones.

Great story from the 1960's Vietnam war and Los angeles in the 60's, a white boy in the heart of Los Angeles mexican district
very cool, you won't stop reading this one.

Esto no es un libro, yo mas bien lo llamaria una experiencia. Nunca fui muy fanatico de Isabel pero este libro me convencio de su maravillosa pluma y sin dejar de mencionar esa bella narrativa que no deja que pares de leer.

I loved the House of Spirits, and count it among my top favorites, but Eva Luna was disappointing. The book begins fairly well, then teeters off into a dreamy poorly written romance novel where Allende lives vicariously through the heroine. Allende's character development and plot was unoriginal and unrealistic, and towards the end her writing style left a lot to be desired.

Isabel Allende wrote Eva Luna in a way that would keep the readers wondering what happens next. I got trapped reading the story because I wanted to know what happened to the characters. Allende talked about a different character of the story until the last few chapters of the book and then she put them together. Every character that Allende wrote about in the book was somehow connected to the life of Eva Luna. By the time I got to the second chapter, I had already figured out the ending of the book, I thought.

Eva Luna's mother, Consuelo, brought up a good question when she talked to the nuns at the church where she had been sent: "Yes, but who had the say in heaven, God or his Mama?" For some reason that question just stuck in my mind. I think Allende wrote this in her story to show that Consuelo had a questioning mind, although people thought that she was silly. Eva Luna was six years old when her mother died, and she instantly became an orphan. A man said that he was going to leave Eva Luna everything, "Write in my will Pastor. I want this little girl to be my sole heir. Everything is to go to her when I die." Allende creates sympathy for Eva because the Pastor did not write in the will what the man had wanted for her. All of the people who worked in the man's house had ot go find more work for themselves. The government did not know of Eva Luna's existence until she got Riad Halabi to pay someone to get her some type of papers. Eva worked very hard when she was a little child. People said that they would teach her how to read, but they never seemed to have the time. When Eva finally learned how to write and read she said "Writing was the best thing that had happened to me in all my life; I was euphoric." Through out Eva's life she told stories to people who would listen to her. As she learned how to write, she started to write down her stories. She ended up being a writer as she became an adult. Allende has written a story that expresses a child's life and lets the readers watch her grow up. I got confused by some of the Spanish words that Allende used. There were a couple of other words that she used that confused me, but it did not take away from the book. I think that if I reread the book, I would pick up on things that I missed the first time. There was one time during the book that I was confused about the idenity of a couple of her characters. I had to go back and find whick name she used for a certain character when she would bring them back into the story.

Isabel Allende held my attention through out the book. I felt that I could relate to the characters of the story because I know how hard it is when you move from place to place. Allende gave me an excellent picture of what she was writting about. I liked the fact that she used a large cast of characters in her story. I think that it added to the book. I enjoyed reading about how hard it was for Eva Luna to receive an education, and what she did with it afterward.

Are you looking to add some vivid color into your life? Isabel Allende's literary and highly imaginative writing style will captivate and and delight you in this highly visual and sensual novel. I found this book to be much better and less formulaic than the HOUSE OF SPIRITS was. The character is fully fleshed out and seems more real; perhaps because the protagonist is a woman, Eva Luna herself, and in the other book, Allende offers the narrative through a domineering and somewhat obtuse man's eyes. The growth of Eva Luna is beautifually told and readers will identify with her throughout. This evocative novel set my imagination on fire and made all the colors in my world appear brighter while I was reading it.

I read this book when I was 20, and loved it. It is a great story about life, death, family, friends, war, and everything else you can think of.

Isabel Allende manages beautifly to mingle fiction with reality, and tells the story of a family, and especially the relationship between a girl, who is telling the story, her mother and her grandmother. They are not the only characters in the book, and, as in real life, the story is filled with many different people that come through the door of anyones life, some stay for just a few seconds, some become best friends, some even enemies. But, even with so many different characters, they are very complex, yet very simple and real, which makes you laugh and cry along with them all through the book.

I loved this book in part because it is an excellent story, but also because it gave me an insight of what was happening in Chile during the 20th century, and how the people that lived through it were able to make it, and also because it showed me that the people we love are never gone from our lives, even if their physical selves are no longer with us.

"The House of the Spirits" gives the reader an extraordinary view of 20th century Chilean history. Through the Trueba family and the myriad characters that drift in and out of their lives, we see so many of the elements of the political and class struggle that continues until this day. Beginning with the landowner vs. tenant worker conflict and culminating with the left-wing vs. right-wing political/social conflict, we are given a glimpse into the inner workings of a country in turmoil. We see the horror of the Conservatives when a Marxist government is democratically elected, and their terror when the coup they so finely crafted becomes a dictatorship as terrible as they expected the Communists to be. Neither the left nor the right were winners--only the military.

I lived for several years in Chile during the 1990's. Even though Chile is emerging as a stable, fairly democratic economy, the political struggle remains. I could never grasp the true essence of my Chilean friends' passionate hatred for or passionate support of the Pinochet regime until I read this book. I always marveled that there was no middle ground. Now I understand why.

Isabelle Allende's first novel is still one of her greatest ones. With humanity and compassion she writes about 3 generations of a family in a country that is a barely disguised Chile (Pablo Neruda is The Poet, while her uncle Allende is either The Candidate or The President). There's the Conservative grandfather who assists in the coup when the country might go Communist, the otherworldy grandmother, the mother who has sex with a peasant laborer and the granddaughter who tells the story.

Even the villains have humanity and a place for redemption. Over time, people soften and lose their angry natures. Only the country becomes more chaotic as teh people work out their problems (or one is predicated on the other)

This is a beautiful book and better than my meager words could describe. Not only is it a triumph for Magical Realism but also humanity. Allende's other books are pretty good as well.

Oh yeah. Don't watch the movie if you've read this book. If you've already seen the movie watch a lot of Terminator ripoffs before you read this book so that the imagery of that horrible thing doesn't get in the way of this book.

Allende's newest endeavor speaks volumes about the need to enjoy life through as many senses as possible. Her narrative style and imaginative descriptions make the reader feel sexy in the kitchen and erotic in the dining room. She shows how food, like people, can be comforting as well as sensous. I really enjoyed this book for its playfulness and its success in putting the erotica back into a good meal shared.

Far from being just a cookbook,this is an exploration into the human heart. A well done blend of humor,history,and sensuality, this book exceeded my expectations. Isabel Allende enlightens us with many interesting stories,and recipes,and opens her heart to her readers. I found this book very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone.

A wonderful, sensual read full of things that will make you lick your lips and laugh out loud. I enjoyed this book much more than Eva Luna, although elements (such as the aphrodisiac stew) can be found in Eva Luna. Her narrative style in Aphrodite is enjoyable and easy to read, almost like a conversation in the kitchen. I've made the Osso Bucco, Rice Pudding, and Coq au Vin. Beware the Rice Pudding, it will go straight to your thighs (in more ways than one!)!

I wish someone had told me this book was in Spanish.

This is an excellent book that took me a long time to read not being a native speaker of spanish, but I found it to be one of the best books I have read in a foriegn language. Este libro es bueno, pero era muy dificil por alguna persona que no habla español como un nativo.

In this book, the author achieves a perfect combination between love and terror, two topics which at first sight seem completely impossible to place together. Two stories in one are presented in this novel: the love affair between Francisco and Irene and the horror of the military ruling at the time. A young girl who disappears glues these two together, as the couple go through "the shades" in their quest for the truth about the matter. The horror they will face will change them forever, while strenghtening their love affair minute after minute...

Like many other reviewers, I have also read The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune. My enjoyment of Ms. Allende's work has decreased with each novel. The House of the Spirits is an excellent book: very well researched, vivid, funny, passionate and memorable. Daughter of Fortune got off to a good start, but languished in the second half of the book. I was one of the few people I knew who didn't like the book very much. Portrait in Sepia continues the decline. Ms. Allende appears to have done very little research to back up her writing this time, despite the fact that there are many sources to turn to when writing about, for example, San Francisco and Chinatown at the turn of the century. Her characters are so underdeveloped that I had no feeling for any of them - my favorite character was the English butler-turned-husband, whose role was relatively minor (although all of the characters seemed minor...). She must have had a deadline to meet or perhaps she's lost her passion for writing because there is little in Portrait to remind me of the brilliance of The House of the Spirits.

When I finished reading 'Daughter of Fortune' I had a profound sense of letdown: the exhilarating trip through the unique character's fascinating lives was over, yet there were no resolutions to the major conflicts of the novel. I felt that the narrative had stopped abruptly, rather than concluded in any satisfactory way. I wondered if Allende had been under some sort of pressure to finish this novel and get it to publication. I awaited the publication of 'Portrait in Sepia' eagerly,I was still enamored and involved with the characters in 'Daughter of Fortune', even though 'Portrait in Sepia' is not exactly a sequel, jumping forward the backward in time, I was eager for some answers about what exactly had happened to Tao Chien, Eliza, Paulina and Severo. Finishing 'Portrait in Sepia' left me with a familiar sense of let down; though I devoured it, reading from cover to cover, bouncing back and forth from Chile to San Francisco, I finished unsatisfied. I have resolved to re-read 'House of the Spirits' for more details of the de Valle family history. My frustration at the lack of conventional plotting does nothing to dim my enthusiasm for Allende's writing, which is, as always, lyrical and magical. I am amazed that the poetry and the flow of her language survives translation time and again. As long as she continues to invent characters this vivid and three dimensional and as long as her language lilts and soars in this fashion, I will continue reading her happily. However, I hope that in future writing she might confine herself to a smaller canvas, a story that can be told whole in a single novel.

This book is made exquisite by the author's use of magic realism, historical events, and previously introduced characters woven together to create yet another photograph, if you will, of a woman seeking the truth or her past. I have always loved Isabelle Allende's work for her attention to detail in her main characters. Although at times she uses magic realism to enhance her characters it is always very clear how each part of their life has effected them and has lead them to the place at which they (or the book) end. I have read House of Spirits, Daughter of Fortune, Eva Luna, and The Letters of Eva Luna and was amazed at the imagination Allende exibits in Portrait of Sepia. She uses her trade mark character detail and magic realism to weave together two of her earlier works in a way that captivates her readers and again leaves you wanting more. I personally adore her endings because, although they are not grand and do not necassarily tie up all the pieces, they leave the reader with the sense that the characters are not fictional people who's life ends with a happily ever after at the end of the book. Allende makes her characters believable to the extent that it seems logical that they and their impact on their world do not fit into a single work, but span different books and different stories.