The House of the Spirits
The House of the Spirits is the debut feature of the Chilean author Isabel Allende. It is a magical realism novel that was published in Barcelona by the Plaza & Janés publishing house in 1982. At the time, the work was the protagonist of a great controversy: on the one hand, because it reveals Allende's political inclinations ; and on the other: her blood connection with President Salvador Guillermo Allende.
This first novel by Isabel Allende has been translated into several languages. It also has multiple theatrical adaptations and a film directed by Bille August. The film features performances by Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Antonio Banderas, and Winona Ryder.
Synopsis of The House of the Spirits
Main plot of the play
The House of the Spirits tells the story of the Trueba family from the beginning of the 70th century to the XNUMXs —which encompasses four generations of this lineage—. The plot reveals how the members of the house are involved in political and social movements that began during the post-colonial period in Chile. The facts also revolve around the wonderful, ghosts, social classes, love and family.
The beginning
The novel begins with an anecdote told in Clara del Valle's diary., a book in which she used to write her experiences, and which she called "Life's Writing Notebook". This text is a fundamental instrument in the work, because the characters are going to resort to it in the future. After the story, a scandal that occurred at a mass in the capital of an anonymous Latin American country is told, which helps to set the tone for the entire work.
A fatal blow that changed everything
Esteban Trueba is the main link in the family. When I was young I used to be poor. To get out of that socioeconomic state and thus be able to marry Rosa del Valle, he traveled to the mines. The father of the desired lady is Severo del Valle, a gentleman with political aspirations.
In Esteban's absence, Rosa is poisoned by mistake. —the poison that killed her was for her father. The causes of the tragedy were Severo's opponents, who were trying to prevent him from winning the elections. The love, who is described as an irascible man with a tendency to revenge, he is devastated when he learns of the death of his beloved.
To avoid falling into depression due to Rosa's absence, the young decides to travel to his father's old hacienda, a big house called Las Tres Marías. After 10 years, the property prospers exponentially and makes Esteban rich. However, the bad character of the man causes the workers to accumulate negative feelings against him.
A death and a marriage
Esteban's mother dies but for him it was as if nothing really important had happened—not like his beloved. Shortly after his death, the man returns to the capital. There, he is reunited with the del Valle family. Subsequently makes the decision to marry Clara, the youngest of Severo's daughters and Rosa's sister.
Clara del Valle is a very sensitive young woman, with the ability to see and speak with deceased people, predict the future and move objects with your mind. She predicted Rosa's death, and also the loss of her father's fortune due to the scam of a greedy partner.
New lives, new deaths
Over time, Esteban and his new love have three children: Blanca, and the twins Nicolás and Jaime. Since she was a girl, the eldest daughter has fallen in love with a boy named Pedro Segundo, whom she met in Las Tres Marías.
Before the couple's minor children were born, Clara's parents —Severo and Nívea— die in a car accident. The impact was so sudden that the woman was decapitated... her head was thrown far from the site of the event and could not be found at the moment. However, thanks to Clara's fortune teller skills, they later got the part of her body.
The head was kept in the family basement. This peculiar element happens to have a mystical role within the plot. much later, when Clara passes away, the skull is placed inside her coffin and they are buried together.
one failure after another
After so many traumas, Esteban Trueba finally becomes a wealthy politician; However, his bad temper is getting worse.. In fact, on one occasion he hits her wife, causing her to lose several teeth, so Clara never speaks to him again.
In parallel, the twins grew up and made their own lives. Nicolás becomes a humanist doctor, and Jaime a failure who becomes a millionaire by becoming a spiritual leader in another country.. At the same time, Blanca secretly sees Pedro Tercero, a relationship that brings a new life. When Esteban Trueba finds out about her daughter's pregnancy, he forces her to marry a Frenchman. However, he frees her from her and she returns to her house.
Good news and clashes
Blanca and Pedro have a daughter called Alba. In her visions, Clara predicts a bright future for the girl. Growing up, the latter goes to university and meets and falls in love with Miguel, a socialist militant. To the surprise of the people, the red party wins, which leads to riots. Las Tres Marías is expropriated and Esteban Trueba is inflamed. Later, Pedro obtains a public office.
A little later, Chile suffers a coup d'état by the militia. Esteban Trueba, Pedro and other men are persecuted. Alba is kidnapped and tortured. However, the young woman is rescued by her grandfather, who dies peacefully for having understood her mistakes and atoning for her faults. In the end, Alba finds the diary of the late Clara, who died some time ago.
About the author, Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende
Isabel Angelica Allende Llona was born in 1943, in Lima, Peru. Allende, who obtained Chilean and American nationalities, is considered the most widely read living writer in the Spanish language. The author is recognized mainly for her feminist and magical realism literary work. However, he has also collaborated in public institutions related to letters and the arts.
Allende has also written several children's literature books. Throughout his life, she has lived in various countries, such as Bolivia, Switzerland, Brussels and Venezuela, where he worked for the newspaper The National, and had the opportunity to finish his first novel —The House of the Spirits—. When the Pinochet regime fell in Chile, Isabel was received and commended with the Gabriela Mistral Order of Educational and Cultural Merit by President Patricio Aylwin.
Other books by Isabel Allende
- Grandma Panchita (1974);
- Lauchas and lauchones, rats and mice (1974);
- The porcelain fat woman (1984);
- Of Love and Shadows (1984);
- Eva Luna (1987);
- Tales of Eva Luna (1989);
- The infinite plan (1991);
- Paula (1994);
- Afrodita (1997);
- Daughter of fortune (1998);
- Portrait in sepia (2000);
- The city of beasts (2002);
- My invented country (2003);
- The kingdom of the golden dragon (2003);
- Forest of the Pygmies (2004);
- El Zorro: the legend begins (2005);
- Ines of my soul (2006);
- The sum of the days (2007);
- Guggenheim lovers. The job of counting (2007);
- The island under the sea (2009);
- Maya's notebook (2011);
- Care (2012);
- Ripper's game (2014);
- The Japanese Lover (2015);
- Beyond winter (2017);
- Long sea petal (2019);
- Women of my soul (2020);
- Violeta (2022)