2015: The Year of Reading Women discussion

Isabel Allende is an award-winning Chilean author writing in the Magical Realism school, and best known for her excellent The House of the Spirits, which I would like to re-read sometime.

I wouldn't mind exploring other works by her. Her Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_A...

She wrote some amazing YA novels, starting with 'City of the Beasts' which I read a few years ago before I dared touch 'The House of Spirits'. I'd definitely recommend those because there are diverse characters and some great story-telling moments!

It's great to see some Allende love around here; thanks for that, Juli!

Traveller, I haven't read every single thing she's written, but I still think "The House of Spirits" is her best. She's got fantastic story-telling ability. You might find it interesting to try "Of Love and Shadow", but I can't promise you it won't make feminists mad! :)

Linda wrote: "but I can't promise you it won't make feminists mad! :) "

Hmm, the Latin-American female writers seem to have a penchant for that....

Well, I actually kinda like Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, which also riled up feminists generally speaking, so who knows.

The only Allende novel I've read so far is Zorro and I quite enjoyed it.

I've had House of the Spirits sitting on my bookshelf for a couple years and would be interested in participating in a group read.

Dharmakirti wrote: "The only Allende novel I've read so far is Zorro and I quite enjoyed it.

I've had House of the Spirits sitting on my bookshelf for a couple years and would be interested..."

Okay, I'll read with you, Dharmakirti. Let's wait a day or two and see if anybody else is interested? I'd appreciate if we can schedule this for late-ish in 2015, though.

Traveller wrote: "Dharmakirti wrote: "The only Allende novel I've read so far is Zorro and I quite enjoyed it.

I've had House of the Spirits sitting on my bookshelf for a couple years and..."

Sounds good to me.

I've read a bit about this author now and the fact that House of Spirits uses Magic Realism and is Chilean has captured my attention. I loved Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children and Keri Hulme's The Bone People, both novels of Magic Realism, one Indian and one New Zealand Moari. I would like to add another nationality there :) House of Spirits sounds really good.

Okay, you guys have a deal. Now the big problem is where to fit it in.... :P

Btw, yes, Magical Realism is a great way to get to know a culture, because basically, it's kind of written from the point of view of the, er... the supernatural beliefs that a specific culture holds.

I know that Magic Realism is usually a term reserved for kind of 3rd world cultures, but I've been thinking of term and of the genre, and, if one were to be fair, you could probably apply it wider.
I'm thinking for instance, if you wanted to write a European Magic Realism book, you could for instance write it from the POV of Jean d' Arc, or with that kind of thing as a setting.

I know that Don Quixote is considered picaresque more than anything else, but aspects of it reminds me of Magical Realism. But it's tricky, because then you could probably start asking yourself if some of Kafka's work ( I know he is officially tagged as a Surrealist) couldn't also fall under Magical Realism? Maybe the difference is that MR deals more with folk superstition, and Kafka's work is more just uniquely imaginative...

Another Magical Realism writer that I enjoyed a lot, is Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I think if we read House of Spirits it would be a nice opportunity to explore MR as a genre - you know, the characteristics of it.

Yes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another writer I want to get to at some point. One of my friends loves his books.

Yolande wrote: "Yes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another writer I want to get to at some point. One of my friends loves his books."

What a pity he wasn't a woman! :P

I can recommend his short story collections such as Innocent Erendira and Other Stories or No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories or Leaf Storm and Other Stories etc. to get you started on him. Also, Chronicle of a Death Foretold is nice and short and... well, I personally loved that one. :P

Traveller wrote: "Yolande wrote: "Yes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another writer I want to get to at some point. One of my friends loves his books."

What a pity he wasn't a woman! :P

I can recommend his short sto..."

Thanks for the recommendation!

I've seen that "The House of Spirits" is book 3 of a series, of which the first is Daughter of Fortune and the second is Portrait in Sepia
It's probably not necessary to read these books before HOS but I think I will try and squeeze them in and read them on my own before the group read of HOS :)

Hi,
I've read them all. House of Spirits is really disconnected from the other two; it takes place in Chile in the 70's (when her cousin's presidency was overthrown and he was killed), and was one of her first published novels. The other two were published much later, and have to do with the California Gold Rush in the 1800's (Portrait is the sequel to Daughter). They won't inform your reading of "The House" in any way, so if you don't have time to read them, you'll still be all right.

Honestly, I'd recommend getting a little background on what was happening in Chile and South America at that time above reading the other novels. The criticism of the political situation is indeed there, in "The House", but since it's couched in invented names and symbolism, some of it will go over your head (for example, the character called "The Poet" refers to Pablo Neruda).

Traveller wrote: "Linda wrote: "but I can't promise you it won't make feminists mad! :) "

Hmm, the Latin-American female writers seem to have a penchant for that....

Well, I actually kinda like Like Water for Choc..."

Sorry, I'm late getting back to this. The one that I still don't get is "Arrancame la vida" by Mastretta. It's touted (sp?) as one of the great feminist works of Latin American fiction--yet the story begins with the day she marries this man, and when he is killed, her story ends--even though she's found a true love, and has a life of her own. I just don't get it--her life story begins and ends with him. Ugh.

Linda wrote: "Hi,
I've read them all. House of Spirits is really disconnected from the other two; it takes place in Chile in the 70's (when her cousin's presidency was overthrown and he was killed), and was one ..."

Sounds like good advice. I hope you'll come and comment when we get to discussing this!

Traveller wrote: "Okay, you guys have a deal. Now the big problem is where to fit it in.... :P

Btw, yes, Magical Realism is a great way to get to know a culture, because basically, it's kind of written from the ..."

I'd suggest Alejo Carpentier's prologue to "The Kingdom of This World" to answer some of those questions. I think MR is a term that's appropriated way too often, sadly, because of the success of GGM and the marketing bandwagons.

Traveller wrote: "Yolande wrote: "Yes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez is another writer I want to get to at some point. One of my friends loves his books."

What a pity he wasn't a woman! :P

I can recommend his short sto..."

My favorites so far (though I haven't read everything he ever wrote) are: "12 Cuentos Peregrinos"(have to check English trans) and "Of Love and Other Demons".

Linda wrote: "Hi,
I've read them all. House of Spirits is really disconnected from the other two; it takes place in Chile in the 70's (when her cousin's presidency was overthrown and he was killed), and was one ..."

Yes, that does sound like a better plan. Now that I have started experiencing group discussions I see now that I won't have time for the other novels. I'm already reading viciously to keep up in other groups.

I've had to limit what I can read for this group this year bc so much of it is out of my field, or else I'd be in the same boat! But it's a great idea.

I might be able to do a re-read....I read it years ago in grad school, and did a paper on the fact that the elements of magical realism in the novel are tied to the feminine characters, making it exclusive to them...but like I said, it's been years. It's the only book she's written that I'd spend time re-reading.

Traveller wrote: "Linda wrote: "Hi,
I've read them all. House of Spirits is really disconnected from the other two; it takes place in Chile in the 70's (when her cousin's presidency was overthrown and he was killed)..."

I'm not getting update messages for this group; will have to check.
Sorry for the late response...I'll consider doing a re-read and will try to jump in.

Traveller wrote: "Linda wrote: "but I can't promise you it won't make feminists mad! :) "

Hmm, the Latin-American female writers seem to have a penchant for that....

Well, I actually kinda like Like Water for Choc..."

Have you read the Joanne Harris books "Chocolat' and "The Girl with No Shadow", Traveller?

Linda wrote: "Have you read the Joanne Harris books "Chocolat' and "The Girl with No Shadow", Traveller?
.."

I have not, but I will look them up, thanks, Linda!

Traveller wrote: "Linda wrote: "Have you read the Joanne Harris books "Chocolat' and "The Girl with No Shadow", Traveller?
.."

I have not, but I will look them up, thanks, Linda!"

If you liked "Like Water for Chocolate", I think you'll like them. And not exactly like the movie. SHe does a wonderful job in the first one of achieving distinctive voices for the characters.

I just came across this on tumblr:

Isabel Allende discusses the first time she called herself a writer. Shot during the International Festival of Authors in Toronto 2008. Part of a longer interview from the series WRITERS' CONFESSIONS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIyh...

Thanks Linda. Interesting interview, thanks Reem!

The year is so chock 'n block that I don't know when I'd have a chance to fit Allende in...