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Title: Ciudad de las Bestias, La by Isabel Allende ISBN: 0-06-051032-3 Publisher: RAYO Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.29 (34 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Allegorical story
Comment: Isabel Allende's book speaks to the hearts of those who are ready to change their emotional attitudes.
This novel describes attitude change in a teenager, a change from being self-centered, sour, rigid, and emotionally blind (with
respect to the needs of others) to a sharing, helpful, more altruistic, and more positive outlook. This is a change that some
readers are not interested in contemplating, at this time in their life, for various reasons, and so we may hear their complaints
that this book is not "entertaining" or that this story does not make a practical sense.
Allende has extended the realm of so called magical realism to her allegorical stories of the wounded and partly frozen heart in
which most characters on their life journey may slowly learn to move away from impulsive hatred, or from their lonely struggle
for finding their private comfortable role in life, further on to a more spiritual unity with others.
Allende's book is prone to confuse numerous readers. Some may object that the imaginary world of her novel no longer
matches the standard materialistic outlook on life, or that there are too many unexpected changes in her narrative style, in the
depth and scope of the vocabulary, or that her story is not a light entertainment.
For example, some persons (both in her novel and in the real life) indeed may understand each other, at times, without knowing
each other's language. The fact that not everyone can replicate this (or at least views himself unable of replicating this at least
once in his life) does not annihilate the existence of this uncommon phenomenon.
Allende's story has several symbolic levels and latent meanings or aspects, similarly to abstract paintings. Some of the frequent
criticisms of this particular novel may be compared to those faced by Van Gogh for his paintings of sunflowers, or of wooden
chairs, or of the trees moving in the wind.
The paintings by Henri Rousseau were often misunderstood by some as paintings "for children" and this particular book by
Isabel Allende is, in fact, mistakenly classified in many Canadian libraries as the one for the children's section. However, if we view this classification positively, it has the advantage of making the book accessible to teenagers.
I have listened to this book in Spanish (from audiotapes) while commuting in my car. After hearing the whole book more than 5 times, I have developed more appreciation for its poetic and rather unpredictable language and symbols. I am looking forward to obtaining more of Allende's books on audiotapes, hopefully in her original Spanish.
Not everybody is ready for this particular novel of Isabel Allende. However, it is a much needed tool for those human beings
that have a need to engage in a similar allegorical journey, in a jungle of symbols, allusions via simplifications, and with an
emotional symphony.
Rating: 5
Summary: Allegorical novel
Comment: Isabel Allende's book speaks to the hearts of those who are ready to change their emotional attitudes.
This novel describes attitude change in a teenager, a change from being self-centered, sour, rigid, and emotionally blind (with
respect to the needs of others) to a sharing, helpful, more altruistic, and more positive outlook. This is a change that some
readers are not interested in contemplating, at this time in their life, for various reasons, and so we may hear their complaints
that this book is not "entertaining" or that this story does not make a practical sense.
Allende has extended the realm of so called magical realism to her allegorical stories of the wounded and partly frozen heart in
which most characters on their life journey may slowly learn to move away from impulsive hatred, or from their lonely struggle
for finding their private comfortable role in life, further on to a more spiritual unity with others.
Allende's book is prone to confuse numerous readers. Some may object that the imaginary world of her novel no longer
matches the standard materialistic outlook on life, or that there are too many unexpected changes in her narrative style, in the
depth and scope of the vocabulary, or that her story is not a light entertainment.
For example, some persons (both in her novel and in the real life) indeed may understand each other, at times, without knowing
each other's language. The fact that not everyone can replicate this (or at least views himself unable of replicating this at least
once in his life) does not annihilate the existence of this uncommon phenomenon.
Allende's story has several symbolic levels and latent meanings or aspects, similarly to abstract paintings. Some of the frequent
criticisms of this particular novel may be compared to those faced by Van Gogh for his paintings of sunflowers, or of wooden
chairs, or of the trees moving in the wind.
The paintings by Henri Rousseau were often misunderstood by some as paintings "for children" and this particular book by
Isabel Allende is, in fact, mistakenly classified in many Canadian libraries as the one for the children's section. However, if we
view this classification positively, it has the advantage of making the book accessible to teenagers.
I have listened to this book in Spanish on audiotapes while commuting in my car. After hearing the whole book more than 5 times, I have developed more appreciation for Allende's poetic and rather unpredictable language and symbols. I am looking forward to obtaining more of Allende's books on audiotapes, hopefully in her original Spanish.
Not everybody is ready for this particular novel of Isabel Allende. However, it is a much needed tool for those human beings
that have a need to engage in a similar allegorical journey, in a jungle of symbols, allusions via simplifications, and with an
emotional symphony.
Rating: 1
Summary: Allende is no J.K. Rowling....
Comment: I deeply respect allende but she really messed up with this one. To me, this is a vulgar attempt at a latinamerican Harry Potter-ish novel of adventure. You want to know what's even worse? There's a sequel out. I saw it and I couldn't believe it.
I guess Allende acted like those rock stars that reach their peak and then think they can sell any garbage they put out....and sometimes do.
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Title: Mi Pais Inventado : Un Paseo Nostalgico por Chile by Isabel Allende ISBN: 0060545658 Publisher: RAYO Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: My Invented Country : A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile by Isabel Allende ISBN: 006054564X Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 27 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Vivir Para Contarla by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ISBN: 1400041066 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Reino del Dragon de Oro, El by Isabel Allende ISBN: 0060591706 Publisher: RAYO Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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Title: Portrait in Sepia : A Novel by Isabel Allende ISBN: 0060936363 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 22 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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