La Casa de los Espiritus

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We continue to run madly behind freedom and love,money and beauty; justice and power; master ship and independence Esteban offers a monetary reward for anyone who can reveal Pedro's whereabouts to him. Esteban García, unrecognized by his father, aids in helping to find Pedro. Pedro is able to escape from Esteban, who declines to give a reward to his son. Esteban later learns Blanca is pregnant with Pedro's child, and he goes to her house to falsely tell her that he murdered Pedro. Clara makes Esteban leave and reassures Blanca that Pedro is indeed alive, but they won't be reunited for some time because he needs to flee to safety. Years later, Esteban goes to Clara and apologizes for his actions. Though she maintains some distance from him, she does allow him to meet their seven-year-old granddaughter Alba and to be a part of her and Blanca’s lives again. Clara eventually gives birth to a girl, naming her Blanca. One day, Pancha García appears at the family estate with her now teenaged son, Esteban García, asking his father for money. Esteban Trueba gives them some money but harshly turns them away. Esteban’s rejection leads his son to nurse a resentment against his father and Blanca. Having served the Del Valle and Trueba families all her life, Nana is emotionally close to all the children that she has taken care of, especially Clara. She even takes care of Clara's children after Severo's and Nívea's death. Nana passes away in an earthquake and is buried without fanfare. Her body is later moved to the mausoleum with Clara's and Rosa's bodies. The Spanish family of Del vallies; the Castilian-Arab: Trobia family; and the Indo-Latin Garcia family

The family relocate to the city and move into the Trueba's 'House on the Corner' but the conflict within the family continues with Esteban's arrogance taking him into conservative politics and Alba following the path of the revolutionaries and Miguel, the leader. The story of this family echoes the change in ideologies and turbulence that shaped Latin America, but tragedy is never far away and this is where the story comes to a climax and ends. “…The sins of the father are passed to the children” an underlying theme that plays brilliantly in this book. Then Roberto Bolano's 2666 blew everything up, but that's a different story. In the meantime we have House of the Spirits (Chile, 1982), which is the best magical realist novel ever written, and believe me because I've read, like...four or so of them. Su padre lo envió definitivamente a Norteamérica, donde establecería su instituto de la verdad y amasaría, aunque sin intención, una considerable fortuna y cierta fama. Desde entonces no se vuelve a saber de él.

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Mills, Michael (30 December 1994). "It's a Fact: 'Pulp Fiction' Year's Best". The Palm Beach Post (Finaled.). p.7.

Allende's unique gift of telling the saga of one Chilean family, combining magical realism with authenticity, is incredibly awe-inspiring in its look into humanity. For the first two-thirds of the book, Allende builds the domestic history of her characters and then expertly weaves them into the frightening political upheaval of their homeland in the final third; Strong female roles abound in this captivating story, from Rosa (who has the maritime grace of a mermaid), to Clara the soothsayer (whose apocalyptic visions include exploding horses and cows that are hurled into the sea), and Tránsito Soto (the entrepreneurial prostitute who symbolises success in the face of adversity). There are many kinds of life that makes you rush to death But nothing worse than our fear from fear itself and our novel here is about: fighting death Rosa es la hija mayor de Severo y Nívea del Valle, y desde su nacimiento, su cabello verde y su resplandeciente belleza la hicieron sobresalir. Por esta razón Esteban Trueba se las ingeniaría para acercarse a la familia Del Valle para tener la mano de Rosa, así como nadie en el pueblo se atrevía a hablar con ella o pedir su mano por su radiante belleza. Esteban Trueba logra que su familia acepte su proposición dado que Nívea Del Valle no podía creer que aún ningún hombre la hubiera pedido en matrimonio, además porque no quería ser responsable de las consecuencias que su belleza acarrearía. Rosa esperó pacientemente a Esteban, puesto que este amasaría una fortuna trabajando en las minas para sentirse merecedor de ella. Mientras le esperaba, cosía un mantel enorme con extraños monstruos que imaginaba. De cualquier manera, la hermosa joven moriría al beber un veneno que estaba destinado para su padre, que pretendía ser candidato del partido liberal revolucionario. Esteban, que estaba profundamente enamorado de ella, jamás la olvidaría, y sería junto a Clara su amor eterno.Blanca's mother, Clara del Valle is a child from a well-off family in Santiago whose father is running for the Senate. Clara possesses clairvoyant abilities and foresees her own marriage to Esteban Trueba, a miner. Esteban Trueba.....hmmm, he is a monster (I think). Though does he ultimately redeem himself? Clara....a wonderful character, who I wanted to hear more about and her talents. The book touches on magical realism and it was done perfectly, weaved into the lives of each of the Trueba family members. The love between Blanca and Pedro Tercero García....epic. Throw in a government political coup. Oh I want to hear more and more about these wonderful characters.

Elliott, David (25 December 1994). "On the big screen, color it a satisfying time". The San Diego Union-Tribune (1, 2ed.). p.E8.The true classics know how to do one particular thing very well: They are able to capture the reader with the emotive ties to the characters in a microcosm while placing them in a grander milestone setting, historically. Many stories have attempted this balance and fall short in one aspect or another. Either the personal attachment is emphasized at the expense of the historical detail, or the historical events are diluted to platform the characters. In this case, both are developed successfully because we are introduced and weaned on to the family first and then become involved in their plight as gradually as they do. Political upheaval grew into their lives the way it grew into the narration. Ay, caramba! There's even a bazooka-wielding president! As if that could ever happen! *stifles a snigger* That said, the magical start to the story gradually capitulates to a more realismo style and does become something of a slog at times. Despite this, the craftsmanship of her writing never diminishes. The sex is fleshy and sweaty and the book is awash with anarchists, prostitutes and tables that move just by the power of thought.