2.5 disappointing stars ⭐️,

This is the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. Isabel Allende is a favorite author of mine, having read 4 of her books which I enjoyed very much. In addition this book has generated mostly 4 and 5 star reviews. I feel I must have read a different book since I can’t agree. Since i’m definitely in the minority here PLEASE take the time to check out other reviews before deciding to not read this book!
The storyline is simple. It is 2020 and Violeta is 100 years old and feels her death drawing near. She wishes to leave her life story with her grandson,Camilo so writes him a long letter detailing all she has seen and experienced along the way. I should probably not have requested this title since I’m the type that prefers to be shown what happened not told. The letter format was almost all tell and no show. Also for a good amount of he book Violeta recites the events with a flat, almost monotone voice. It felt like she was relating events that had nothing to do with her.
I did chose this book since Chilean history is not something.I was very familiar with. Violeta’s life is literally bookended by pandemics. She was born in 1920 the year the Spanish Influenza Reached Chile. She expects to die in 2020 the year the world was overtaken by Covid 19. In between those years the world experienced much turmoil and I looked forward to learning a great deal of history while reading. Unfortunately this did not happen. For example WWII and the immediate aftermath was literally handled with one small paragraph stating that it didn’t affect her directly so she paid no attention when “the men” were discussing it. What a wasted opportunity! It is well known that many German war criminals escaped Europe to South America surely a great adventurous story could have been crafted to boost a pretty boring storyline.
Despite a very promising beginning where Violetas’ character appears to be a strong, intelligent and courageous young woman who is willing to challenge the social traditions that stifle women once she meets Julian this all changes. Julian is a charming pilot that comes into her life early in her marriage and sweeps her off her feet and away from her husband. Julian is a flawed character. He is a hard drinking, womanizing man who is often away flying anyone who wants service even those from the criminal world. Their relationship soon becomes abusive. He is physically abusive to her and emotionally and verbally abusive to their children. Try as I might I could not understand her decisions for staying. She was not dependent financially, she was financially secure and didn’t need him for her livelihood. I think it was more that she seemed to be addicted to the passion they had for each other. She rarely if ever discussed her love for him, that I could understand, but she does talk a great deal about their sexual connection and lust for each other. After an altercation she’d be ready to end the relationship but he would seduce her into bed and she would stay. I do understand domestic violence well and know that each woman stays for reasons that are unique to her relationship. I just never could discern her reasons. I am very empathetic to any person caught in such a destructive and dangerous relationship I just couldn’t extend that empathy to her.
I could give other examples of why I did not like the book but to do so I would have to include spoilers. That is something I won’t do. I can only repeat that my opinion is definitely in the minority here and you should take that into account when making your decision.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Ballantine Books and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review.

I enjoyed this story but it was not my normal type of book. Other books by Allende held my interest more. But it's also a lot of history and events that follow the course of Violeta's 100 year life and as with anyone's story, there were ups and downs and times the tension was more fraught than others. I at times wish we had gotten more of her tutor's story. We do however get a lot of Chilean history which I love about historical fiction, and how much society has evolved over the last century and it is a unique tie-in to have been born around the time of the Spanish-Flu and died around the time of Covid. I think because it just reads more like a memoir, as she is writing her life story to her grandson, and not a novel plot it was a slower pace. Though with beautiful attention to detail and descriptive narration it is meant to be appreciated at one's leisure.

Violeta was a beautifully written book. I have read all of Isabel Allende’s books and this was one of my favorites. It is the sweeping story that you expect for Allende. The characters are rich and well developed. The story has the history and authentic cultural feel that make it a compelling book.

Outstanding read . Generational family drama soul searching with a deep understanding of what holds us together
Enjoy my time with this author

The narrator felt distant and inconsistent. This could have been because the story was written in letters. The secondary characters, ( i.e. Ms. Taylor) were more dynamic and compelling than Violeta herself.

Isabel Allende is without a doubt one of the most beautiful writers out there. Her large scoping narratives will be perfect for past fans, and probably for thousands of other first time readers. However, this book was simply not for me as I tend to enjoy stories with less detail and more action.

Isabel Allende has been my favorite author since I read The House of Spirits. “Violeta” contains the political and social history that I have loved and learned from in her prior books. Violetta’s story spans 100 years with the rise and fall of the government, 3 husbands, pandemics, and natural disasters. It is told in narrative form in a direct and honest voice that is trademark Allende. While I was engaged, the monologue wore on me and I was missing dialogue from the other characters. Violeta’s life, retold to her grandson was complicated and masterfully written.

Although I had heard of Isabel Allende's work over the years, I hadn't actually read any of her work until I read Violeta. Now that I've read this beautiful, incredible, sweeping tale, I can't wait to go back and hungrily consume all of Allende's previous books. Violeta was emotional and dark, and yet it was filled with so many poignant messages throughout the story. The novel was spellbinding in every sense of the word. I read it quickly, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen on the next page.

Allende is a true talent. Though much of the story is unnamed, Allende imbued everything with such glorious detail that it was easy to fill in the blanks with my own imagination. I love when writers give readers the tools needed to truly explore the world they created in their own, unique way, and I feel Allende accomplished that and more through Violeta.

I wanted to like this book. I love Isabelle Allende but this book just didn’t live up to the hype. It was very slow throughout. I hung in there thinking it would get better but unfortunately it just did not pick up. The writing and prose are of course on point, the plot lines and characters were just not relatable enough for me.

This story rambles through the main character's life. It may be realistic to have her presented like this, but I wanted the story to be more focused. This is not my favorite selection by this author.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book over vacation. I had a difficult time getting into it at first and I never felt a great connection to any of the characters, but I did enjoy the learning that came along with Allende's story telling. This is a book that I enjoyed, but I didn't fall in love with.

Beautifully written novel! The weaving of personal stories within is so clever. If you have read and loved her books before, you need to pick this up!

Violetta by Isabel Allende is an exciting read that will appeal to historical fiction aficionados. It covers the long and turbulent life of Violetta, a strong and proud woman born in 1920 at the end of the time of the Spanish Flu and who dies in the time of coronavirus. The unnamed country clearly is the author's homeland of Chile, which underwent dramatic changes during the time of the 100 years of the life of Violetta. The story is told in the form of a letter to a dearly loved grandson, Camilo.

Violetta is born into a family of privilege and the only daughter of an adoring father, the same father who created a dramatic and tragic turn in the family's fortunes. Despite the challenges, Violetta is determined to survive and to prosper. She is also determined to gain independence in a time when women had many legal challenges and few chances at resolution.

Allende is expert at drawing well rounded and engaging characters. Violetta is incredible]y passionate, assertive and fiercely loyal to the people she loves. She often makes emotional decisions against her own best interests, such as in her complicated relationships8®†∞ with her second husband and their daughter. Not only are the characters expertly drawn, but the descriptions of the settings and landscapes are vivid and show an intense attachment to detail.

Allende carefully weaves a myriad of events into the backdrop of Violetta's story. There are so many events covered during those 100 years of Violetta's story that they can become a little overwhelming to the reader. I wasf44 a little reminded of The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia who wrote about the many upheavals in Mexico in overlapping time periods. Both are thoughtful and beautifully written novels.

Author interviews say Allende wrote the novel to honor her own grandmother who recently died at about the same age as Violetta. It is not seen as a biography but as a way to honor her beloved grandmother who lived during the same years as Violetta and certainly experienced the same repressions, political upheavals and love of family.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Isabel Allende is a force to be reckoned with and Violeta is not different. It's a sweeping, emotional novel that covers two massive historical events that changed the makeup of the world forever. It's a stunning portrait of family and friendship.

Isabel Allende writes strong, complex women like no other. She is also brilliant at telling an epic story. Seeing Violeta look back at her life capped by two pandemics and through all the history and turmoil of the past century from a Latin American perspective and Violeta's personal life is mesmerizing.

Allende has the most beautiful writing. This letter from Violetta to her grandson does a beautiful job of recapping her life including the good and the hard.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

A sweeping epic of a novel with complex, strong female characters. A great read during the pandemic as it begins during another (the Spanish Flu). It had great potential, but wasn't my favorite as the reading could get tedious at times. Perhaps this would be a better read for those more familiar with the history of Chile during that era. An interesting read all the same.

I absolutely adored Violeta.

This is my first foray into the works of Isabel Allende and it did not disappoint. I stated Violeta on a whim after beginning several books that failed to capture my attention. I found myself reading Violeta deep into the night and finishing half of the book before I realized it was already 2am and I should probably head to bed. For reference I religiously go to bed around 10pm.

Violeta is told in a first-person narration as Violeta recounts 100 years of her life, from the early 1920s to the 2020s in letters to someone named Camilo. Growing up in an unnamed Latin American country Violeta starts off as a very spoiled and bratty child and is eventually humbled by the world and the events in her life.

I loved the emphasis on history. It was extremely refreshing to read about historic events like the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and the Spanish Influenza, to name a few, through a non Euro-centric or US-centric lens.

Isabel Allende does a beautiful job weaving in and out different historical events, people, and themes. It is a beautiful tapestry of life and the ways in which people come in and out of our lives leaving their lasting impact.

I loved it and I can't wait to read more works by her.

3 stars
Beginning in the 1920s, during the Spanish Flu pandemic, Allende tells the story of 100-year-old Violeta as a letter to her grandson. I started out really liking Violeta. She was fierce and independent. The secondary characters, particularly the governess, were intriguing and the South American culture was interesting. Part One Exile (1920-1940) was definitely a 4 star story.

Then Violeta met Julian Bravo, “who loved extreme sports, had parachuted into the heart of the Amazon jungle, surfed the world’s tallest waves…” “Julian ripped my dress off like a puma with two swipes of his hands… and from that point on I abandoned any hint of resistance, willing my body to come undone and melt in his arms, wishing I could stay right there with the door shut forever and never see another living soul again, only him.” Dime novel trashy. Part Two, Passion (1940-1960) annoyed me. Why would such a strong, smart, capable woman lose who she is, get pregnant, get her tubes tied because her lover wanted that, barely raise her children, and put up with verbal and physical abuse? The father, now employed by the mafia, didn’t like his ’meek’ son and spoiled his wild daughter, eventually contributing to daughter’s drug habit. “What next?” I ponder, plodding on.

Part Three, Absence, covers Violeta’s forties and fifties. By then, Violeta no longer cares about Julian’s love affairs. “It’s impossible to explain our obscene pattern of attraction and rejection, passion and rage, fighting and making up. I myself don’t understand it.” Violeta tells about her daughter’s drug use and rehab in a very distanced way. Maybe she was protecting herself, but it did not ring true to me, as she was capable and savvy in business and financial decisions. Things get confusing about what is happening with the government in their non-named south American country.

Rebirth, Part Four covers 1983 -2020. The last section was better, more true. (Obviously this is fiction, but I felt the distanced writing and Violeta’s drastic character change felt inconsistent with the beginning.) More happens (a new husband), grandson grows up, mostly I’m glad it’s over.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really appreciate Isabel Allende but this novel wasn't as good as her others. Plot was linear and predictable.