Cover Image: Violeta [English Edition]

Violeta [English Edition]

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I am a huge fan of Allende, so I write this review with a heavy heart. This book fell very flat for me. It was far too ambitious, even for a master writer like Allende. It seemed like she was just trying to cover as many historical events as possible without thought to characters or plot. The writing felt so detached and distant, I did not care about Violeta or any of the other characters the way I normally do in an Allende novel. It says a lot that there are distinct tragedies - murder, suicide, addiction - and yet I still felt so detached. Violeta looking back and telling the story of her 100 year life should have been interesting but felt like a contrived plot device for the author to fit in the historical periods and events that she wanted. And many of those time periods were covered with such a light brush, it verged on offensive (i.e. the period of the dictatorship and the disappeared). I will go back to Allende's older material that I love so much, but I will not recommend this one to anyone.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. I'm sad to say I've never read a book by Isabel Allende until now (don't revoke my bookworm card). This was a wonderful place to start, and I'm eager to enjoy another book from her in the future.

Despite the fact that every description of this book references that Violeta was born during the 1920 flu epidemic, neither that nor the 2020 version factor into the book much at all. She tells the story of her life, spanning 100 years and many cities, lovers, etc.

I found the very beginning that dealt with Violeta's early childhood to be a bit slow, but it was all part of Allende's world building. By the time Violeta was a late teenager I was engrossed in her story and her adventures.

Allende is a wonderful storyteller and her mixture of real world events with her tale made me feel like I was reading a memoir or a biography rather than fiction.

I'm rating this 4.5 stars as the first part did take me a bit to get into, but I definitely recommend!

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Thank you Random House Publishing for the early release access....

THEMES:
birth-death life story
Women empowerment
Lost loves

The story captured me so much I was almost convinced they were a real person. It was written very well. The dictatorship/communicism/feminist movement/mass murders and torture greatly written.

My only problem with this story!
The story was all about Violeta, more than half the story she barely talks about camilo and then she goes on and on about him about 80% of the story is gone. I wasn't interested in him barely at all since there wasn't barely any dialogue between them. Could have cut most of it out to be honest. Still be a great book. Still giving it 5 stars with this weird section of writing.

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This was a very interesting story, I learned so much from reading this book. The strength of the characters was so realistic that I could see them in my mind. I enjoyed this trip right along with all the characters!

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This is my favorite Allende book ever and that is saying quite a lot.

Violeta is 100 years old and is leaving her story to a loved one. It covers her life from 1920 to 2020 in Chile.

A magnificent tale. I didn't want this book to end~!

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Violeta, a historical fiction novel, is told from the viewpoint of Violeta as told through a series of letters to her grown grandson. The story spans from her birth in Chile during the 1920 Spanish Flu epidemic through to her death in 2020 during the coronavirus epidemic. The story tells of relationships, family dynamics, natural disasters and political upheavals. I really enjoyed reading this story and Violeta felt like a real person to me and I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't a memoir and was instead historical fiction. My only wish is that the story was told with a little more emotion so that I could have connected more with the narrator.

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Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

I have to start by saying I am a huge Isabel Allende fan for many years and this one did not disappoint. The story of Violeta who was born in Chile during the flu pandemic in 1920 and her life story through the corona virus pandemic in 2020. Through the story is family drama, tragedies, happiness, political information, history of the country, and to some extent world history and how one woman life was influenced by all this.

Violeta is not always likeable and you won't always agree with her actions, but it makes for a great story.

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Violeta had a strong start with colorful characters and settings, but ended up really dragging for me. The book, which turns out to be a death bed letter from the main character to her grandson, recounts the main character's life in South America from the time of the Spanish flu through the time of COVID-19. It was sometimes hard for me to keep track of characters and political climates ad one scary or depressing thing after another occurred in her life, buffered by help and support of friends and family and strangers who turned into friends and family. Reading this book is a roller coaster of hopelessness and hopefulness. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

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This book is something special! You are reading from the POV of a elder women who has lived through not one but two pandemics. Perfect for our era and this crazy time in our lives with covid-19. This book is even made more unique because it is told through "letters" to a grandchild. It is hard to say too much without giving it away (isn't that what always makes a good book!?)

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Thank you to RandomHouse for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Violeta by Isabel Allende. This is a sweeping, epic novel following Violeta through her 100 years from 1920 to 2020. The story is told from Violeta to her grandson through a letter. The novel is vivid and many historical events are lived through by the characters. Isabel Allende is an incredible writer and this novel does not disappoint. I highly recommend reading this and her other works.

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My one regret about this book is the fact that I took so long to read it.

I loved this. I loved Violeta and her story and just the sheer scope of everything in her 100-year life that this story covered (1920-2020). It reads like someone you love is telling you a story, and you cannot stop listening. Violeta went through a lot in her life, but all of the experiences ultimately shape her into who she is at the end of her life.

She made mistakes and acknowledged them. She did everything she could to improve the lives of those she loved, and learned how to admit that she was wrong. I really appreciated this in her character and in the story as a whole, because sometimes I feel like books just gloss over the consequences of its main character's actions.

The supporting cast of characters is vibrant, and I could remember every little detail about them throughout the story. This story is memorable, and should be given much more love. A favorite of the year, for sure.

CW: Domestic abuse, drug abuse, war, addiction, death of a parent, death of a child, murder, government-incited violence, infidelity, toxic relationships, suicide, genocide

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Another beautifully written Isabel Allende novel! This one started a bit slow for me but ultimately sucked me in with beautiful characters and a wonderful story!

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What a beautiful story, this author has a way of transporting you into a different world! Will recommend

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This book took me through every emotion. ALL of them. I’m still reeling from it. This isn’t a book I normally pick up, but I’m glad I took a chance on. It was incredibly moving and deserves accolades on accolades. I will be writing a more thorough review of this on my blog soon.

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Isabel Allende is a proven storyteller. I have enjoyed everyone of her books. She never disappoints. They are always sweeping adventures, great family ties, and unforgettable characters.

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At first I really liked the style, story and characters. I wanted to know more, I loved the development of the characters and couldn't wait to find out more about the history of this unnamed South American country. However, around the half way mark the style started to seem tedious to me. There was too much bouncing around in time periods. The characters would described in disconnected ways, in one chapter it would talk about their death and then reference them again in a later chapter. There was also an excessive amount of foreshadowing. In the end I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't also as exciting as the first half.

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This story was exceptionally captivating. Violetta tells her life's story from her being born at the beginning of the Spanish flu, and all through out her life at her death at the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic. This book kept me interested from beginning to the end and is full of drama, mystery, love and pain. I did not want to put this book down and was able to read it in one setting. The author did such a great job with this story.

I received a copy of the book via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions

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You know that feeling when you love an author but you just can’t get into one of her books? I have that feeling now with this book. I gave it two tries and I just can’t go on. This story just doesn’t draw me in. I have been reading this author for at least thirty years and have loved most of them but occasionally one just doesn’t do it for me. This is one of those. Had to DNF, reluctantly.

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Isabel Allende's novel "Violeta" has a fascinating premise of a 100 year old narrator, Violeta del Valle, telling her life story to Camilo, who the reader discovers is her grandson. Violeta was born in 1920 when the Spanish Flu was ravaging the world. The setting is a bit mysterious but if one has knowledge of Isabel Allende's background and South American history, then it can be assumed that the novel is set in Chile. Violeta is an honest protagonist but tells her story in a disconnected manner that sometimes seems disingenuous or distant. She shares her greatest loves and her greatest losses and voices her regrets. Violeta shows that a woman is more than capable to be a mother, a business partner, an investor, a word traveler, etc.

I have to say that this was not one of my favorite of Allende's works because of the occasional glossing over of decades/years/world events, which made the storytelling seem artificial or hurried. With that being said, I would still recommend my students in AP English Composition and Literature classes to pick up this book because of the weaving of world events with an individual tale. It has a complex plot and demands the reader to use inferences.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for the ARC.

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Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Isabel Allende is a consummate storyteller. Her narrator in this novel is Violeta, born in an unnamed South American country in 1920 during the flu pandemic, who tells her story at age 100 during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Violeta tells us of her spoiled childhood, her English nanny (who also has a fascinating back story), her marriage, separation, affairs, and children. Of course, there are also the politics which dominate much of South America's history of the 20th century. Violeta acknowledges her many mistakes in judgement, but throughout her narrative, her strength and resilience shine through.

I didn't know what to expect going into this read - first time ready any work by the author - but very much enjoyed it!

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