The House of the Spirits

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Summary Key Facts

Full Title The House of the Spirits

Author Isabel Allende

Type of work Novel

Genre Magical realism

Language Spanish

Time and place written 1981, Venezuela

Date of first publication First publication in Spanish, 1982. First publication in English, 1985.

Publisher Plaza & Janes, in Spanish. Knopf, in English.

Narrator Alba and Esteban Trueba

Climax None, although there are many moments which appear to be a climax, notably each birth and each death

Protagonists Clara, Blanca, and Alba

Settings (Time) The twentieth century

Settings (Place) Tres Marias and the capital of an unspecified Latin American country

Point of View The point of view switches between the first person of Esteban and a third person omniscient narrator who turns out to be Alba

Falling action Chapter fourteen, The Terror, when Alba is abducted by Esteban Garcia, and Esteban Trueba realizes how much damage he has caused

Tense Past and future

Tones Calm and dispassionate, even while presenting extremely violent, passionate, and unbelievable events (characteristic of magical realism)

Motifs Class struggle; political upheaval; women's roles and rights; the power of writing; fate and free will; genealogy and inheritance; revenge

Foreshadowing Throughout the novel