Η ζωη του Γκρεγκορ, from zero to hero and back, γεμάτη μαγικο ρεαλισμο :)

I have never been disappointed with Ms. Allende's books. Her stories vary and are always well written. Her books are not like those authors who stick to one story plot (i.e. Nora Roberts, David Beldacchi, Tom Clancy, C.J. Box etc...) This is not to say that I do not like these authors, they are all good writers and I enjoy their writtings; but they always seem to stick to the same plots.

However, I always look forward to reading Ms. Allende's books as she gives us exciting and lovely written stories which vary from Zorro to Island Beneath the Sea to (my favorites Daughter of Fortune and Aphrodite Memoir of the Senses - both favorites of mine).

However The Infinite Plan (written in 1991) seemed to be her 'practice' novel. It read more like a TV soap opera. The plot jumping around from the childhood of a young boy dealing with a vagabond preacher father and his father's mild mannered wife and gypsy lover; to the young man's bizarre sexual education.

Now we put in the Viet Nam War, Berkeley Chaos, two marriages siring children with both wives and it really does turn into a Soap Opera life.

Still I look forward to her most current book coming out....Isabell Allende is a GREAT writer.

Disappointed

I have read every single book from Isabel Allende and always love them. This book is depressing and worst than a cheap low budget movie. Long and dark with not point or direction . Very disappointed.

Das Buch fing wirklich gut an, wurde dann aber unerträglich oberflächlich, schlicht und teilweise sehr schnulzig.

الحياة
الخطة اللانهائية
ندور في فلكها
وندور
وندور
ولا ندري متى نتوقف
على فراش الموت تكشتف أنها لم تتوقف أبدا
ولن تتوقف
ربما أكثر من فهم الحياة في الرواية هي عائلة بيدرو موراليس.. الأب
وزوجته إنما كولادا
وكارمن
وقتيل فيتنام خوان خوسيه
كلهم كان يفعل الشئ الأهم في الحياة.. العمل والعمل والعمل.. ليس من أجل العمل فقط ولكن من أجل الأسرة
نظرات
نظرات الرواية على المهاجرين اللاتنيين
الزنوج
البيض
كل مجانين أمريكا
من جائوا مجانين بالأساس
ومن جعلتهم امريكا مجانين
إما بالفقر
وإما بالعنصرية
وإما بفرط كل ما يمكن أن يكون فرطا
اللذة
المال
الجنون!
الإساء للنفس!
رواية بديعة.. إيزابيل فعلا حكاءة ماهرة.. ماهرة جدا.. لكن عيب هذه الرواية هي الإفراط في الناحية الجنسية.. لا أستطيع أن ألوم الكاتبة كليا.. تشعر وكأنها تحكي واقعا لا يمكن التغاضي عنه.. واقع فيه الإفراط في كل شيء مجنون. إفراط لا نهائي في خطة مجنونة.. لا نهائية!
شكرا للعزيزة شروق التي صمدت وأكملت معي الرواية للنهاية :)

I love Isabel Allende and I can fully acknowledge that she basically just writes self-insert fanfiction for herself as a living. Carmen slayed, Gregory was boring. Give me a book about Carmen. I don't care about Gregory's Vietnam war drama. The incest and graphic rape scenes were hard for me to get over and not her usual thing, which is why it's rated only 3 stars. I loved her writing style (as always) though. Xoxoxo to Isabel Allende <3 <3 <3

“El resto de mi vida estuvo marcado por el ruido, demasiado ruido, y tanto me había acostumbrado a un repique incesante en el cerebro que llegué a olvidar el bienestar del silencio verdadero.”

Muy bueno

I had to make myself finish this book, not because it was bad but because I was "merely" uninterested. This novel is full of "telling," not "showing." Allende's proclivity toward lengthy explanations of character's qualities and motivations were sometimes intriguing as they possessed all the quirks and illogical aspects of real people. However, those explanations gave the reader little ability to interpret characters or the action. In fact, there was little action period since so much time was spent in exposition.
I don't always need fiction to have a point or to illuminate new ways of thinking for me but I found this novel so lacking in anything I could mull over, that I quickly lost steam.

4 estrellas.

Lo que más amé de este libro es la narración, y cómo jugó conmigo en determinado aspecto. Cuenta una historia dura por donde la mires, con personajes complicados y una prosa cautivante.

Eccezionale, unico e irripetibile come tutto quello che Isabel Allende scrive!

Closer to 3.75 but rounding up. Some great moments but too many long-winded sections and an arduous amount of self loathing and despair to navigate.