Isabel Allende
Author of The House of the Spirits
About the Author
Isabel Allende was born in 1942 in Lima, Peru, the daughter of a Chilean diplomat. When her parents separated, young Isabel moved with her mother to Chile, where she spent the rest of her childhood. She married at the age of 19 and had two children, Paula and Nicolas. Her uncle was Salvador show more Allende, the president of Chile. When he was overthrown in the coup of 1973, she fled Chile, moving to Caracas, Venezuela. While living in Venezuela, Allende began writing her novels, many of them exploring the close family bonds between women. Her first novel, The House of the Spirits, has been translated into 27 languages, and was later made into a film. She then wrote Of Love and Shadows, Eva Luna, and The Stories of Eva Luna, all set in Latin America. The Infinite Plan was her first novel to take place in the United States. She explores the issues of human rights and the plight of immigrants and refugees in her novel, In The Midst of Winter. In Paula, Allende wrote her memoirs in connection with her daughter's illness and death. She delved into the erotic connections between food and love in Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses. In addition to writing books, Allende has worked as a TV interviewer, magazine writer, school administrator, and a secretary at a U.N. office in Chile. She received the 1996 Harold Washington Literacy Award. She lives in California. Her title Maya's Notebook made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2013. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Isabel Allende Llona (b. 1942), Chilean born novelist (US citizen since 2003). Do not confuse with María Isabel Allende Bussi (b. 1945), daughter of former Chilean president Salvador Allende; cousin of the novelist.
Image credit: Photo by Robert Birnbaum (courtesy of the photographer)
Series
Works by Isabel Allende
Paths of Resistance: The Art and Craft of the Political Novel (1989) — Contributor — 26 copies, 1 review
[unidentified works] 12 copies
Giving Birth, Finding Form: Three Writers Explore Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Art (1993) 4 copies
A casa dos espíritos (Capa dura) 2 copies
Clarisa [short story] 2 copies
El sexo y yo 2 copies
Um lugar sem nome 1 copy
ALL Retrato en sepia 1 copy
Donne dell'altra anima 1 copy
ALL Hija de la fortuna 1 copy
Inés da Minha Alma 1 copy
ALL Más allá del invierno 1 copy
The Judge's Wife 1 copy
mio zio, un eroe del secolo 1 copy
Impunity 1 copy
Cuentos Selectos 1 copy
Simple María 1 copy
Porträt in Sepia 1 copy
Revenge 1 copy
The Little Heidelberg 1 copy
The Girls 1 copy
Abuela Panchita, La 1 copy
Passie en liefde 1 copy
මායාවාස 1 copy
ALL El plan infinito 1 copy
Associated Works
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent (1971) — Foreword, some editions — 2,735 copies, 44 reviews
The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction (1983) — Contributor — 1,161 copies, 3 reviews
This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women (2006) — Contributor — 1,112 copies, 35 reviews
My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (2012) — Contributor — 584 copies, 15 reviews
The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror 2006: 19th Annual Collection (2006) — Contributor — 241 copies, 4 reviews
Other Voices, Other Vistas: Short Stories from Africa, China, India, Japan, and Latin America (1992) — Contributor — 197 copies, 2 reviews
I Should Have Stayed Home: The Worst Trips of the Great Writers (1994) — Contributor — 184 copies, 5 reviews
Why We Write: 20 Acclaimed Authors on How and Why They Do What They Do (2013) — Contributor — 183 copies, 10 reviews
Short Stories by Latin American Women: The Magic and the Real (1990) — Foreword; Contributor — 150 copies
A Hammock Beneath the Mangoes: Stories from Latin America (1991) — Contributor — 148 copies, 3 reviews
The Sweet Breathing of Plants: Women Writing on the Green World (2001) — Contributor — 93 copies, 1 review
Living with Shakespeare: Essays by Writers, Actors, and Directors (2013) — Contributor — 87 copies, 4 reviews
Sudden Fiction Latino: Short-Short Stories from the United States and Latin America (2010) — Contributor — 71 copies, 15 reviews
Face to Face: Women Writers on Faith, Mysticism, and Awakening (2004) — Contributor — 36 copies, 1 review
Secret Weavers: Stories of the Fantastic by Women Writers of Argentina and Chile (1991) — Contributor — 25 copies
Introducción a la literatura hispanoamericana : de la conquista al siglo XX (1997) — Contributor — 21 copies
Die Geschichtenerzähler: Neues und Unbekanntes von Allende bis Zafón (suhrkamp taschenbuch) (2008) — Contributor — 5 copies
Fotspår : noveller ur Sveriges radio P1:s serie Författarskap på fötter (2003) — Contributor — 5 copies
New Internationalist #535: January-February 2022: Romani Lives Matter (2022) — Interviewee — 2 copies
Abarat and Other Fantasy Tales for Teens: Abarat, City of the Beasts, Coraline (2002) — some editions — 2 copies
Å herregud, mitt i semestern : en antologi : [möten med sjukdom, lidande och vård] (1999) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Allende Llona, Isabel Angélica
- Birthdate
- 1942-08-02
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- Peru (birth)
USA (naturalized)
Chile (naturalized) - Country (for map)
- Chile
- Birthplace
- Lima, Peru
- Places of residence
- Lima, Peru
Santiago, Chile
Brussels, Belgium
Caracas, Venezuela
San Francisco, California, USA
Beirut, Lebanon (show all 9)
La Paz, Bolivia
San Rafael, California, USA
Spain - Occupations
- novelist
translator
dramatist
journalist
teacher (literature)
reporter (show all 9)
documentary filmmaker
TV personality
poet - Relationships
- Allende, Salvador (cousin)
- Organizations
- Isabel Allende Foundation
- Awards and honors
- Gabriela Mistral Order of Merit (1994)
Feminist of the Year Award ( [1994])
Academia de Artes y Ciencias (member)
American Academy of Arts and Letters ( [2004])
Read About Me Literary Award ( [1996])
Dorothy and Lilian Gish Prize (show all 12)
National Prize for Literature Chile (2010)
Flag Bearer, Olympics Opening Ceremony (2006)
Honorary Degree, D.H.L. (San Francisco State University, 2008)
Honorary Degree, D.Litt. (Harvard University ∙ 2014)
Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
Carl Sandburg Literary Award (2013) - Short biography
- Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of eight novels, including, most recently, Violeta, Zorro, Portrait in Sepia, and Daughter of Fortune. She has also written a collection of stories; three memoirs, including My Invented Country and Paula; and a trilogy of children's novels. Her books have been translated into more than twenty-seven languages and have become bestsellers across four continents. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Isabel Allende lives in California.
- Disambiguation notice
- Isabel Allende Llona (b. 1942), Chilean born novelist (US citizen since 2003).
Do not confuse with María Isabel Allende Bussi (b. 1945), daughter of former Chilean president Salvador Allende; cousin of the novelist.
Members
Discussions
November 2018: Isabel Allende in Monthly Author Reads (October 2021)
Group Read, October 2016: Of Love and Shadows in 1001 Books to read before you die (October 2016)
Monthly Author Read for September in Monthly Author Reads (September 2011)
Reviews
The House of the Spirits: A Novel by Isabel Allende
I have a thing for family sagas - even when they end up being incredibly depressing and go on a wee bit too long. I vastly preferred the first half or so (much less depressing) to the final third (devastating and stop-okay-we-get-the idea). I loved the women characters, the men not so much (Esteban not at all after the first hundred pages or so). And the writing sang (though the translator has to get credit for some of that!)
Lovers at the Museum: A Short Story by Isabel Allende is a story of love at first sight that reads like a fantasy that never feels quite real and yet immerses the reader in the dream of the moment. It's a story that felt like it floated off the page and into my imagination intriguing me but never quite taking root. Allende creates two characters in Bibiña Aranda and Indar Zubieta that I alternately felt the need to protect, chastise, and cheer for. Lovers in the Museum drifts along feeling risqué and almost chaste at the same time.… (more)
This is a short story that promised intrigue and romance. As an eARC from Net Galley, courtesy of Amazon Original Stories, this was my first encounter with Allende's writing, and I was eager to experience it with so many of her books on my TBR. The story initially intrigued me with its premise, but I wanted more. Despite the lack of a satisfying payoff in the plot and unanswered questions lingering, the writing was captivating. The characters were compelling, with their distinct personalities and interactions. While it left me craving more depth and resolution, I appreciate the opportunity to sample Allende's writing. I'm in no hurry to seek out another short story and I don’t recommend it.… (more)
Lists
Five star books (1)
Parallel Novels (1)
Favourite Books (1)
Which house? (1)
Nineties (1)
Read in 2014 (1)
Allie's Wishlist (1)
al.vick-series (1)
First Novels (1)
Read These Too (1)
Swashbucklers (1)
GeoCAT 2016 (1)
100 New Classics (1)
Carole's List (1)
AP Lit (1)
Magic Realism (8)
2024 Reads (1)
My TBR (2)
Florida (2)
1990s (2)
World Books (2)
A Novel Cure (2)
Reading Globally (3)
Latin America (3)
Female Author (4)
Unread books (4)
Elegant Prose (1)
Junky Paperbacks (1)
Ghosts (1)
Overdue Podcast (1)
1980s (1)
Latin America (1)
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 103
- Also by
- 44
- Members
- 76,738
- Popularity
- #160
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 1,871
- ISBNs
- 2,316
- Languages
- 38
- Favorited
- 314
