“Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende (Chile)

One of Nicola’s 100 best books for inspiration in the 21st century!

Review

Most readers really enjoyed the book. They loved the rich descriptions of the different places and people. They liked Allende’s style of writing, which they described as confident and captivating. Most of the discussion centred on the part of the story set in South America and focusing on the character of Eva, since readers found it more appealling than the parts set in Europe and focusing on Rolf. They liked the humour and the views on society that were subtly portrayed. However, some readers found the novel too full of ideas and stories that at times were just a little predictable. The book averaged an 8.1 out of 10.

Synopsis

‘My name is Eva, which means “life,” according to a book of names my mother consulted. I was born in the back room of a shadowy house, and grew up amidst ancient furniture, books in Latin, and human mummies, but none of these things made me melancholy, because I came into the world with a breath of the jungle in my memory.’… Read more

Nicola’s Book Club reading lists

Season 6 – “World Classics (the past is masculine)” (Sep 2007 – Jan 2008)

“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole (U.S.)
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
“The Woman in the Dunes” by Kobo Abe (Japan)
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (Russia) *

Season 7 – “Future World Classics (the future is feminine)” (Feb – Jun 2008)

“How Many Miles to Babylon?” by Jennifer Johnston (Ireland)
“Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)
“Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende (Chile)
“Clear Light of Day” by Anita Desai (India)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada) *

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” – Italo Calvino

The past is masculine;
The future is feminine;
And the present is a
blending together of both.
– Nicola