Great Authors is a fortnightly feature I have started to discuss my favourite authors.
The first author that I have chosen to feature is Isabel Allende.
I don't remember the first book of Allende's that I read, but I have read quite a few and I really love them. One of the biggest things that I love about Allende is her style of writing. It is so individual and has such flair! The writing she employs is very descriptive, which I really admire (although I accept that it might not be for everyone. Allende writes her novel in Spanish, her native language, and they are then translated into English. I think that perhaps this also accounts for her lovely style of writing - I think that the Spanish language translates really well into English.
The characters that Allende creates are exactly what I love in a fictional character; complex, flawed and real. She pulls you into their story until you are trapped in there with them, hoping for them and feeling for them. The events are focused on the daily realities of life as well as the bigger picture, giving us an insight into the characters true selves and existences.
Her stories often progress through many generations of the one family, which is another thing about her writing that I love. Not only do you get to see the life of one particular character, but you get to see how people's lives are shaped by those that come before them and in turn influence the lives of those that come after them.
Following is a list of books by this author that I own and have read and can therefore highly recommend:
Isabel Allende is originally from Chile, but currently resides in the USA. She has lived a fascinating life, full of turbulence, hard times and most importantly love. She is related to Salvador Allende who is suspected to have been assassinated during the coup and became part of the underground rebellion against Pinochet's violent dictatorship, helping people to flee the country to safety. Eventually Allende and her family had to leave Chile and live as exiles in Venezuela. She remained in Venezuela for 13 years before moving to the USA, where she met her current husband. Her life before and after the death of her daughter Paula are written about in the following books:
I have read both of these books, and I laughed and cried in both of them.
Isabel Allende is an amazing author and I really recommend that you read her books.
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