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The House of the Spirits  By  cover art

The House of the Spirits

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Thom Rivera, Marisol Ramirez
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Publisher's summary

The unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world's most gifted and imaginative storytellers.

The House of the Spirits brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife, Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world. When their daughter, Blanca, embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter, Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

One of the most important novels of the 20th century, The House of the Spirits is an enthralling epic that spans decades and lives, weaving the personal and the political into a universal story of love, magic, and fate.

©1982 Isabel Allende. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Featured Article: Outstanding Women Authors Everyone Ought to Listen to Right Now


Over the course of history, women have made monumental contributions to literature. Legendary favorites and contemporary women authors alike have left their mark on both the publishing world and audio canon. Though by no means comprehensive, this list features women authors who definitely deserve a spot in your Audible library. Read on to learn more about each amazing woman—her life, her work, and her legacy.

Editor's Pick

Strong women and magical realism, just a few of my favorite things
"I must admit that it took my mother a lot of persuading to get me to read this book for the first time while I was in college. I had recently emerged from a successful mission to read One Hundred Years of Solitude, (which I raved on and on about for a two-week period) and Isabel Allende’s House of Spirits was an obvious follow up in her mind. Boy was she right. Allende’s four-generation epic is a book that will stay with you forever with its vivid characters and tantalizing scenery. From the moment you hear Marisol Ramirez utter those words "Barrabas came to us by sea.." you’ll know you are in for the long haul."
Mariana P., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The House of the Spirits

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A must hear

I read Isabel Allende’s classic over 20 years ago and found it transformative. Some books open your eyes to the world, to history, to culture and to humanity in ways that really help you to grow as a person. This is one of those books. If you have already read it, it is well worth listening to again. The narration is perfect. I challenge you to try to listen to this without crying at least 3 times.

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A wonderfull story by a great storyteller .

I truly enjoyed this novel! I know the story of her uncle’s demise and I appreciate what the people of chili went through. Isabel is a wonderful storyteller and I will continue to read everything she has written. God bless her.

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Historical fiction that leads to understanding the assassination of Salvador Allende

I liked the generations of a family that lead to understanding the perspective of wealthy landowners, of peasants on their land, of socialist reformers, and even of the right-wing military dictadictators who took over Chile and other South American countries. Of course, I like the stream of feminist comments and the portraits of 4 generations of women.
I tolerated the magical realism of Clara moving furniture.

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Family saga

Great story. Was very hard to stop listening. It was spellbinding. I experienced a range of emotions from sad to happy to angry.

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Entertaining story

Ended up really enjoying the book. Fascinating storyline. Started out slow and confusing. Would have enjoyed more had I not been constantly rewinding. Difficult to understand the narration throughout

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Simply amazing, couldn’t stop listening

The story was heart wrenching & tugged at your soul. I was transported to a different time and place. It was a bit horrifying at times, but moving throughout. It was wonderful seeing these characters grow and how the writer wrote for each generation as time lapses.

Highly recommend!!

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circle of life

The complexity of characters throughout the generations is compelling. The author weaves a tale of love, power, elitism and complicated retribution.

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Loved it!

What a wonderful story! I found myself wishing I had more hours in the days to be able to finish it. Chapters 13 & 14 irritated me a bit, because they were overly stated and quite tedious. I found myself actually saying “Oh, come on!” aloud at this point in the tale, because I really wanted to find out what would happen, and they went on for too long.
I enjoyed the story, the performance, and will definitely buy more books from this author!

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amazing novel

I often stumble on books or stories that I can't finish bc they don't enable me to imagine what's going on as if I was there ever this one did it like mine other! worth the hours of listening, specially for long drives.

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A Forever Favorite

One of a kind, important, complex, brilliant, and moving. This book is a timeless treasure.

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