Conversations with Isabel Allende (Texas Pan American) [Paperback]

John Rodden (Editor), Isabel Allende (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0292702116 | ISBN-13: 978-0292702110 | Publication Date: February 1, 2004 | Edition: Revised

From reviews of the first edition: ". . . Allende has led a life full of drama, passion, and history--one that is a novela in its own right. Now a book, Conversations with Isabel Allende, gives fans the inside story as told by Allende herself. . . . This is worthwhile reading for anyone who wants to know what makes a good writer tick." --Latina "Notoriously cavalier about the lines between fact, memory, and the storyteller's urge to keep the listener going, Allende embellishes or withholds wherever she pleases. Serious subjects are discussed and dealt with seriously, but there is plenty of laughter and evidence of the woman's appealing optimism and sense of play, whimsy, and charm." --Bloomsbury Review "[This] is a rich, entertaining, and informative look at the life-in-progress and work of an extraordinary woman." --Virginia Quarterly Review "[Readers] will find themselves enthralled with the fascinating story of a politically committed and dedicated writer, mother, and wife." --School Library Journal "Her fans will love the Isabel who comes across so well spoken here." --Booklist This revised edition has been updated to cover Allende's three newest books--City of the Beasts, Portrait in Sepia: A Novel, and Daughter of Fortune. It includes four new interviews in which Allende discusses completing her trilogy of novels that began with House of the Spirits, as well as her ongoing spiritual adventure and political interests.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

YA-"I belong to the first generation of writers brought up reading other Latin American writers," says Allende, alluding to the popularity of such writers as Gabriel Garc!a M rquez, Carlos Fuentes, Jorge Borges, and Pablo Neruda. In this compelling collection of 34 chronologically arranged interviews, the Chilean writer comes alive, and the book becomes, in the words of its editor, a "biography on the pulse." Allende discusses her personal, spiritual, political, and literary life. Her reflections on her years of political exile in Venezuela and on the illness and death of her daughter include not only her personal struggle and pain, but also their impact on her writing. Allende talks at length about each of her works, and while most of the interviews have been previously published in scholarly journals, her candor and wit and the relaxed, conversational tone of her responses couch these sophisticated literary discussions in a most palatable form for young adults. The chronological order of the interviews necessitates some repetition, but also gives readers a clear picture of Allende's evolution as a writer from her youth as a journalist to her middle years as a novelist. Most teens will use this work as a reference or study guide, but many will find themselves enthralled with the fascinating story of a politically committed and dedicated writer, mother, and wife.
Cathy Horowitz, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Allende seems to get more and more popular all over the world. That's a good reason for libraries with active fiction collections--specifically, whose copies of Allende's books rarely sit idle on the shelves--to invest in this collection of 34 interviews Allende has given in the 1980s and 1990s, some not previously published, others published in languages other than English. Allende isn't a reticent interviewee; she has lots to say, and frequent topics in these interviews include Latin American politics, feminism, her family history, the difference between writing novels and short stories, and her deceased daughter, Paula (subject of one of her most recent and certainly most poignant books, Paula, 1995). Her responses to similar questions by different interviewers do not always add up to a consistent picture of events in her life, but that's just fine; what fiction writer doesn't embroider and manipulate the truth, even about himself or herself, for the narrative needs of the moment? Her fans will love the Isabel who comes across so well spoken here. Brad Hooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; Revised edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292702116
• ISBN-13: 978-0292702110
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,461,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of eight novels, including, most recently, 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FASCINATING, February 8, 2002

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversations with Isabel Allende (Texas Pan American Series) (Paperback)

If you are captivated by Allende's novels and moved by her memoir then you will be equally enthralled with this work. Conversations with Isabel Allende is a collection of thirty-four interviews covering the life, work and assessment of Allende as a writer. The interviews are divided into three periods. The first begins in the mid-80's and is predominated by literary interviews given by academics and scholars of Latin American Literature. The second period (late 80's to 1991) consists of interviews that are biographical and focus on the relationship of her works with her life. The third set of interviews (1991-1994) deal with her relationship with her daughter, the impact of the Latin American Boom Writers on her work and how her move to the United States has impacted on her writing.

I was fascinated with this vast array of material which contains something for everyone. Allende deals with the probing questions of critics and academics regarding her style, structure and influences on her work. Her answers are most surprising in that she doesn't see herself as falling into any particular writing tradition. In fact she confesses her ignorance about those in the literary field who analyze and take apart her works for greater understanding.

Another part of the interviews that are intriguing is her sharing with us her life story, anecdotes, and challenges. You see an intimate portrait of her as a mother, journalist, feminist and novelist. Allendes warts as well as her beauty shines through. Her responses to the questions are a story unto themselves and you wonder if they are indeed true.

What is most important about this work is that you see the progression of growth of one of Latin America's most significant female writers. Allende's works are put in a particular context and you as a reader are able to engage her in viewing how she writes, why she writes and the significance it has for women and Latin America. Conversations is a "must have" text in doing any literary or biographical research on this great writer.