PORTRAIT IN SEPIA [Import] [Paperback]

Isabel ( Translated from the Spanish By Margaret Sayers Peden) Allende (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Flamingo; New Ed edition (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007140487
• ISBN-13: 978-0007140480
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,048,388 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

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The title says it all, June 18, 2002

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Portrait in Sepia: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read this book at an extremely leisurely pace: a few pages at a time, over the course of weeks. Strangely enough, Allende's novel seems perfect for this kind of catch-as-catch-can type of reading. It doesn't have the narrative drive of a book you can't put down, but it has the characters and history to keep you returning.

In many ways, this novel is less of a story than a portrait of characters that have largely appeared elsewhere in her fiction, although it's not necessary to have read these other books. The emphasis is unequivocably on the del Valles, with Paulina del Valle the most memorable. Paulina is the glue that holds everything together. Other characters, equally well drawn, appear strongly in some sections, then vanish into the background, thus shifting the attention back to Paulina. Not surprisingly, the most elusive character is the narrator, Aurora, who is also the photographer, both literally and metaphorically. The story is filtered through her lens - her experience, perceptions, and ideas.

The "sepia" part of the title refers to the historical/nostalgic atmosphere of the novel. Allende takes her characters through the San Francisco of Gold Rush times and through turbulent times in Chile during war and the rise of women's rights. Here, everything is a memory.

The plot? The novel traces Aurora del Valle's life, from the times leading up to her conception to the moment when, as an adult, she is given back the crucial memory that has subconsciously defined her. You won't find a single driving conflict here; even Aurora's perplexity about her mysterious dream surfaces only now and then. Instead, you will find a family album, complete with the syphilitic uncle, the feminist aunt who is always pregnant, the gluttonous and proud matriarch, and the butler rumored to be a nobleman who scandalously marries into the family.

Allende writes with confidence and skill, sometimes overdoing the prose but quickly righting herself. Her circuitous approach to this story - attacking different moments and events from various directions, shifting in and out of times, mixing bits of stories from several characters - makes this novel one to sit with for a while. Fans of her early fiction will be disappointed about the lack of magic realism, but her hand with detail and characterization remains as steady as always.

I recommend this novel for Allende fans and readers of character-driven fiction. Readers who expect a driving narrative, however, will find this work lacking.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL BOOK!!, September 15, 2002

By 

Benny's Mama "juelsy28" (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portrait in Sepia: A Novel (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this book, and all I can say is "WOW!" This is the first book of Isabel Allende's that I have read, and I am on my way to go read the rest of them! When I first began this book, I was not aware that Portrait in Sepia was the sequel to Daughter of Fortune; I did not find out that fact until I was already about 50 pages into it. However, by that time, I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't care that I was accidentally reading a sequel first! Nor was I lost at all because this beautifully written books fills you in on the past, or on whatever happened in Daughter of Fortune.

Given that this book was translated from another language, I expected it to be dry and without detail. I was very wrong!! This book is full of detail, but not of the boring, unnecessary kind. It is pretty easy to follow, and I read it quickly. This book kept me interested from the first page to the last, and already I want to read it again!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant study of the human soul........, May 28, 2002

By 

jeanne-scott (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Portrait in Sepia: A Novel (Hardcover)

Isabel Allende is a talented and gifted weaver of beautifully crafted stories. Portrait in Sepia takes place after her previos novel, Daughter of Fortune, although it is not a true sequel. Reading Daughter of Fortune is a wonderful experience but not necessary in order to follow this novel. This is a brilliant story of a young girl's past as she discovers the missing pieces to who she is. She discovers her heritage, her true history and learns to understand that the mistakes and choices that people make are usually done for love or because of love. The characters are vivid and alive. The women cover a wide spectrum, but many are strong, independent and loving women, with a clear picture of who they are and how they wish to live and knowledge of their own faults. The men are also amazing characters, from the strong to the weak, all with real human flaws and strengths, that make them very real. Portrait in Sepia is a study of the human soul, always present, always visible for those who truly take the time to look.