The House of the Spirits Audiobook By Isabel Allende cover art

The House of the Spirits

A Novel

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The House of the Spirits

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Thom Rivera, Marisol Ramirez
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Now an original series on Prime Video!

This “spectacular…absorbing and distinguished work…is a unique achievement, both personal witness and possible allegory of the past, present, and future of Latin America” (The New York Times Book Review).

The House of the Spirits, which introduced Isabel Allende as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, 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 twentieth 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. Historical Fiction Latino & Hispanic Creators Magical Realism World Literature Sagas Literary Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Magic Heartfelt Inspiring Latino American Scary United States Fantasy

Featured Article: 10 of the Best Hispanic Authors to Listen to Right Now


This list is in no way exhaustive, but it is a great place to discover—or rediscover—exceptional Hispanic writers, many with extensive back catalogs. It’s gratifying to hear these works in the language in which they were written, with gorgeous renditions en español. And while you’ll have plenty of their work to listen to, we also suggest you learn about the lives of each author. Their stories include struggles as immigrants, expatriates, and refugees.

Featured Article 10 of the Best Hispanic Authors to Listen to Right Now

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

Compelling Characters • Multigenerational Saga • Rich Historical Context • Beautiful Writing • Engaging Storytelling

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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

Entertaining story

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

Family saga

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I first read this book over 30 years ago, in Spanish. Since then, whenever asked, I would tell people the House of the spirits is my favorite book. For some reason, I never re-read it again until listening to this audible version. I am thrilled to report that this book stood the test of time and even translated into English is the most wonderful book I have ever read

Mi favorito

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I learned so much about Chilean history, government, indigenous peoples, revolutionaries that I now want to look up more in actual history to understand. The characters were 3 dimensional with realistic ironies of beliefs & values. The descriptions Allende used made them come to life in my imagination. I hated Esteban Trueba but then also saw his humanity. I would have preferred the male narrator reading for Trueba’s voice to have better Spanish pronunciation as that in my mind took away from the voice of the character himself.

Enthralling historical fiction

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It's only a few years ago I read 100 Years of Solitude and Love In the Time of Cholera which introduced me to magical realism, which I liked bec it allowed for odd, yet, possible happenings in the story. So the promise of magical realism attracted me to this novel, which is also set in a nameless Latin American country in a surreal swirl of time and families. I was glad I went for this book. I thought both narrators were excellent too. I saw another review that was critical of the female narrator but as I have no Spanish, her pronunciations were perfect to me, I felt her reading was crystal clear at all times.

Terrific multi-gen novel that requires flexible thinking

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