Isabel Allende

Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (Lima, August 2, 1942) is a Chilean writer. She has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2004. She was awarded the Chilean National Award for Literature in 2010.

A best-selling author, the total sale of her books reaches 73 million copies and her works have been translated into 42 languages. She is considered the most widely read living writer in the world of the Spanish language.

Biography

Family

Daughter of diplomats Tomás Allende Pesce, first cousin of Salvador Allende, president of Chile between 1970-1973 (in some publications they are erroneously cited as brothers) and Francisca Llona Barros. She was born in Lima while her father He worked as secretary of the Chilean embassy in Peru and is the eldest of the three children of the marriage (his younger brothers are Juan and Francisco). Isabel Allende has Spanish (Basque) ancestry on the paternal side, and Portuguese and Spanish (Basque and Spanish) on the maternal side.

Her parents separated in 1945, and her mother returned with Isabel and her two siblings to Chile, where she lived from 1946 to 1953. That year her mother married the diplomat Ramón Huidobro Domínguez –"Uncle Ramón"–, who between 1953 and 1958 was assigned to Bolivia, where Isabel attended an American school in La Paz, and to Lebanon, where she studied at a private English school.

Married couples and children

When she returned to Chile in 1959, she met Miguel Frías, whom she married four years later. The couple had two children: Paula (1963-1992) and Nicolás (1967), both born in Santiago.

Due to the September 11, 1973 coup against Salvador Allende and the advent of the dictatorship, they fled Chile in 1975. Allende and his family went into exile in Venezuela, where they lived until 1988.

The constant trips he undertook to promote his books brought his marriage to Frías to an end. Divorced from her husband, she married attorney Willie Gordon on July 7, 1988 in San Francisco. In 2015, after 27 years, they separated. Gordon passed away on March 17, 2019 at the age of 82. She has lived in the United States since 1988 and has been a citizen of that country since 2003.

Public Life

From 1959 to 1965 he worked at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Santiago, Chile. During the following years, he spent long periods in Europe, residing mainly in Brussels and Switzerland.

Starting in 1967, she took part in writing the magazine Paula, at the same time that she published a large number of articles on various topics. Subsequently, she collaborated with the children's magazine Mampato, of which she was substitute director between 1973 and 1974, and published two stories for children (La abuela Panchita and Lauchas y lauchones, ratas y micenos) and a collection of articles entitled Civilize your troglodyte. In addition, he worked for two Chilean television channels.

In the early 1970s he ventured into playwriting. Her play The Ambassador premiered in 1971 and in 1973, The Ballad of the Medium Hair and I am Tránsito Soto . Finally, shortly before leaving the country, she premiered The Seven Mirrors .

Allende stayed in Venezuela for thirteen years, working there for the Caracas newspaper El Nacional and at a secondary school until 1982, when he published The House of the Spirits. This first novel of hers, and the best known, was born from a letter that she had begun to write to his grandfather in 1981, when he was 99 years old and was about to die. This work was adapted to the cinema and in October 1993 it premiered in Munich produced by Bernd Eichinger and directed by Billie August. In addition, more than 51 million copies were sold and the work was translated into more than 27 languages. The second novel, De amor y de sombra (1984) also became another great success and was taken likewise to the big screen in 1994 by the Venezuelan filmmaker Betty Kaplan. In both novels she addresses the issue of the dictatorship, helped by the author's own experiences.

In 1988 he traveled to Chile to vote in the October plebiscite, which Pinochet lost and which led, the following year, to elections won by the opposition, grouped in the Concertación. In 1990, with the return of democracy in Chile, she was awarded the Gabriela Mistral Order of Educational and Cultural Merit by President Patricio Aylwin.

At the age of 28, her daughter Paula died in 1992 of porphyria that left her in a coma in a clinic in Madrid. Her painful experience prompted her to write Paula , an epistolary autobiographical book published in 1994 where she recounts what her childhood and youth were like until she reached the time of exile. Two years later, she founded The Isabel Allende Foundation, in honor of her daughter, who had volunteered in marginalized communities (in Venezuela and Spain) as an educator and psychologist.

Since 1988 she has lived in San Rafael, California, but usually works in a house in Sausalito, a few miles to the south, where she has written many of her novels. She has been honored at the Academy of Arts and Letters from the United States and its motto is "Let your imagination run wild and write what is necessary." In May 2007, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Trento (Italy) in «lingue e letterature moderne euroamericane».

In September 2010, she was awarded the Chilean National Literature Award for "the excellence and contribution of her work to literature, which has attracted attention in Chile and abroad, and has also been recognized by multiple distinctions and has revalued the role of the reader». The vote, as expected due to the controversy that had preceded it, was not unanimous (three votes to two). Isabel Allende became the fourth woman to receive this award, preceded by Gabriela Mistral (1951), Marta Brunet (1961) and Marcela Paz (1982).

The following year, she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Literature for her qualities as a magical storyteller and her talent for "charming" audiences, succeeding another woman, the British J.K. Rowling, who won the first edition of this award that since 2010 has been given in Odense, the birthplace of the famous Danish writer.

Style and Themes

On the literary level, she confesses that when she begins to write, she generates a place, a time and the characters and the story take place on their own, that is, she does not have an initial plan with all the actions. Several of her books have been born from letters or personal reflections. Examples of this are The House of the Spirits and Paula , which she wrote as a tribute to her daughter. Although many scholars classify the work in the autobiographical genre, she herself indicates that it is more like a "memoir", because it is not a proper biography but a collection of memories closer to fiction than to reality, although the latter inspired her..

Humor is an integral part of his writings, whether journalistic or literary works. He confesses that he got used to writing this way when he was a journalist and now, thanks to that, he can see the story "behind" each issue, an alternative vision.

The City of Beasts represents his attempt to reach a young reading public. She decided to write it after two books with a lot of historical research. This new book would give him a rest and in it he could capture his imagination in a more free way, since historical fiction always requires great care to stick to the facts that happened.

When he was a journalist, others were his story; she felt entitled to ring a doorbell, go inside and ask questions, or stop a stranger in the middle of the street and question him about personal things, like thoughts.

In addition to autobiographical works, Allende has written historical novels, such as Inés del alma mía —based on the life of Inés de Suárez, the first Spanish woman to arrive in Chile— or The island under the sea, which narrates the life of a slave named Zarité in Saint Domingue, today Haiti at the end of the XVIII century .

His work has been classified in the literary movement known as post-boom, although some scholars prefer the term newest literature. This movement is characterized by a return to realism. Normally, it refers to a prose that is easier to read, since the concern for creating new ways of writing (meta-literature), the emphasis on history, local culture, among others, is lost.

In 2012, she decided to venture into the field of detective novels —a genre that her ex-husband, William C. Gordon, has cultivated since 2006— and wrote Ripper's Game, which was delivered in December of that year to his agent Carmen Balcells The work was published at the beginning of 2014. According to Allende, it was Balcells who proposed to write a detective story with Gordon, but it did not work out: «It was impossible. We have different ways of working, but I stayed with the story," explained the author, who assured that her husband "helped her with the structure of the book."

Criticism

Although her sales successes are overwhelming, there are critics and writers who have been implacable with her, considering her a writer of subliterature, of merely commercial literature or, in the best of cases, as a lesser copy of Gabriel García Márquez. The writer herself has recognized that One Hundred Years of Solitude is the book that has most influenced her work.

The American critic Harold Bloom stated that "Isabel Allende is a very bad writer and only reflects a certain period". in literature as commercial phenomena and make women's literature". The Argentine Angélica Gorodischer pointed out that Allende's novels only feed outdated female stereotypes, which do not contribute anything at the level of literature or gender., his compatriot Roberto Bolaño said: «She seems to me a bad writer, simply and plainly, and calling her a writer is giving her court. I don't even think Isabel Allende is a writer, she is a "writer"."

Regarding the paradox between her success and the opinions of many writers and experts, Camilo Marks wrote in 2011: «Basically, there are two ways of reading Isabel Allende. The first consists of scrutinizing the defects of her books, exposing them in great detail and sending her to the fifth hells with an unappealable, satisfied, well-founded condemnatory sentence. The second, is based on the premise that it is legitimate to have a good time reading her stories, since they are entertaining, it is not difficult to get caught up in them and they have merits that attract the mass audience or more demanding readers. Between both extremes, it is difficult to find a middle ground: there are those who will always hate her, while others will be fascinated by each new title of hers.

Adaptations of his works

In addition to the previously mentioned film adaptations —The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows—, some of his works have been taken to the theater (his first novel has 10 dramatic versions) and on the radio or have been turned into musicals (El Zorro), operas and ballets (A vendetta).

The same story A vendetta, written in 1987 and forming part of the collection Tales of Eva Luna, has been reborn in an opera. Librarian Richard Sparks and composer Lee Holdridge completed the work in 2012. It premiered as Sweet Pink at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica on May 17, 2013 under the musical direction of Plácido Domingo and with the interpretations of the Uruguayan soprano María Antúnez and the Mexican baritone Alfredo Daza in the leading roles.

Between 2015 and 2019, Televisión Española and Chilevisión brought Inés del alma mía, the successful novel by Allende, to television. The series will tell, over eight episodes, the story of Inés Suárez, played by Spanish actress Elena Rivera.

The Chilean television channel Mega and Amazon Prime Video broadcast in 2021 the 3-episode biographical miniseries Isabel, based on her novel Paula, starring Daniela Ramírez and Nestor Cantillana.

Works

Starting with his first novel, all his works have been published in Spanish by Plaza & Janés and Sudamericana, belonging to the Penguin Random House group.

• Grandma Panchita (1974), infantil; illustrations by Marta Carrasco, editorial Lord Cochrane, Santiago
• Lauchas and hoodons, rats and mice (1974), infantil, Lord Cochrane, Santiago
• Civilize your troglodyte. Isabel Allende's impertinents (1974), compilation of columns published by the author under the same title in the journal PaulaLord Cochrane, Santiago
• The House of Spirits (1982), novel, reedited in 2011 in the case Involuntary Trilogy
• The fat porcelain (1984), youth story
• Love and shadow (1984), novel
• Eva Luna (1987), novel
• Counts of Eva Luna (1989), 23 stories
• The infinite plan (1991), novel
• Paula (1994), autobiographical work
• Aphrodite (1997), autobiographical work
• Daughter of fortune (1998), novel, reedited in 2011 in the case Involuntary Trilogy
• Portrait in sepia (2000), novel, reedited in 2011 in the case Involuntary Trilogy
• The city of beasts (2002), youth novel, reissued in 2004 in the Trilogy case The memories of the eagle and the jaguar
• My country invented (2003), autobiographical work
• The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon (2003), youth novel, reissued in 2004 in the Trilogy case The memories of the eagle and the jaguar
• The Pygmy Forest (2004), youth novel, reissued in 2004 in the Trilogy case The memories of the eagle and the jaguar
• The Fox: the legend begins (2005), novel
• Ines of my soul (2006), historical novel
• The sum of the days (2007), autobiographical work
• Guggenheim lovers. The job of counting (2007), account
• The island under the sea (2009), novel
• Maya's notebook (2011), novel
• Love (2012), collecting selected love scenes from your books.
• The Ripper Game (2014), police novel
• The Japanese lover (2015), novel
• Beyond winter (June 2017), novel
• Long sea petal (2019), novel
• Women of my soul (2020), autobiographical work
• Violeta (2022), novel. [1]

Theater

• The Ambassador (released in Santiago in 1971)
• Half-haired bullet (released in Santiago under the direction of Victor Bogado, Teatro El Tunel, 1973)
• I am the Transit Soto (released in Santiago in 1973)
• The seven mirrors (released in Santiago in 1975)

Filmography

• The House of Spirits (Original title: The House of the Spirits, 1993), based on the homonymous novel, was directed by Danish Bille August and had as protagonists Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas and María Conchita Alonso. The film won in 1994 a dozen awards, mainly German and Danish, among which several Robertthe Bayerischer Filmpreis, the Deutscher Filmpreis or Lola Gold and a Coral at the Havana Film Festival.
• Love and shadow (Original title: Of Love and Shadows, 1994), based on the homonymous novel, was directed by the American Betty Kaplan and had as protagonists Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Connelly. The film won the 2nd Popularity Prize at the Havana Film Festival.
• Ines of my soul (2015), produced by Vicente Sabatini and Fábula Productions for Chilevision.

Awards and distinctions

• Ninth of the Year (Chile, 1983).
• Literary Panorama (Chile, 1983).
• Author of the year (Germany, 1984).
• Book of the Year (Germany, 1984).
• Grand Prix d'Evasion (France, 1984).
• Grand Prix de la Radio Télévision Belge (Point de Mire, 1985).
• Better Novela (Mexico, 1985).
• Premio Bellas Artes de Narrativa Colima para Obra Publicada (Mexico, 1985).
• Quality Paperback Book Club New Voice (United States; nomination in 1986).
• Author of the year (Germany, 1986).
• XV International Award I Migliori Dell'Anno (Italy, 1987).
• Mulheres Award for Best Foreign Novel (Portugal, 1987).
• Nomination Los Angeles Times Book Prize (United States, 1987).
• Library Journal's Best Book (United States, 1988).
• Before Columbus Foundation Award (United States, 1988).
• Order to the Teacher and Cultural Merit Gabriela Mistral (Chile, 1990)
• Literary Prize XLI Bancarella (Italy, 1993).
• Independent Foreign Fiction Award (England, June-July 1993).
• Brandeis University Major Book Collection Award (United States, 1993).
• Feminist of the Year Award, The Feminist; Majority Foundation (United States, 1994).
• Critics' Choice (United States, 1996).
• Books to Remember, American Library Assoc. (United States, 1996).
• Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature (United States, 1996).
• Malaparte Amici di Capri (Italy, 1998).
• Donna Citta Di Roma (Italy, 1998).
• Dorothy and Lillian Gish Award (United States, 1998).
• Sara Lee Foundation (United States, 1998).
• Universidad de Talca (Chile, 2003).
• Honoris Causa Award, Università di Trento in "lingue e letteratura moderne euroamericane" (Trento, Italy, 2007).
• Chilean National Literature Award (2010).
• Alcala de las Artes y las Letras (Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 2011).
• Hans Christian Andersen Prize for Literature (Odense, Denmark, 2012).
• Carl Sandburg Award (Chicago Public Library, USA, 2013).
• 2014 Golden Book Award (Uruguayan Book Chamber) by The Ripper Game.
• Medal of Freedom (United States, 2014)
• Doctor honoris causa University of Santiago de Chile (2015)
• National Book Prize: Medal of the National Book Foundation for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (United States of America, 2018)
• Barcino International Novel Prize 2019, awarded by Barcelona City Council.
• Liber 2020 Award, awarded by the Federation of Spanish Publishers Guilds (FGEE).