Product Description

Isabel Allende's powerful tale of one boy's escape from the slums of Los Angeles. This magnificent novel tells the story of Gregory Reeves, the son of Charles, an itinerant preacher. As a boy, Gregory accepts the endless journeying and poverty which is his family's lot, never questioning the validity of his father's homespun philosophy of life -- the Infinite Plan. But, as manhood approaches, Gregory finds himself increasingly possessed by a yearning to escape. Hankering after worldly wealth, he longs to break away from the barrio, the teeming Hispanic ghetto of downtown Los Angeles where his family has finally settled. Gregory's quest, so different from his father's, takes him first to the killing fields of Vietnam, and thence to law school at Berkeley from where he pitches headlong into a hedonistic pursuit of the American Dream!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #148602 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-01
• Original language: Spanish
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
'The characters both convince and fascinate. The sense of place is stunning. Lyrical and passionate, Allende describes with equal vividness women preparing a feast in a slum back yard, a small town breathless in the heat of summer, or a battalion slaughtered by night on a mountainside. Allende's writing is supremely elegant.' Independent on Sunday 'Devotees of Allende's The House of the Spirits will rejoice to find again in her new novel the magical storyteller's touch that transforms life into a compelling emotional adventure, leaving one breathless. A hopeful, warm-hearted, absorbing novel.' Daily Mail

About the Author
Isabel Allende was born in 1942, and is the niece of Salvador Allende, who went on to become famous as the elected President of Chile deposed in a CIA-backed coup. She worked as a journalist, playwright and children's writer in Chile until 1974 and then in Venezuela until 1984. Her first novel for adults, 'The House of the Spirits', was published in Spanish in 1982, beginning life as a letter to her dying grandfather. It was an international sensation, and ever since all her books have been acclaimed and adored in numberless translations worldwide.

Customer Reviews

A very good read
Allende's `The Infinite Plan' tells the story of Gregory Reeves's life from his early childhood as the youngest member of a vagabond family until his 50's when he's a lawyer in California. Most characters have a hint of the superhuman, and face immense lows and highs. Yet there's something very human about their reactions to the situations they face. The plot includes surprises, tense moments, confrontations, episodes where people feel helpless in front of not so impossible obstacles, and an above average portion of coincidences. Because of the depth of the characters and because of the moments of introspection they go through, you get the feeling that you're "learning something about life", which may be a rather false feeling as this is not a psychology textbook. But, hey, it's all great enjoyment and a really good read. I think that most people will really enjoy this book. I preferred Allende's earlier `The House of the Spirits' but that's not saying that this book is no good.

Shows early promise but disappointing in the end.
From the outset this story set in 20 th. century west coast America has a lot of promise of interesting philosophical ideas explored through the eyes and experiences of the key character, Gregory Reaves. Senora Allende introduces us to a number of fascinating characters and the promise of enjoyment is great as Gregory develops from an urchin of the barrio, to a student of Berkeley graduating finally in law then going off to fight in and survive the Vietnam war. From this point on the writing loses its magic and the narrative fizzles on like a damp squib to a rather lacklustre conclusion. Sorry Isabella.

superb
although i do think you should read 'daugther of fortune' first..than this book makes more sence....
personally i think its her best...but if you like Allende..you probably like all her books...this i could not put down...YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED..!