City of the Beasts - Isabel Allende

City of Beasts by Isabel Allende was given to me as a gift for Christmas just gone. On a first glance I didn’t consider it to be a book for me but I gave my friend the benefit of the doubt as she always comes up trumps with books for my son!

Isabel Allende was born in 1942. 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 ...
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In City of Beasts, we are taken deep in to the heart of darkness the Amazonian Jungle. A community which is still ruled by evil spirits and fountain of eternal youth is threatened by a mysterious virus, from which they need protecting! Or do they! Rahakanawira is said to come in the form of a flesh eating bird that is slowly destroying nearby Indian reservations. But the question arises, who is more dangerous, civilized man ... more

City of Beasts by Isabel Allende was given to me as a gift for Christmas just gone. On a first glance I didn’t consider it to be a book for me but I gave my friend the benefit of the doubt as she always comes up trumps with books for my son!

Isabel Allende was born in 1942. 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

In City of Beasts, we are taken deep in to the heart of darkness the Amazonian Jungle. A community which is still ruled by evil spirits and fountain of eternal youth is threatened by a mysterious virus, from which they need protecting! Or do they! Rahakanawira is said to come in the form of a flesh eating bird that is slowly destroying nearby Indian reservations. But the question arises, who is more dangerous, civilized man or the evil spirit!

We are introduced to fifteen year old Alexander Cold, a young boy with little going for him! When his mother becomes very sick he is sent to live with his grandmother in the city. Kate, a cigar smoking, alcohol drinking extrovert of a writer takes Alex with her to the Amazon on an expedition to photograph and find out whether the evil beasts which have been sighted of the jungle exist. Accompanied by a varied group of doctors, soldiers, anthropologists and journalists. It soon becomes evident that there are a few alterior motives as to why people are on the expedition! But what are they!?!.

In a race against time to protect the natives of the Jungle nicknamed The People of the Mist, Alex and newfound friend Nadia take on spiritual forms of the Jaguar and the Eagle, adopted from a wise Shaman, to guide them through the jungle filled with obstacles. It is a tale of magic and romance and true discovery of the mind body and spirit!

I found the tale quite hard going at some parts, especially during heavy native rituals etc. If you are a non believer of black magic, you will simply scoff at this book! I am a semi-believer and found it incredibly tough! Maybe I’m just a bit shallow! It is a beautiful story but it is definitely not a light read! There are 405 pages in my edition which I have shown in the picture at the bottom. It is quite large print which is good for bedtime reading! No eye strain! There are twenty chapters varying in length,

An Amazonian adventure story which will appeal to all ages although it is an acquired taste, I think. It s not quite the same sort of magic as Harry Potter nor the same adventure as Discworld books. A kind of Lord of the Rings of the Amazon Jungle! The novel takes on a whole new genre of its own..

 

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