In The Infinite Plan, critically acclaimed, bestselling author Isabel Allende weaves a vivid and engrossing tale of one man's search for love and his struggle to come to terms with a childhood of poverty and neglect. Then the ending just felt tacked on, like we just had the story of a life and someone trying to fix everything in the last small number of pages. After his return from Vietnam, Gregory becomes a lawyer in San Francisco, where he pursues money and possessions, looks for love with the wrong women, parties, abuses alcohol, neglects his children, and loses himself in an illusory and wrongheaded quest. The Infinite Plan has neither great writing nor a great story concept; in fact, I'd be hard-pressed to summarize a storyline at all. The prose was overdone and unnecessarily verbose, the characters ridiculous and the plot entirely unengaging. The film adaptation of her novel House of Spirits knocked me out, so I thought it was reasonable to expect great writing from her in general. I had to make myself finish this book, not because it was bad but because I was "merely" uninterested. She currently resides in California with her husband. I really disliked this book, largely because it failed in one of the most basic foundations of storytelling: the "show, don't tell" rule. If you are a fan of Isabel Allende and I thought I was, this book is awful. But when the preacher falls ill, the family abandons its nomadic ways and settles in a Hispanic barrio of Los Angeles. The first North America-set novel by Allende (The Stories of Eva Luna, 1991, etc.) I appreciate a novel that pulls me in and makes me care for the characters like this one did. Not a book I'd recommend except to diehard Allende fans. So I thought I'd give this one a try. Definitely recommended!! Isabel Allende has been high on my list of writers to check out. First English edition ©1993. Too much is told, while nearly nothing is shown. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003. A saga of one man’s search for love and his struggle to come to terms with a childhood of poverty and neglect, The Infinite Plan is Isabel Allende’s first novel to be set in the United States and to portray American characters. In “The Infinite Plan,” Allende seems to have adopted a new set of literary relatives. Welcome back. The Infinite Plan. I. I had read Allende's book, Zorro, which I liked very much. The engrossing story of one man’s quest for love and for his soul from bestselling author Isabel Allende, now available with P.S. This book was recommended to me via a friend back in September 2008 by a wonderful and beautiful Dominican women in New York who stated Isabel Allende's books were fascinating and well written. 47 likes. Despite its awkwardness, however. Incredible book!! Start by marking “The Infinite Plan” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Moreover, she creates characters that stay with you long after the read is finished. As I was finishing up this book on my train ride into work, a particular passage resonated with me. Once the reader gets past the first 50 pages or so, the story picks up. As the years go on Gregory goes to college, gets married, and goes to war. I loved Carmen's character and detested Gregory's, but I. There was an attempt at the end to pull the strings together, but it didn't work very well. Isabel Allende’s first novel to be set in the United States and to portray American characters, The Infinite Plan is a vivid tale of one man’s search for love, and his struggle to come to terms with a childhood of poverty and neglect. Pages and pages of sweeping narrative at the end that went by quickly, but, for my taste, seemed rushed through. I liked this very much on a section by section level, but the book as a whole left me a little cold. Isabel Allende has been high on my list of writers to check out. 5G access is included with Rogers Infinite plans at no extra charge. Eventually, after many false turns, Gregory’s search for love and for his soul brings him full circle back to his roots and to a new life. Story about Gregory Reeves, a young man whose life extends from its peripatetic beginnings, on to the L.A. barrio, Berkeley, Vietnam, and life as a high-flying attorney. The main character is based on the author's second husband, who apparently lived the full life explored in this novel. An enthralling tale of one man's search for love and his struggle to contend with the pain and deprivation that shaped him. It just hit a little to close to home. March 4th 1994 Born in the Hispanic barrio of Los Angeles, Gregory Reeves grew up in poverty, survived the killing fields of Vietnam, and is now a lawyer in San Francisco. I loved Carmen's character and detested Gregory's, but I still have to admit that they were well-contoured. His father is a somewhat crazy but faithful man who preaches about the Infinite Plan that everyone is a part of. Gregory is undoubtedly marked by his father's calling. Tweet. Buy The Infinite Plan New Ed by Allende, Isabel (ISBN: 9780006546849) from Amazon's Book Store. On the whole I enjoyed it and thought it was worth reading but I think that for most readers it might well be too long and contain too little action. He looses contact with Carmen for a while but there is always a connection. In fact, there was little action period since so much time was s. I had to make myself finish this book, not because it was bad but because I was "merely" uninterested. It felt lost and wandering sometimes. In Isabel Allende’s1991 novel The Infinite Plan, the main character is Gregory Reeves, the son of a traveling preacher, Charles Reeves, who, in Allende’s telling, “ . I can't believe it's the same author as the Daughter of Fortune's. This novel lacks Allende's characteristic gushing verbal virtuosity. This book, which was different than any of her other books that I have read (first one in the modern United States with a white, male lead) was stunning. The unusual circumstances of the novel certainly frustrate the typical Allende readers, as they expect a certain pattern and, at the very least, the usual setting. It was also a depressing story; I got the sense that some of the misery was just thrown in to make the trials and tribulations of the main characters more trying. Gregory grows up in a Chicano village and becomes close friend with Carmen Morales, the daughter of close family friends. BUT, I'm not sure it is really a 4. The last 10 pages made the entire book. Allende's proclivity toward lengthy explanations of character's qualities and motivations were sometimes intriguing as they possessed all the quirks and illogical aspects of real people. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Silly me. The characters are unique individuals and they are what propelled me through the novel. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. An infinite game is defined as known and unknown players, the rules are changeable, and the objective is not to win—the objective is to keep playing, keep perpetuating the game. I couldn't stop reading to find out more about each and the twists and turns of their personal journeys amazed me. The story-line of this book did not strike as being exciting (it is somewhat predictable and slow-moving) but there are excellent characters and incidents in it. There is an odd narrator's switch that moves from third to first person and this won't make much sense until the very end of the book; even then it may not make so much of an impact. BUY NOW FROM. The main character lacked self-awareness and reading his life story and watching him make the same mistakes over and over again was tedious. 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. See all 3 questions about The Infinite Plan…, The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende, August 2018, Journalist Maria Hinojosa Shares the Books That Helped Her Trust Her Voice. It was difficult to feel engaged with any but the main 2 characters because of the quantity of people and their stories. I need to stop blindly grabbing books by authors that I like without looking at what the book is about. “Be careful what you ask of Heaven; it might be granted.”, “When a man’s earning his living doing things he doesn’t like, he feels like a slave; when he’s doing what he loves, he feels like a prince.”. (Paperback 9780060924980) A collaboration between two people, for the people. It is full and rich, but the writing is more restrained, though with any other writer the novel would seem to overflow with images and sensuous details. Some of us were bothered by that, others felt the ending was worth the read. In addition, Allende attempts to cover broad historical time periods in the United States: the aftermath of World War II; the hippie movement of the 1960s and 1970s in Berkeley, California; the Vietnam War; and the materialistic, yuppie age of the 1980s. I generally like Allende's books a lot but there are few stinkers in her oeuvre and this one did nothing for me. Is it appropriate? I actually cried a little bit, not going to lie. The Infinite Plan deserves serious critical attention and is indeed one of Allende's most fascinating experiments. An enthralling tale of one man's search for love and his struggle to contend with the pain and deprivation that shaped him. As Gregory’s story unfolds, we follow his struggle to survive—persecution by gangs in the barrio, the horrors of the war in Vietnam—and to be successful. The Infinite Plan (Spanish: El plan infinito) is a 1991 novel by Isabel Allende. Look, it's Isabel Allende: I can't give her the same number of stars I give bad YA novels. It is the story of Gregory Reeves and his hard journey from L.A.'s Hispanic barrio… It was very disappointing - excruciating detail and way too many characters. The Infinite Plan (Spanish: El plan infinito) is a 1991 novel by Isabel Allende. The beginning included vague characters. The Infinite Plan is different than Allende's other works: the protagonist, Gregory Reeves, is male and the setting is not in South America but in the United States. $ 30 .00 /month. Numerous lesser characters, such as Olga, a family friend who serves as a local curandera, and Carmen/Tamar, an early girlfriend and almost-sister, provide opportunities for numerous plot developments and expansions. Rogers Infinite data plans include data at max speed up to the data bucket included in your plan on the Rogers network, extended coverage areas within Canada, and Roam Like Home destinations (see rogers.com/roamlikehome). There is much more, of course, that happens in those years but you should read the book to find out all of that. However, those explanations gave the reader little ability to interpret characters or the action. The Infinite Plan tells the story of Gregory Reeves, son of an itinerant preacher. I don't think a 12 year old would benefit from reading this novel. Eventually he finds his way out defending himself. Plus, for a limited time, sign up for our Internet plan and get the v5 LITE Modem device for only $179.99 Find your perfect plan: The novel holds closely to what is real, and doesn't cross the boundary over to magical realism. This was the first book he shared with me. This novel lacks Allende's characteristic gushing verbal virtuosity. The Infinite Plan is, literally, one of the worst books I’ve ever read. Each one of them goes through so much in life and yet they get back up stronger. In particular, the novel presents an extraordinary narrative pattern, one that by itself deserves attention and thus becomes the focus of this thesis. Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa’s highly anticipated new book, Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America, arrives... To see what your friends thought of this book. Infinite is not just a basic limited satellite Internet plan. The first printing of … In it, Allende relies on realistic detail rather than elements of Magical Realism. Born in the Hispanic barrio of Los Angeles, Gregory Reeves grew up in poverty, survived the killing fields of Vietnam, and is now a lawyer in San Francisco. (Did you see what I did there? Can a 12 year old read this? Furthermore, the novel is told in retrospect, so the reader does not understand. After talking about books we have read, or wanted to read, my co-worker and I decided to swap books. A richly embroidered, ambitious tale, Allende's latest novel charts one man's spiritual progress against five decades of history and cultural change. The Infinite Plan audiobook, by Isabel Allende... “Allende is one of the most important novelists to emerge from Latin America in the past decade.” — Boston Globe“Allende is a genius.” — Los Angeles Times Book ReviewFrom Isabel Allende, the beloved New York Times bestselling author of … The film adaptation of her novel House of Spirits knocked me out, so I thought it was reasonable to expect great writing from her in general. Local gang members make his life a nightmare,always attacking him being the only (white) boy in the district. 5G access is included with Rogers Infinite plans at no extra cost. The Infinite Plan was a book club selection which prompted an interesting discussion. Silly me. Story about Gregory Reeves, a young man whose life extends from its peripatetic beginnings, on to the L.A. barrio, Berkeley, Vietnam, and life as a high-flying attorney. This novel is full of "telling," not "showing." Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I think this is my first one-star review. More of what you love. The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende, Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator). Character development is limited to characters getting older and having fairly predictable things happen to them, with little conversation or introspe. Isabel Allende's first novel to be set in the United States and to portray American characters, The Infinite Plan is a vivid tale of one man's search for love, and his struggle to come to terms with a childhood of poverty and neglect. Isabel Allende’s first novel to be set in the United States and to portray American characters, The Infinite Plan is a vivid tale of one man’s search for love, and his struggle to come to terms with a childhood of poverty and neglect. This is the author's first novel set mostly in the US and it was not as well. I had read Allende's book, Zorro, which I liked very much. A horizontal plane on high built in stone, Roman travertine, as if it were sand, an infinite plane facing the infinite sea. KIRKUS REVIEW. There is great beauty in this novel, some majestic writing, some keeper-characters, but there is also a loping repetition that can grate somewhat. It was quite sprawling, which I'm not overly fond of when I don't see a reason for it, and I often wondered what the overall arc was really doing. She has so much that she wants to say, so many characters and threads that all seems to need tied up at the end. Infinite Home Internet plans offer the very best unrestricted traffic over LTE. Allende should stick to her mystical romanticism which she writes "without thinking." A work of art, made for the sense of mental health and control. I have always heard that Isabel Allende is a wonderful author and this book certainly proves her ability to create characters that come to life and are believable. Allende's proclivity toward lengthy explanations of character's qualities and motivations were sometimes intriguing as they possessed all the quirks and illogical aspects of real people. The Infinite Plan. For me, this made it a bore to read. In fact, there was little action period since so much time was spent in exposition. This is the author's first novel set mostly in the US and it was not as well reviewed as her previous work. Though he has successfully survived this hard journey, Gregory’s life has suddenly gone off the rails thanks to an … This novel is full of "telling," not "showing." I liked the characters and the story and the development along the way, but once it started to build to more I didn't like where the author tried to go with it. Numerous lesser characters, such as Olga, a family friend who serves as a local curandera, and Carmen/Tamar, an early girlfriend and almost-sister, provide opportunities for numerous plot developments and expansions. BUT, I'm not sure it is really a 4. Then the ending just felt tacked on, like we just had the story of a life and someone trying to fix everything in the last small number of pages. The main character is completely unlikeable. With the grating repetition? Save a minimum of. Much of this book's narrative is devoted to summarizing who went where and what happened. In The Infinite Plan, critically acclaimed, bestselling author Isabel Allende weaves a vivid and engrossing tale of one man's search for love and his struggle to come to … Though I'm not such a big fan of entire life stories (Forsythe Saga style), I completely enjoyed this novel, especially because of Allende's masterful story-telling technique. THE INFINITE PLAN. While it is semi biographical about her husband, it still reads dry and impersonal with two page paragraphs and stylized characters. I feel that this book started off so strong, with Allende's magic and passion for story telling, but sometimes I think that her proliferation of ideas gets her into trouble. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I have always heard that Isabel Allende is a wonderful author and this book certainly proves her ability to create characters that come to life and are believable. Refresh and try again. The Infinite Plan A Novel (Downloadable Audiobook) : Allende, Isabel : Allende is one of the most important novelists to emerge from Latin America in the past decade.—Boston GlobeAn enthralling tale of one man's search for love and his struggle to contend with the pain and deprivation that shaped him.Born in the Hispanic barrio of Los Angeles, Gregory Reeves grew up in poverty, survived … Garbage. I love Isabel Allende. The novel follows the protagonist, North American Greg Reeves through fives decades of his life, as he rises from a childhood in LA, through the Vietnam war and finally later life crisises. And there were some characters who made a 2-page appearance and were never heard from again. The main character is based on the author's second husband, who apparently lived the full life explored in this novel. The story is redundant and predictable and is not at all in the spirit of her othe books. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. I mean, beyond the fact that it took me two months to finish reading this book, have I adequately expressed how not-great it is? We’d love your help. One of my criteria for deciding that the writer is worth reading is that he/she does not write the same book each time (with different names) and, having read 'Paula', that would seem to me to be the case with Isabel Allende. On the whole I enjoyed it and thought it was worth reading but I think that for most readers it might well be too long and contain too little action. The engrossing story of one man's quest for love and for his soul from bestselling author Isabel Allende, now available with P.S. Nothing more and nothing less. Furthermore, the novel is told in retrospect, so the reader does not understand its meaning until the very end. But the result was too much. AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE GET WEEKLY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Email Address Subscribe. The Infinite Plan has neither great writing nor a great story concept; in fact, I'd be hard-pressed to summarize a storyline at all. One of the best books i have read so far. 5G … But it makes for a frustrating read. One of my criteria for deciding that the writer is worth reading is that he/she does not write the same book each time (with different names) and, having read 'Paula', that would seem to m. 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