The House of Spirits (2026)–Karma and Magical Realism

In this screen adaptation of the award-winning novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende, La casa de los espíritus, opens with Alba Trueba (Rochi Hernández), the granddaughter of a powerful, extremely wealthy landowner and mining magnate, grieving over her beloved grandmother, Clara del Valle Trueba (Dolores Fonzi).

Spanning over half a century The House of Spirits is a family saga of three generations involved in betrayal, savage cruelty, and deceit.  Set in Chile, the family’s troubles foreshadow the sociopolitical history and tragedy of a nation rising in revolt against the landed elite only to be crushed by an ignominious coup masterminded by a military junta.  Individual members of the Trueba family are deeply divided and  either harmed by their political alliance on the side of the elite or on the side of the peasantry.

The del Valle family is of the highest class.  Their older daughter, the beautiful and gentle Rosa, is the sister soulmate to her much younger clairvoyant little sister Clara.  Rosa knows of Clara’s clairvoyance and quietly encourages her to feel comfortable with her superpower.  Soon betrothed to another up-and-coming landowner, Esteban Trueba (Alfonso Herrera), Rosa suddenly dies.  As soon as Clara becomes of marriageable age ten years later, Esteban pursues her as he is  now the wealthy middle-aged landowner of Tres Marías.  Clara’s parents somewhat unexpectedly agree to the wedding.

Tres Marías symbolizes what is wrong with the country’s social and political system.  And Esteban, representing the elite landowners, rapes and pillages with impunity, also underscoring the rape of the country and its residents.  He fathers a number of children, two of whom–Pedro (son) and Esteban (grandson),– will feature as karmic retribution for their father and grandfather’s crimes against humanity. 

Romance across class lines is unforgivable.  And Esteban wreaks revenge against those who challenge his authority while Clara uses her spiritual powers to establish an independent house and refuge for all those who are vulnerable, impoverished, and/or homeless.  

House of Spirits is  about more than class and  political struggle. Emotional resilience, vengeance, women’s rights and human aspirations against the backdrop of greed and narcissism are  constant underlying themes.  

Excellent performances by all actors in Spanish.  

Availability:  Amazon Prime

Note 1:  Several actors play several of the adult children as they age.  This was confusing at times since the two principal actors portraying Clara and Esteban age on set while this viewer had to guess some of the other characters in the drama. 

Note 2:  Produced by Eva Longoria, this is the first internationally distributed screen adaptation of Allende’s novel in Spanish.   The 1993 adaptation starring Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, and Jeremy Irons was also well received.  (see The House of Spirits 1993)