The House of the Spirits: Faithful but “Old-Fashioned”

Amazon’s new Spanish-language series “The House of the Spirits” aims to correct past mistakes. A 1993 film version of Isabel Allende’s novel cast white actors in Latin American roles. This eight-part show, filmed in Chile and produced by Eva Longoria, is more faithful. Yet, critics say it fails to capture the novel’s power. The story follows three generations of women in a wealthy Chilean family. It begins in the 1920s with Clara del Valle, a girl with psychic powers. When she predicts death, it arrives. The saga then moves through the life of her daughter Blanca and ends with her granddaughter Alba. Alba discovers Clara’s diaries and learns that the family’s horrors—including a military coup—were always foretold. The book is famous for mixing family drama with political violence. It fictionalizes the 1973 coup that removed the socialist leader Salvador Allende, a cousin of the author. The series correctly keeps the story in Spanish and in Chile. However, reviews note a problem. The show feels “twee” and “old-fashioned.” Its tone is too light for the dark events at the end. Critics say it lacks the bite of the original novel. The result, according to one review, is “not good enough” for such a beloved book. “The House of the Spirits” is now streaming on Prime Video.