5 Great Books Set In Chile
Our recommendation so you can get to know Chile better even before moving
Seizing the great opportunity that Amazon started shipping a broader variety of products to Chile and offers free shipping on selected products above USD $49, we would like to recommend books you can easily receive being in Chile that will help you to familiarize yourself with Chilean literature, culture, lifestyle, and, most of all, with its people.
What better way to learn than by books?
The suggestions provided below are affiliate links.
The House Of Spirits (La Casa De Los Espíritus) by Isabel Allende
Considered a classic of Chilean contemporary literature, the book depicts the Trueba family saga for around 8 decades in the famous Latinamerican magic realism style. Political, social, and cultural aspects arise throughout the book showing the historical turmoils of the country, intertwined with the paranormal powers, eccentric personalities, and adventurous traits of the family members and the adjoint characters.
As an extra bonus, politology lovers will find representative vivisection of Chile’s social classes and some analysis towards the flow of Chile’s history. And it’s no wonder, as Isabel Allende is the daughter of Tomás Allende, cousin of Chile’s former president Salvador Allende.
Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra
Being one of the pioneers of the short novel in Chile, this book is a path of life discovery for a young literature student through books and love. This piece assimilates quite enough to real experience the youth can face while growing up and getting disappointed with the first love. However, this doesn’t diminish the story’s charm, up to the point that the book won the Prize of the National Book Council of Chile.
A Dialogue Between Two Converts (Diálogo De Conversos) by Roberto Ampuero and Mauricio Rojas
A book about political conversion. Two politically involved men and activists walk through a long journey of transformation, from revolutionary and communist views to a total disappointment with the socialist system. Roberto Ampuero and Rodrigo Rojas, who both have lived in exile after the 1973 military coup by Augusto Pinochet, followed a similar pattern in changing their youth ideals of an egalitarian Chile under a socialistic government for capitalist and freedom policies. This book also works great for those who have personal doubts and want to learn how to develop logically sustained standpoints on any matter.
Interesting to mention that Ampuero and Rojas became prominent figures in different spheres. Roberto Ampuero was assigned as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Chile (March 2018 — June 2019) and also became a famous author of detective and political novels. Mauricio Rojas was a member of the Swedish Riksdag between 2002 and 2006, he also served as the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Chile for four days due to his past controversies.
A dialogue of two people worth reading.
Available only in Spanish.
Antipoems by Nicanor Parra
If you are a poem lover, this compilation of poems or anti-poems better say, is for you. It gathers pieces of a narrative about life in a disruptive and colloquial style with a great sense of humor and rhyme, which is not common for Spanish-language poetry.
Papelucho by Marcela Paz
This is a real jewel of the Chilean children’s literature comprising twelve short stories about a boy called Papelucho. His day-to-day consists of flights of fantasy, curiosity, and an interest in small things that become big when looked upon by Papelucho. His adventures take place in Santiago, a distinctive trait for a children’s book, and transform the ordinary into funny. A where recommended work especially for those who want to learn Spanish.
