I know, I favor Isabel Allende. But who wouldn’t? Besides, La isla bajo el mar (The Island Beneath the Sea) is not your typical Allende book for many reasons. First, it takes place primarily in the DR (which at the time was Haiti). Also, it takes place over the span of the 18th and 19th century. And finally, it talks about slavery. While Allende’s books did refer to discrimination such as against the indigenous people, the topic of slavery is a bit more extreme.
Similar to El largo pétalo del mar, the story follows different characters both separately and how their paths cross throughout the novel. One interesting observation is that when Zarité is narrating, it’s in first person and illustrated as such because her chapters are in italics, thus standing out from the others.
However, Allende’s writing does become visible in the book throughout the tale, between her very beautiful and vivid descriptions of the places and characters, the different characters, and her ability to share their perspectives and finally, her use of magical realism. There is one scene that I can think of, that occurs within the first 100 pages in the book. All I will say is that you will recognize it the minute you see it, because magical realism is about making the impossible seem not only possible, but totally and utterly normal. As we have seen in her past novels, particularly La casa de los espiritus and De amor y de sombra, magical realism, runs in her blood. There are multiple uses of magical realism throughout the novel, and it won’t be hard for the readers to spot them.
This novel addresses the brutality of slavery. Throughout the book, we witness the inhumanity of being black and a slave during these times. The way they were treated was, in short, barbaric. There is a conversation between the Saint-Lazare plantation owner, Toulouse Valmorain and Doctor Parmentier about the difference between white and black people, with Toulouse insisting that there was a great disparity, and with Parmentier counter-arguing that this is due to the way the blacks are treated. In short, his argument is: if you were treated as inferior, then you are inferior. This is the recurring theme of the novel.
This is one of Allende’s longer novels (over 500 pages), divided into two parts – the first one occurring in Santo Domingo and the other in New Orleans. Although at times it feels a bit long, there is a reason for it, as there are many characters and the story of each one unfolds naturally until the last page. Although parts are hard to read and sad, I can assure you that it’s worth it. I highly recommend this book, especially for those who love Allende but want something a bit different.
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