5 Unforgettable Isabel Allende Quotes
The words that Isabel Allende spoke and that we’ve gathered here, are full of passion and commitment. The same goes for her novels, and Allende herself. They are a legacy of love, fierce determination, and all Allende has overcome. Through Allende’s wonderful characters in books like Eva Luna and The House of the Spirits, we learn about her life and struggles.
Isabel Allende’s personal projects are just as noteworthy as her literary work. The great Chilean writer is an activist and one of the most inspiring feminists in Latin America. She is a charismatic speaker and communicator. Allende has a clear head and is wholeheartedly dedicated to inspiring and raising awareness with her writing.
Allende is a journalist and a tireless, committed narrator. She is dedicated to giving voice to women. The psychological framework that supports most of her work is exceptional and noteworthy.
We pick up her books out of curiosity, but within a few pages, we’re moved by how she writes about humanity. Humor, tragedy, fantasy, and life itself is laid bare in her work. Her writing embraces us and leaves us with not one, but dozens of lessons.
It’s always a good time to sit and reflect on some of Isabel Allende’s quotes. These words transport us back to her books and give us lessons and wonderful ideas we can reflect on.
Isabel Allende Quotes
Of Love and Shadows, Paula, Eva Luna, Daughter of Fortune… Isabel Allende has written a wide variety of books. She has over 65 million copies in print, translated into more than 30 languages.
We each have our favorite, and each is valuable in its own way. They are straightforward in essence, and their characters inspire the reader. All her characters are so human ye magical and accessible.
The quotes that we will see next are taken from her bibliography.
1. Death is forgetting
“There is no death, daughter. People die only when we forget them…If you can remember me, I will be with you always.”
-Eva Luna-
Isabel Allende dealt with the experience of death on more than one occasion. Losing her daughter Paula was especially difficult. Letting go of those we love is a test no one is prepared for. We have to do it anyway, though, reluctantly, with anger and great pain.
However, beyond our pain is relief. It is the light of our memories that keep our loved one alive. This impulse allows you to connect with someone who isn’t there anymore. It allows them to stay with you and occupy that space in your heart every day. You can always bring your loved one back to life in your imagination and memories.
2. Inspiration and creativity
“You explained to me that inspiration is born from stillness, and creativity from movement.”
-The Japanese Lover-
This is one of Allende’s most beautiful and true quotes, from her book The Japanese Lover. In the book, we meet young Alma Velasco and the Japenese gardener named Ichimei. These two complex characters take us into a story set in a socially historic moment.
Ichimei takes us with him into his art and vocation: gardening. It is a meditative and deliberate art in which inspiration and creativity, movement and stillness, go hand in hand.
3. Happiness means being bold
“I regret all the diets, all the delicious plates I rejected out of vanity. I regret them as much as I regret the opportunities to make love that I let pass me by, whether because of other priorities, or Puritan virute.”
-Aphrodite-
Living with intensity means not letting the days go by like someone flipping pages in a book. You should enjoy every line and the story that the book tells. To exist is to feel, dare, forget about diets, savor, run in the rain without worrying about getting wet. It means loving without being afraid to lose and living without worrying about tomorrow. At the end of the day, what should really scare you is a life unlived.
4. Our demons
“We all have demons in the dark recesses of our soul. But, if we bring them into the light, the demons shrink, weaken, fall quiet, and eventually leave us in peace.”
-Island Beneath the Sea-
Could any of us deny the truth of these words? We all have more than one demon sneaking around in the shadows. They blur our desires, our dreams, and our goals. They hide in the immature parts of our being that need to be aired out, healed, and repaired. Instead of leaving the demons to their own devices, we have to deal with them head-on. That is the only way to self-realization.
5.Take responsibility for your emotions
“Every person is responsible for their feelings, and life isn’t fair.”
-The Sum of Our Days-
Sooner or later, we all reach the simple but categorical conclusion that life isn’t fair. It can be fickle and ruthless one moment, and beautiful and perfect the next. In this scenario, where so many circumstances escape our control, all we can do is take responsibility for what we are and what we feel.
The way that we face each of the stumbling blocks will determine the quality of our lives. Emotional responsibility is the key to balance and well-being in a complex world.
There are many more Allende quotes that should be on this list. We all have our favorites, the ones we write in the margins of notebooks. The ones that we’ve chosen here are just a small example of the humanity, psychology, and emotional delicacy that characterize this unforgettable writer.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Allende, I. (2014). La casa de los espíritus. Plaza & Janés.
- Allende, I. (2017). Cuentos de Eva Luna. Vintage Espanol.
- Allende, I. (2017). De amor y de sombra. Vintage Espanol.
- Allende, I. (2016). Hija de la fortuna. Plaza & Janés.