The House of the Spirits

Esteban Trueba builds a large mansion for his wife Clara. It is centrally located in the capital city and features a complex architecture. The complicated interior in many ways is like a maze. The house is one of the principle settings of the novel. Clara's circle of friends includes many who share her interests in spiritualism and their frequent séances and conjurations give the house the unofficial name of the house of the spirits, which informs the title of the novel.

Barrabás

Barrabás is a huge black dog of uncertain provenance. He arrives as a feces-encrusted puppy in a cage with the many other belongings of Marcos del Valle. Nearly dead, he is nursed back to health by Clara del Valle and becomes her devoted pet. He is known locally for his voracious sexual appetite which leads to the gruesome...