THE novel's language mimics the magical realism and elaborate metaphors of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Pablo Neruda and effectively conjures up images of a land and people still bound by magic and ancient gods. Her metaphors are imaginative and often poetic. And the characters are at times fantastical, ranging from professional embalmers who travel around in wheel-chairs to silent Indians who disappear into the jungle at the blink of an eye.

By contrast, her portrayal of political and military events bears the stamp of an eyewitness account.

Still, the novel as a whole has neither the sweep nor the intensity of one by Marquez or Neruda. The plot cannot bear the burden of such complex language. While the best of Latin American fiction is often ambiguous, Allende's novel is too often simply confusing.

For instance, at the end of the novel the military police summon Eva to the government headquarters to expose her anti-political activities. General Rodri-quez reveals that the government knows everything about Eva's complicity in the guerrilla affairs, but suggests that she can be redeemed if she will reveal the identities of the guerrillas in charge. His evil laugh implies that he intends to imprison the soldiers forever, but at the same time he suggests he will legalize the Communist Party and offer its members places in Congress.

It remains unclear whether Allende is cynical about Latin American government in general or hopeful that democracy can be liberating. And this confusion calls into question the purpose of telling Eva's story.

IF Allende is unwilling to have faith in the government, or any government, then centering on the individual triumphs of Eva would impart an important, if not entirely orginal, lesson: that fate lies ultimately in each person's hands. But if we are to believe that hope lies in a democratic government taking power, then why all the fuss about Eva, and why such a conscious effort by Allende to avoid discussing politics directly?

As it is, the novel leaves one with the distinct impression that Allende, who has struggled in all her novels to sort out conflicts between individuals and politics, has failed to resolve this tension.