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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I wanted a quick read outside of my comfort zone and The Hour of the Star certainly provided that. I don't feel as if my brain can give an appropriate review for this book. It is just so far detached from the worlds of reading that I normally inhabit. I feel as if there is a lot lost in literal translation from me from the stream of consciousness writing style to the Brazilian mid century setting. I found this book through tik tok and after seeing RF Kuang's review I gave it a try. I can see why this book has some hype. I think for writers and people who appreciate foreign fiction, this novella is an interesting study into that space. I just feel like I am deficient to truly appreciate the intricacies of this short story
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
In The Hour of the Star, Rodrigo S.M., the narrator, reminisces on the life of an impoverished young girl from Brazil, Macabéa, and, in doing so, offers various philosophical and religious observations. He doesn’t take himself very seriously, often presenting vague facts, sarcastic statements and unreliable information. He speaks to the reader in a meditative way, figuring out the story as it goes.
“As I’ll now explain, this story will be the result of a gradual vision—for the last two and a half years I’ve been slowly discovering the whys. It’s the vision of the imminence of. Of what? Maybe I’ll figure it out later. Just as I’m writing at the very same time I’m being read. I only don’t start with the end that would justify the beginning—as death seems to comment on life—because I have to record the preceding facts.”
Macabéa, the main character, seems to experience solely the bad sides of the human existence: she has a horrible boyfriend; she lost her parents; she earns a modest salary as a typist. While being described as ugly, lonely and poor, Macabéa goes through life with a naïve and happy character.
In this short novel, Clarice Lispector breaks all the rules in an elegant way. With deconstructed sentences and a peculiar narrative style, it stands out from anything I’ve read. I am becoming more and more a fan of this stream of consciousness, which grants the author the liberty to explore any topic. Here, Lispector touches poverty, religion, sexism, death, and the meaning we find in writing. This is exactly the type of book that I love and I found so much inspiration in it.
With my poor writing, I tried to compose a simple review of a unique novella, but “I only achieve simplicity with enormous effort,” as Lispector said.
“As I’ll now explain, this story will be the result of a gradual vision—for the last two and a half years I’ve been slowly discovering the whys. It’s the vision of the imminence of. Of what? Maybe I’ll figure it out later. Just as I’m writing at the very same time I’m being read. I only don’t start with the end that would justify the beginning—as death seems to comment on life—because I have to record the preceding facts.”
Macabéa, the main character, seems to experience solely the bad sides of the human existence: she has a horrible boyfriend; she lost her parents; she earns a modest salary as a typist. While being described as ugly, lonely and poor, Macabéa goes through life with a naïve and happy character.
In this short novel, Clarice Lispector breaks all the rules in an elegant way. With deconstructed sentences and a peculiar narrative style, it stands out from anything I’ve read. I am becoming more and more a fan of this stream of consciousness, which grants the author the liberty to explore any topic. Here, Lispector touches poverty, religion, sexism, death, and the meaning we find in writing. This is exactly the type of book that I love and I found so much inspiration in it.
With my poor writing, I tried to compose a simple review of a unique novella, but “I only achieve simplicity with enormous effort,” as Lispector said.
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An OG meta piece that left me feeling sad for the characters and apathetic about life (knowing the author penned this right before her death).
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes