You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
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
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From the outset, I admit I know I didn't fully "get" this book. I'm certain I'm just missing things - how it fits into Brazil's history and politics, how the narrator fits in and the layers he adds to the story and what he really knows about our main character . . . And yet I really liked it - even as it is not always enjoyable. The portrayal of poverty (I would say of money and of relationships) is heartbreaking and difficult but is tempered by the failure of the main character to realize this until the very end. The prose is unusual - I stumbled here and there, but I think that is intentional. I keep returning to the dedication where Lispector writes:
I know about lots of things I've never seen. And so do you. You can't show proof of the truest thing of all, all you can do is believe. Weep and believe.
[My interpretation of this is, necessarily, influenced by the allusions in the novel to the holocaust and the afterword by Lispector's son which references the debate around Lispector's Jewish identity and how she perceived it.]
I know about lots of things I've never seen. And so do you. You can't show proof of the truest thing of all, all you can do is believe. Weep and believe.
[My interpretation of this is, necessarily, influenced by the allusions in the novel to the holocaust and the afterword by Lispector's son which references the debate around Lispector's Jewish identity and how she perceived it.]
I hardly know what to say about this. I've read one story by Clarice Lispector before, so I already knew she was an excellent writer. The Hour of the Star is excellent too, and very original.
In this novella, a writer writes a story not because he wants to, but because he needs to get rid of it - he needs to tell it to regain his own peace of mind. The story he narrates is about Macabéa, an incredibly poor girl who barely knows she exists and that she is living. However, the narrator is constantly interrupting the story, pondering on the characters and his own influence over the narrative. This makes for a very inventive, original and curious story.
Lispector writes unlike any other author I have ever read. While there are elements I liked immediately, I have a feeling that her writing is also somewhat of an acquired taste. I look forward to reading more of her work.
In this novella, a writer writes a story not because he wants to, but because he needs to get rid of it - he needs to tell it to regain his own peace of mind. The story he narrates is about Macabéa, an incredibly poor girl who barely knows she exists and that she is living. However, the narrator is constantly interrupting the story, pondering on the characters and his own influence over the narrative. This makes for a very inventive, original and curious story.
Lispector writes unlike any other author I have ever read. While there are elements I liked immediately, I have a feeling that her writing is also somewhat of an acquired taste. I look forward to reading more of her work.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn't really like this approach to story telling, and it was demeaning to women which I really don't want to read right now
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've been wanting to try Clarice Lispector for a while and I finally did. I loved the writing style, but the story didn't do much for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia
Minor: Sexual content
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We have a narrator who goes on and on, and on about simply telling the story without actually telling it. The dialogue has deep statements about life, that seem to come out of nowhere. Anytime we kind of seem to get a plot, the author throws in the most random things. The characters you don’t really get to know, eventhough when they are introduced you get bombarded by every little fact about them. I was left more confused then curious by every single character and the ending left me puzzled. I think I need someone to explain what the hell the last page even meant. The one highlight is that there were some really beautiful quotes sprinkled in.
I bought one more book by Clarice Lispector and I am kind of dreading it now, but I will give her another chance in the future.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes