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naluisa's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
vinicoelho's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Lispector has a very distinct style that can be difficult to reenter if it has been a while since you last read her work. Her writing demands a great deal of effort from the reader but it is always extremely worth it.
Água Viva is a fluid, stream of consciousness meditation on reality,writing, thoughts, emotions, and a plethora of other topics. The book has been called a 'poem-in-prose' which is incredibly accurate.
Lispector commands such control over language that she seems to paint with it, to weave it in to music. She even remarks in the beginning that one does not listen to music, they hear it, so we are to hear her with our whole bodies. She manages to put words to sensations and emotions that I previously could not even fathom how to describe.
Once again, Lispector's work is a brilliant gem that truly shines if you put the effort in as the reader.
Also, if you have the ability it is undoubtably worth it to read her work in the original Portuguese. Her writing truly sings in her native language.
Água Viva is a fluid, stream of consciousness meditation on reality,writing, thoughts, emotions, and a plethora of other topics. The book has been called a 'poem-in-prose' which is incredibly accurate.
Lispector commands such control over language that she seems to paint with it, to weave it in to music. She even remarks in the beginning that one does not listen to music, they hear it, so we are to hear her with our whole bodies. She manages to put words to sensations and emotions that I previously could not even fathom how to describe.
Once again, Lispector's work is a brilliant gem that truly shines if you put the effort in as the reader.
Also, if you have the ability it is undoubtably worth it to read her work in the original Portuguese. Her writing truly sings in her native language.
aranmanoth's review against another edition
5.0
qué bonito que un libro diga siempre lo mismo, pero cambie totalmente si se lee con la debida atención y cuidado, y con el necesario asombro
var's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
ellioth_mess's review against another edition
4.0
Clarice crea sobre el acto de crear y reflexiona sobre reflexionar mientras vive para vivir. En medio te clava unas angustias y ansiedades que para qué te cuento.
zoowoo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
exlibrisalex's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t say that I entirely grasped what Lispector was saying in this novella, if it can indeed be called a novella, but it would seem that’s the (in?)conclusion most readers reach with this one.
“What am I doing in writing to you? trying to photograph perfume.”
Her main aim appears to be to paint in words the moments, feelings, and states of mind that one feels which are, ultimately, too fleeting (the “instant-now”) and abstract to capture and pin down with prose. While reading this I kept recalling moments in my own life, that while outwardly uneventful, elicited an intensely reflective or emotional inner experience that I personally would find impossible to put to pen and paper. So while I might not have been able to experience exactly what Lispector desired the reader to experience, it was a wholly worthwhile and personal read.
“It’s so hard to speak and say things that can’t be said. It’s so silent. How to translate the silence of the real encounter between the two of us? So hard to explain: I looked straight at you for a few instants. Such moments are my secret. There was what’s called perfect communion.”
In many passages she seemed to play with the sounds of words and sentences as opposed to the literal meaning, so don’t be too frustrated if you don’t understand what is going on. She often refers to music and painting and how those arts convey what they do without the use of words. I found Água Viva to be highly quotable which is a bit ironic since I just said large portions are non-sensical. I had previously read one of her short stories and thought it was a bad translation but the intro of this explains that her writing is odd in her native language as well and that it was an intentional choice on her part.
“I’ve spoken a lot about death. But I’m going to speak to you about the breath of life. When a person is already no longer breathing you give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation: you place your mouth upon the other person’s and breathe. And the other starts to breathe again. This exchange of breaths is one of the most beautiful things that I’ve ever heard about life. In fact the beauty of this mouth-to-mouth is dazzling me.”
As for brief, concise plot summary… it’s a reflection on time, life, death, art, and… the human experience?
“What am I doing in writing to you? trying to photograph perfume.”
Her main aim appears to be to paint in words the moments, feelings, and states of mind that one feels which are, ultimately, too fleeting (the “instant-now”) and abstract to capture and pin down with prose. While reading this I kept recalling moments in my own life, that while outwardly uneventful, elicited an intensely reflective or emotional inner experience that I personally would find impossible to put to pen and paper. So while I might not have been able to experience exactly what Lispector desired the reader to experience, it was a wholly worthwhile and personal read.
“It’s so hard to speak and say things that can’t be said. It’s so silent. How to translate the silence of the real encounter between the two of us? So hard to explain: I looked straight at you for a few instants. Such moments are my secret. There was what’s called perfect communion.”
In many passages she seemed to play with the sounds of words and sentences as opposed to the literal meaning, so don’t be too frustrated if you don’t understand what is going on. She often refers to music and painting and how those arts convey what they do without the use of words. I found Água Viva to be highly quotable which is a bit ironic since I just said large portions are non-sensical. I had previously read one of her short stories and thought it was a bad translation but the intro of this explains that her writing is odd in her native language as well and that it was an intentional choice on her part.
“I’ve spoken a lot about death. But I’m going to speak to you about the breath of life. When a person is already no longer breathing you give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation: you place your mouth upon the other person’s and breathe. And the other starts to breathe again. This exchange of breaths is one of the most beautiful things that I’ve ever heard about life. In fact the beauty of this mouth-to-mouth is dazzling me.”
As for brief, concise plot summary… it’s a reflection on time, life, death, art, and… the human experience?