A review by peeled_grape
The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector

4.0

I loved how meta this was. There are moments, especially in the beginning, that feel like a wink to us, and I got the feeling Lispector was having fun with this. There are parts where Lispector also seems to be talking to us directly, especially when she's talking about writing. (Which, if you are a writer, this is especially funny, mostly because Rodrigo, the narrator, is terrified of writing, and at one point takes a nap in the middle of the novel because he doesn't want to write.) This is extremely quotable, too: "Am I a monster or is this what it means to be a person?" is one of my favorites. I was reminded so much of Lydia Davis' "My Happy Life." There's a lot here, and a lot I have to think about.