beforesheleaves 's review for:

An Apprenticeship, or the Book of Pleasures by Clarice Lispector

DID NOT FINISH: 47%

---

I chose this book as an “easy read” on my phone, and meanwhile throughout my read I was curious, fascinated even by Lori, every single time Ullysees showed up he managed to get on my nerves. Maybe it’s because I don’t relate to Lori’s attraction to him, nor am I able to understand why someone who was repeatedly cruel to her represents some sort of catalyst. There certainly were passages where I understood that he represented an awakening to her as well as the opportunity to explore human urges, but he seemed to always want to be someone “deep” who “awakens” her, mildly crediting her intellectual capacities of reaching her own conclusions.
I loved Lori’s character and the way the story went with her, but I wish Ulysees wasn’t this obnoxious towards her for little to no reason. The writing is very beautiful and captivating and Lori’s character was so interesting that I would’ve continued simply to follow her and see how she continues developing herself, but the random inserts of this guy and his very deep and spiritual takes on her character were bugging me so bad that I didn’t want to put up with him for the rest of the book.
To sum it up, it feels like a woman’s journey towards self discovery and growth, and for some reason, a very annoying man had to be inserted into it to represent the catalyst, which I very much dislike.