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A review by naokamiya
Água Viva by Clarice Lispector
5.0
"Agua Viva" is more than a slim novel - in fact in some senses (and by Clarice Lispector's own admittance) it isn't really a novel at all. It's more like a rallying cry to life and existence itself, a tribute to the moment of being in the NOW, distilled through stream-of-consciousness prose poetry and an absolutely masterful use of literary rhythm and an arrestingly conversational tone. This is philosophy with the unique caveat that it is the most personal form of philosophy possible; philosophy on Lispector's own life, her own philosophical treatise to compartmentalize her personal understanding of the human experience and the great unknown. Short but extraordinarily complex, at once easy to read yet also incredibly lyrical and abstract.
And what makes "Agua Viva" so electrically resonant is that Lispector manages to balance on a tightrope between the personal and universal. Through this frenzied improvisational style, she accentuates the minutia of being alive and breathing and how we are all constantly reaching for a solid grasp on universal meaning and lasting contentment, including herself. But Lispector realizes that this desire for one truth is unachievable and perhaps an ignorant goal to strive towards, so she takes a different route. "Truth", to Lispector, is in the moment itself - capturing the instants upon instants that make up being a sentient organism and molding meaning from which there can by necessity be no meaning. Lispector drives this in by intervening at moments to remind the reader (and likely herself) that the words she is putting to the page are in themselves meaningless, and more her actions of writing comprise of a series of moments upon moments that manifest themselves as words.
One of "Agua Viva"'s greatest strengths is the malleability of its language. It begins resembling a journal, but as it drives forward it takes new shapes, the stream-of-consciousness taking over and becoming a sort of thing that feels like what I can only describe as a ritualistic channeling of cosmic energy. At the same time, the more the ramble continues, the more and more Lispector is radically insightful and the more her humanity is at forefront. She addresses an abstract, malleable "you" - the reader? A lover? Herself? God? - and through this avenue her tone becomes as conversational as it is complex. She will very frequently inject musings into the text - of the sort such as "Where was I going with this?" or "I don't know what I mean when I write this" - further layering the density of this text. With these musings it feels like you're at times not even reading a book and are instead being spoken to in a dream. The effect is nothing short of scintillating, and illuminating to the type of person Lispector was, and wants to be remembered as. "Agua Viva" is so lyrical and richly flourishing that it is at times more akin to music than written word, which Lispector gives nod to in all her mentions of music and its powers throughout the work.
Poignantly, the book also illuminates Lispector's concerns and frustrations, as brightly as it illustrates her greatest hopes. Though an act rooted in joy (as Lispector adamantly reminds), the concept of grabbing onto the moment is as difficult as it is rewarding. We want to be timeless beings but no matter how much we yearn pure freedom we are still bound by what surrounds us; work, personal relations, bills, oppressive systems, pain of all kinds. Lispector wants to transcend the need for these things and instead reach for the joys brought on by the abstract and non-logical. Humans are not naturally rational beings and Lispector wants to embrace what she, I, and countless others view to be "supernatural" - not necessarily theism, but something more like a cosmic celebration of Life. Lispector understands that the natural constraints of being a human get in the way of this transcendental state. However, Lispector grasps for it anyway, at full speed and vigor, determined to capture the moment between her fingers and live in pure embrace of the emotional and the sincere. It is an incredibly bold and powerfully felt sentiment.
Further, "Agua Viva", to my understanding, was written near the end of Lispector's life, where she suffered chronic pain after recovering from third degree burns. Despite her pain, she wrote a book about experiencing time in moments and attempting to freeze time itself. The fact she wrote words of this magnitude and with such a conviction for being alive in the midst of pain is a remarkable achievement. I also struggle with a chronic condition which inhibits my ability to work; at times writing is the only thing I have to be able to channel my frustrations. That Lispector manages to convey authentic feelings of timelessness and appreciation for being a sapient being, while in the midst of a deteriorating condition, is nothing short of remarkable and inspiring.
In its quest for feeling timeless, "Agua Viva" actually is timeless literature, in how Clarice Lispector is able to portray in words what cannot truly be said in words. Somehow she strikes this balance and a balance between reason and emotion, and the amount of emotional vulnerability and sincerity that is displayed in this volume is absolutely moving. Clarice is unbound and unrestricted and she wants humanity as a whole to reach for the outer limits of their bounds as she seeks. And the ending is so touching and universal and the perfect way to wrap this up. What a phenomenal work of literature and I am on the fast track to becoming a massive fan of Clarice Lispector and her works already. Have probably highlighted passages in this book more than any other this year... I really wish I had more to say but this book kind of naturally defies words despite being made up of words. A masterpiece.
"I protect with fire the game of my life. When the existence of me and of the world can no longer be borne by reason - then I loose myself and follow a latent truth. Would I recognise the truth if it were proven?
I am making myself. I make myself until I reach the pit."
And what makes "Agua Viva" so electrically resonant is that Lispector manages to balance on a tightrope between the personal and universal. Through this frenzied improvisational style, she accentuates the minutia of being alive and breathing and how we are all constantly reaching for a solid grasp on universal meaning and lasting contentment, including herself. But Lispector realizes that this desire for one truth is unachievable and perhaps an ignorant goal to strive towards, so she takes a different route. "Truth", to Lispector, is in the moment itself - capturing the instants upon instants that make up being a sentient organism and molding meaning from which there can by necessity be no meaning. Lispector drives this in by intervening at moments to remind the reader (and likely herself) that the words she is putting to the page are in themselves meaningless, and more her actions of writing comprise of a series of moments upon moments that manifest themselves as words.
One of "Agua Viva"'s greatest strengths is the malleability of its language. It begins resembling a journal, but as it drives forward it takes new shapes, the stream-of-consciousness taking over and becoming a sort of thing that feels like what I can only describe as a ritualistic channeling of cosmic energy. At the same time, the more the ramble continues, the more and more Lispector is radically insightful and the more her humanity is at forefront. She addresses an abstract, malleable "you" - the reader? A lover? Herself? God? - and through this avenue her tone becomes as conversational as it is complex. She will very frequently inject musings into the text - of the sort such as "Where was I going with this?" or "I don't know what I mean when I write this" - further layering the density of this text. With these musings it feels like you're at times not even reading a book and are instead being spoken to in a dream. The effect is nothing short of scintillating, and illuminating to the type of person Lispector was, and wants to be remembered as. "Agua Viva" is so lyrical and richly flourishing that it is at times more akin to music than written word, which Lispector gives nod to in all her mentions of music and its powers throughout the work.
Poignantly, the book also illuminates Lispector's concerns and frustrations, as brightly as it illustrates her greatest hopes. Though an act rooted in joy (as Lispector adamantly reminds), the concept of grabbing onto the moment is as difficult as it is rewarding. We want to be timeless beings but no matter how much we yearn pure freedom we are still bound by what surrounds us; work, personal relations, bills, oppressive systems, pain of all kinds. Lispector wants to transcend the need for these things and instead reach for the joys brought on by the abstract and non-logical. Humans are not naturally rational beings and Lispector wants to embrace what she, I, and countless others view to be "supernatural" - not necessarily theism, but something more like a cosmic celebration of Life. Lispector understands that the natural constraints of being a human get in the way of this transcendental state. However, Lispector grasps for it anyway, at full speed and vigor, determined to capture the moment between her fingers and live in pure embrace of the emotional and the sincere. It is an incredibly bold and powerfully felt sentiment.
Further, "Agua Viva", to my understanding, was written near the end of Lispector's life, where she suffered chronic pain after recovering from third degree burns. Despite her pain, she wrote a book about experiencing time in moments and attempting to freeze time itself. The fact she wrote words of this magnitude and with such a conviction for being alive in the midst of pain is a remarkable achievement. I also struggle with a chronic condition which inhibits my ability to work; at times writing is the only thing I have to be able to channel my frustrations. That Lispector manages to convey authentic feelings of timelessness and appreciation for being a sapient being, while in the midst of a deteriorating condition, is nothing short of remarkable and inspiring.
In its quest for feeling timeless, "Agua Viva" actually is timeless literature, in how Clarice Lispector is able to portray in words what cannot truly be said in words. Somehow she strikes this balance and a balance between reason and emotion, and the amount of emotional vulnerability and sincerity that is displayed in this volume is absolutely moving. Clarice is unbound and unrestricted and she wants humanity as a whole to reach for the outer limits of their bounds as she seeks. And the ending is so touching and universal and the perfect way to wrap this up. What a phenomenal work of literature and I am on the fast track to becoming a massive fan of Clarice Lispector and her works already. Have probably highlighted passages in this book more than any other this year... I really wish I had more to say but this book kind of naturally defies words despite being made up of words. A masterpiece.
"I protect with fire the game of my life. When the existence of me and of the world can no longer be borne by reason - then I loose myself and follow a latent truth. Would I recognise the truth if it were proven?
I am making myself. I make myself until I reach the pit."