500 Great Books By Women discussion
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The Hour of the Star
Trials and Adversity
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The Hour of the Star - Clarice Lispector
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I've been accused of being cryptic in my reviews many a time, Jimmy. The commentators liked them regardless, so something must have worked.
This is such a good novel, as is everything I've read by Lispector. And cryptic reviews are pretty much par for the course with her books. :) I just wish I'd written down some more concrete thoughts than just "Wow" when I finished my read of it a few years ago...
A reread is always a possibility, Bjorn, especially with a book as short as this.
True. But I have a bunch of her other books on my list too...
I have reviewed this one (is this an appropriate way to contribute?! please guide me) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Zanna wrote: "I have reviewed this one (is this an appropriate way to contribute?! please guide me) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."For sure! Any and all reviews are welcome, Zanna. Posting on the discussion devoted to the books speeds up the process as well.
Great :-)I heard Lispector wasn't into reading... Certainly, I can't think of any author whose work shows up as an influence here!
I read this book last year and it ended up being one of my favourites of the year. I am reading my review of it now and, well, honestly it is damn near impossible to make sense of - a response and sentimental commentary rather than a sensible, easily understood review. Still, though, I think it captures something of how this book is possibly digested.Here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Zanna, I'm not surprised to hear she didn't like reading much. Her sentence structure is so unique. I had heard previously that she was self-taught as a writer, so I guess that can mean that she didn't like reading much too. I guess. Regardless, this work is marvelous. I've got three other works (thank you, New Dimensions Press) and I plan on reading them soon. Actually, one is approaching the top of my To Be Read pile.
Have you read in Portuguese? I can't judge her sentence structure, but it reminds me of, for example, Fernando Pessoa (I am not a fan) so I have assumed up to now that the odd gait her writing has is an artefact of translation. Do persuade me if you disagree = )
Neal wrote: "I read this book last year and it ended up being one of my favourites of the year. I am reading my review of it now and, well, honestly it is damn near impossible to make sense of - a response and ..."Thank you for your review, Neal. It has been inputted above.
Zanna wrote: "Have you read in Portuguese? I can't judge her sentence structure, but it reminds me of, for example, Fernando Pessoa (I am not a fan) so I have assumed up to now that the odd gait her writing has ..."Great point. I don't read Portuguese, but it strikes me as a language worth learning for the sake of reading. There are a great many great writers who have used it.
I wish I had the time and talent to 'learn a language for the sake of reading it' but I find it a tremendous slog to attain the most basic competence in any language. I can certainly order a meal and follow directions in Portuguese (or I could once) but 3 months of study and 3 more immersion would get me no further. Certainly it's a beautiful language though :-)
"...Stream-of-consciousness writing filled with Rodrigo's personal anguish is interspersed with the telling of Macabea's story. "Born with a legacy of misfortune, a creature from nowhere with the expression of someone who apologizes for occupying too much space," Macabea is an ugly, undernourished native of rural northeast Brazil who loves Coca-Cola and Marilyn Monroe, lives on a steady diet of hot dogs, and believes that "to be well educated was the same as knowing how to tell lies."..."
(J.L., p. 294)
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