The Hour of the Star
Ratings73
Average rating3.9
Me cuestiono: ¿La protagonista tenía que ser nordestina? Los hechos son meh, leer al tiempo que Clarice escribe es lo interesante.
A very sad character study on someone who was unfortunate enough to be dealt the worst set of cards without being able to realize it, and I love it for that. Sorry Macabéa.
Clarice Lispector is a newly found favorite of mine. The hour of the star is a novella that plays with form, like much of Lispector's works. Her ability to stretch, poke, and prod at the fourth wall in a way that does not feel contrite is one of the most enjoyable parts of her writing.
The narrator is simultaneously divorced from the reality of the protagonist's world and intimately privy to its details. He is a character in and of himself, anxious and unsure of himself. He pities, and is often disgusted by, the pitiful protagonist Macabea. The two are foils- she has every reason to be unhappy and yet she is ultimately not. He has many reasons to be content, and yet he is deeply disturbed by life and his role in it.
есть книги норм, есть интересные, есть очень хорошие, а есть такие, что сразу на олимп и там сиять недоступно над всеми.
как же я счастлива, что узнала по клариссу лиспектор и как же я счастлива, что прочитала только одну ее книгу, а сколько еще впереди ...
I need to re-read this one. I struggled for a bit to grasp on as Lispector's writing style threw me through a loop for a few pages.
“Crushed innocence and unannounced misery.” Yet - “life is a luxury” - abjectly saccharine ending?
Un personaje (y es una generosidad decirle “personaje”) tan rematadamente aburrido como Macabea no tiene derecho a gastarse cinco páginas en morirse.
The writing is absolutely stunning which is what made this book a favorite for me. The way Lispector creates this male narrator to tell the story of a girl who you can tell is doomed from the start is phenomenal. That being said I found myself not really caring for the narrator himself so his constant interruptions irked me a bit.
I read this book three times in 24 hours. The first reading frustrated me and the book seemed to me to be an unsuccessful work. Three stars. But it nagged at me, so I read it again. During my second reading, I began to understand how the words had been woven together into sentences and I glimpsed their secret meaning, just beyond. Four stars. Upon completing my third reading, I realized this little book contains the whole world. Five stars. Of course, the book didn't change at all from one reading to the next. But I did. Reading is such a gift.