687. The Hour of the Star

The Hour of Star
Clarice Lispector
1977
Around 100 pages

Last time, Lispector told us a story about a woman who freaks out after seeing a cockroach. As somebody who recently moved to an apartment that hadn't been cleaned this century, this definitely hits different. It might actually be the map of my future. So I had a better time with this entry, which didn't so vividly remind me of my own life.

Our narrator Rodrigo addresses the reader directly (which is a rather old-fashioned approach that I love), and discusses the process of writing a story. The story he tells is about Macabea, an impoverished 19-year-old, living in Rio. She lives a pretty rough life, which is made worse when her boyfriend leaves her for her coworker.

So this was a fresh take on a fairly simple story, with a neat little twist at the end. Maybe not the most remarkable work in our canon, but I'll take a short, digestible novel any day. 

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Published shortly before Lispector's death.

UP NEXT: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

583. The Passion According to G.H.

The Passion According to G.H. 
Clarice Lispector
1964
Around 185 pages

This novel starts with Clarice Lispector's request that you only read her novel if your soul is already formed. What does that mean? Are we ever fully formed? I don't think is applies to me, because the idea that this is the finished product is too sad for me. I would never start a story this way, but I guess her style isn't meant to be inclusive.

G.H., a wealthy resident in a Rio de Janeiro penthouse, goes to clean the bedroom of the maid who just quit. She opens the wardrobe and kills a cockroach that scuttles out, which sends her into a bit of a tailspin. I guess that's understandable. If you thought there hasn't been enough cockroach vomit on this List, this is the course correction you've been waiting for.

Ick, this novel was gross. Lispector likely thought that people who focused on the disgusting elements of this story, rather than the mystical, were not worthy of reading her words. Not really my thing, but I did enjoy the revelation that G.H. was despised by the maid.

RATING: **--

Interesting Facts:

Shortly before her death, Lispector told a reporter that of all her books, G.H. was the one that "best corresponded to her demands as a writer."

UP NEXT: The River Between by Ngugi wa Thiong'o