The Hour Of The Star by Clarice Lispector; A Flawless Introspective
Becca Boynton | April 20, 2023
“Who has not asked himself at some time or other: am I a monster, or is this what it means to be a person?”
Every person has debated their morality at least once in their life (and if you reject that, you are lying). No other book offers a better examination of this existential question than “The Hour of the Star.” The Hour of the Star is an introspection into the narrator’s psyche but leaves the readers with their own self-reflections — what all the best books do.
Lispectors (translated) writing is eloquent and ravishing. She writes about unfamiliar people in
unfamiliar places in a rare state, with authenticity and comfort that makes the reader feel as if they are walking the busy streets of Brazil.
It is difficult to describe the slim book “The Hour of the Star” because while there is no illogical plot, I found I never got a proper grip on the characters. I have read her book twice, yet they remain a puzzle to me.
In the book, the reader is given a forthright vision throughout; it is a book about a man and his infatuation with a beautiful woman. However, that picture is not the primary foundation of the book; it is only a tiny fraction.
In under two hundred pages, the reader becomes immersed in the life of the narrator as he becomes dumbfounded by a woman he has seldom spoken to. The woman, Macabea, has been pummeled by poverty and struggles to find her place in Brazilian society, a stark disparity to the privilege of the male narrator.
While the book follows her day-to-day actions, it is a stretch to call Macabea the main character.
The story is more profound than a man who admires a captivating woman from a distance; it speaks to societal expectations in Brazil. As you read further on, the narrator’s own position in Brazil becomes more evident. This is more than a borderline stalker eyeing a stunning woman; it is a commentary on Brazilian society.
Clarice Lispector’s writing is in a class of its own. I have never read a translated book with such captivating words and such glorious storytelling. The essence that comes with Lispector’s writing was not lost in translation like many other books, unfortunately, fall victim to.
The Hour of the Star was Clarice Lispectors last book before her death in 1977, and it left me with a burning question: What is it to live? Not just to exist but to live.
That remains unanswered, and with the startling climax, I don’t think I will ever get an answer. Yet, I sit after reading her exquisitely written book in one sitting, okay with never getting the solutions I desperately craved; that is the beauty of Clarice’s writing; you are left bewildered but satisfied.
It is books like this that make me wish I could meet the author and convey to her face that the beauty of her words is not lost yet. She put herself into her art, bringing an authenticity that is often misplaced in other authors. Even if one is not interested in Brazil, class structures or even books, I implore you to read Lispectors final piece of art; you will not regret it.