The Hour of the Star

I do not feel qualified to rate or read this book, honestly, because as some other person on Fable has (correctly) stated - it seemed way above my level of smartness. This definitely felt like one of those weird dreams I’ve had closer to waking up that’s about everything and nothing at the same time. The prose was interesting and it is a style I haven’t been exposed to before. It's also my very first book by Clarice Lispector, and the way she writes has me intrigued; so much so, that I picked up the next book I could find by her, Covert Stories. This is definitely a dense read even though it spans ~100 pages and at first sight, seems to be about a pompous author rambling about his struggles with fleshing out a character, Macabea. But oh, it's about SO MUCH MORE. Throughout the book, via the medium of the author, Rodrigo S.M., Clarice explores themes of self-identity and expression, poverty and marginalisation, sexism and existentialism. If I were to slot the book genre in a box, the box would be a Venn diagram of stream of consciousness, contemporary literature, and realist literature. Summarising my entire review, this book definitely made me more critical of the way I consume books because in such a short frame, because Clarice Lispector gives you plenty to ponder about and feel. While her prose isn't delicious or ornate, IMO, her swan song has some of the most engaging writing I've read this year.