The Hour of the Star

About this book

The Hour of the Star Clarice Lispectors consummate final novel may well be her masterpiece. Narrated by the cosmopolitan Rodrigo S.M. this brief strange and haunting tale is the story of Macaba one of lifes unfortunates. Living in the slums of Rio and eking out a poor living as a typist Macaba loves movies Coca-Colas and her rat of a boyfriend; she would like to be like Marilyn Monroe but she is ugly underfed sickly and unloved. Rodrigo recoils from her wretchedness and yet he cannot avoid the realization that for all her outward misery Macaba is inwardly free/She doesnt seem to know how unhappy she should be. Lispector employs her pathetic heroine against her urbane empty narratoredge of despair to edge of despairand working them like a pair of scissors she cuts away the readers preconceived notions about poverty identity love and the art of fiction. In her last book she takes readers close to the true mystery of life and leave us deep in Lispector territory indeed.