September Book Group - The Hour of the Star - 27th September

Posted 13:20, 13 September 2017

 

September's book group is The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector. The Hour of the Star is Lispectors's last novel and recieved praise from Peter Bricklebank in his review for Library Journal, it was described as "compassionate meditation with a fine afterward, this slim volume will attract lovers of philosophical fiction".

Narrated by the cosmopolitan Rodrigo S.M., this brief, strange, and haunting tale is the story of Macabéa, one of life's unfortunates. Living in the slums of Rio and eking out a poor living as a typist, Macabéa loves movies, Coca-Cola, and her rat of a boyfriend; she would like to be like Marylin Monroe, but she is ugly, underfed, sickly, and unloved. Rodrigo recoils from her wretchedness, and yet he cannot avoid realization that for all her outward misery, Macabéa is inwardly free. She doesn't seem to know how unhappy she should be.

Lispector employs her pathetic heroine against her urbane, empty narrator--edge of despair to edge of despair--and, working them like a pair of scissors, she cuts away the reader's 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 leaves us deep in Lispector territory indeed.

As always attendance is free but please book tickets in advance so we know how many people are coming. If you would like us to reserve you a copy please email us