The Hour of the Star [A Hora da Estrela] (New Directions, 1992)
by Clarice Lispector [translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero]
Brazil, 1977
Considering what a big deal Lispector is regarded as in non-lemming circles, I was bummed to find out that The Hour of the Star, her supposed masterpiece, is more annoying than interesting. In fact, it was so unrewarding that I'm probably one and done with her. A fake biography of a 19-year old poverty victim from northeastern Brazil named Macabéa, this 86-page novella is at its best offering up cryptic imagery ("it is the same soft drink that sponsored the recent earthquake in Guatemala" [23]) and the occasional lyrical moment ("May, the month of bridal veils floating in clouds of white" [42]) in between bouts of way self-conscious prose, hamfisted dialogue, and the like. At its worst, it's reminiscent of Talking Heads: 77 in terms of its poseur pretentiousness, its labored "artfulness," and its lack of a non-dork mouthpiece. Still, eleven stories less dildonic than The Dodecahedron, for whatever that's worth! (www.ndpublishing.com)
Clarice Lispector
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