The Hour of the Star

Name: The Hour of the Star
ISBN: 9787020167722

克拉丽丝·李斯佩克朵 / 闵雪飞People's Literature Publishing House · ChinaDec 2023

4.7

Word count: 51K words
Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787020167722

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Summary

Do not try to prove that the truest things exist; believe in them. Believe with tears.—Clarice Lispector

The Hour of the Star is a novel that probes "identity." The author portrays the arduous life of Macabéa, a girl who moves from a poor region to Rio de Janeiro. In the mirror she sees the figure of the narrator, who appears in the first person in the novel and speaks of their loneliness. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she looks at herself in the mirror and covers her lips with lipstick, as if she has found her dreamed-of identity: to become a brilliant superstar. After receiving an auspicious reading from a tarot card reader, an ironic and sorrowful scene unfolds: she is struck by a luxury Mercedes driven by a blond man. As she lies dying, the hallucinated "hour of the star" finally appears, and all that was humble is transfigured into radiance.

Editor's review

The Hour of the Star is the last complete novel Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector finished in her later years and one of the peaks of her literary creation. With astonishing modernist technique, the book tells of the survival and demise of Macabéa, a poor typist in Rio de Janeiro. Lispector's writing transcends the boundaries of traditional narrative; in a fragmented, leaping language full of speculation and poetry, she penetrates the most subtle depths of her character's consciousness and explores eternal questions of existence, solitude, identity, and nothingness. Reading this book, you are first struck by its distinctive style—it is at once a novel and the author's self-interrogation, at once cold observation and compassionate introspection. This edition from People's Literature Publishing House captures precisely in translation the original's tone—both detached and scorching—and its notes help readers understand the cultural background. For lovers of serious literature, the book offers an excellent window onto another summit of Latin American literature beyond magical realism—a profound power oriented more toward inner exploration and linguistic experiment. It is not an easy story but a cruel and beautiful dissection of "existence" itself.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in modernist literature and experimental narrative techniques
Explorers who wish to understand the diversity of Latin American literature beyond magical realism
Readers who enjoy philosophical reflection while reading and care about existence, solitude, and identity
Writers or literary scholars hoping to study a distinctive style of interior narrative and language

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking traditional novels with tight plots and clear storylines
Readers hoping for light entertainment or clear emotional consolation from reading

Reading tips

If you are new to Lispector, it is best to first accept her fragmented, stream-of-consciousness style and not insist on understanding every passage at once
You may consult the translator's preface or related introductory essays at the end of the book to aid understanding of the author's background and core intentions
Try slowing down to savor the texture and rhythm of the language itself and feel how it resonates with the themes

About the publisher

People's Literature Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

People's Literature Publishing House publishes across classical literature, foreign literature, documentary writing and folk literature, with 492 titles in its catalogue. Representative books range from the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms to Lao She's Teahouse and Longxu Ditch in the Selected Works of Lao She, as well as translated foreign literature such as Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, Dante's Divine Comedy and Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels, alongside documentary and fictional works including Primo Levi's If This Is a Man and João Guimarães Rosa's The Devil to Pay in the Backlands. Its authors include Chinese writers such as Lao She, translators such as Shen Emeri and Li Wenjun, and foreign authors such as James Wood. Overall, the house has a strong record in editing classic works and translating foreign literature, with a publishing character that bridges Chinese and foreign writing and values textual quality.

版权信息
对空无的激情
作者献词
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五
如何画出一只完美的蛋？（代译后记）

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and the author's famous short piece "The Hour of the Star"?

This book is the novel Lispector built around the core concept of "the hour of the star," the concentrated expression of her thinking. It shares a spiritual lineage with the short story "The Hour of the Star" in her early collection Family Ties, but the novel's scope and depth are far greater.

Why is Lispector considered an important writer in Brazil and Latin American literature?

With her highly original language and her writing that probes the subconscious of her characters, she expanded the boundaries of Lusophone literature and influenced many later writers. Her work focuses on the individual's inner universe, forming a striking complement to the many Latin American writers known for grand narrative—together they constitute the rich landscape of Latin American literature.

How difficult is this book to read?

It presents a certain challenge. The narrative is not linear and is heavily interspersed with the author's commentary, the characters' interior monologues, and philosophical reflection; the language is dense and full of metaphor. It demands sustained concentration and an openness to thought and is not suited to fast skimming.

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About the author

克拉丽丝·李斯佩克朵 Author

Clarice Lispector is an author with five works held in this collection, though public information about her is limited and her nationality and dates of birth and death remain unconfirmed. The works listed here span fiction and essay collections, including The Hour of the Star, The Passion According to G.H., Near to the Wild Heart, The Hour of the Star (Classic Selections), and Writing and Life, and are commonly classified under foreign literature and essays. Her writing is known for interior monologue and a philosophical quality, focusing on individual experiences of solitude, identity, and the edges of existence. Her narratives often depart from conventional plot and move closer to the flow of consciousness. This approach gives her work a distinctive place among literary readers and marks her as a writer concerned with language and existential questions.

闵雪飞 Author

Min Xuefei is a literary translator and introducer of foreign literature with limited documentation in Chinese-language book records. Three works are currently attributed to her: The Hour of the Star, The Passion According to G.H. (a Clarisse Lispector collection), and The Hour of the Star (a selected Chinese classics edition). These titles indicate that her work centers on the Brazilian writer Clarisse Lispector and spans foreign literature and prose or miscellaneous writings. Her translations give Chinese readers access to Lispector's highly introspective and experimental prose, which is marked by stream of consciousness, philosophical reflection, and female experience and holds distinctive value for Chinese readers. Public information on her nationality, dates, and personal history is limited, so no speculation is offered here.