Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector
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Book Overview
"That rare person who looked like Marlene Dietrich and wrote like Virginia Woolf," Clarice Lispector is one of the most popular but least understood of Latin American writers. Now, after years of research on three continents, drawing on previously unknown manuscripts and dozens of interviews, Benjamin Moser demonstrates how Lispector's development as a writer was directly connected to the story of her turbulent life. Born in the nightmarish landscape of post-World War I Ukraine, Clarice became, virtually from adolescence, a person whose beauty, genius, and eccentricity intrigued Brazil. Why This World tells how this precocious girl, through long exile abroad and difficult personal struggles, matured into a great writer. It also asserts, for the first time, the deep roots in the Jewish mystical tradition that make her the true heir to Kafka as well as the unlikely author of "perhaps the greatest spiritual autobiography of the twentieth century." From Chechelnik to Recife, from Naples and Berne to Washington and Rio de Janeiro, Why This World strips away the mythology surrounding this extraordinary figure and shows how Clarice Lispector transformed one woman's struggles into a universally resonant art.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0199895821
ISBN13:9780199895823
Release Date:May 2012
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Length:496 Pages
Weight:1.58 lbs.
Dimensions:1.4" x 5.7" x 8.8"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Survivor Syndrome
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
The book was fascinating because it included so much of the history of Brazil in the first half of the 20th century as well as the history of Ukraine during the same period. Both were instrumental in forming Clarice Lispector's character and personality. Mr. Moser did a remarkable amount of research for the background of this biography. The quote which was powerful for me, since I was in a similar situation in Brazil having survived WWII in Europe, is:"Surviving means not to know what to do with oneself." So true!
Uncovering Clarice
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
As one of Clarice's most adoring admirers, having read most of her novels in my native Portuguese, I was captivated by the way Mr. Mosher uncovered the journey of this amazing artist, giving a historical perspective of the world she grew up in, her experiences, her insecurities, her love for writing, her passions, and her everyday life. Masterfully written! Hard to put it down. Clarice's world and words live on.
Will appeal to college-level collections who have works of the Brazilian writer on hand
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
WHY THIS WORLD: A BIOGRAPHY OF CLARICE LISPECTOR will appeal to college-level collections who have works of the Brazilian writer on hand. It tells of her life, her traumatic family experiences, her studies of law and work in the 1940s as one of Brazil's few women journalists, and her works of radical fiction. Libraries offering Latin authors and analysis will find this biography key to understanding Lispector's works and influences.
A Forgotten Author Gets Her Due
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
At nearly 500 pages, this biography of Brazil's greatest female author will be the definitive account of the Ukrainian Jew who emigrated to Brazil as a baby. Her family of origin's history was horrific and her own life was painful -- so it was no surprise that her novels explore the meaning of life. Mr. Moser's storytelling is well-done and he has has done exhaustive research. Once the reader starts this book, you will not be able to put it down.
Fabulous book!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 15 years ago
A masterful biography of one of the 20th century's most fascinating writers, too long unknown outside her native Brazil. This engaging, authoritative work should change that!
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