The complex and mysterious novella “The Hour of the Star” by Clarice Lispector explores existentialism, identity, and the human predicament. The narrative centers on Macabéa, a young, nondescript woman from Rio de Janeiro’s slums. It’s the shortest novel I’ve read so far in this course, I think. It is said of Macabéa that she is […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with connection, identity, lonely, poverty, woman
After reading “The Hour of the Star”, I thought a lot about life and death and it made me so uncomfortable. I found it difficult to understand the philosophical aspects of the book and may have tried too hard to find a deeper meaning to the story. My initial impression of the narrator, Rodrigo S. […]
Posted in Blogs, Lispector | Tagged with death, identity, life
I loved this book so much, and I will have to read the next ones. I can’t be left in such a cliffhanger! Of course, this book is an coming of age story, a common theme in the course. It takes us on a journey where we can see how a small neighborhood in Italy […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with childhood, COA, coming of age, Elena Ferrante, family, friends, identity, Italy, jealousy, life, love, My brilliant friend, Personal Growth, poverty, Teens
I was really excited about reading this book and finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It takes the number one spot for me dethroning The Time of Doves. The Lover, a novel about exploration of identity with a hint of coming-of-age, will stay with me for a while. Let’s address the elephant […]
Posted in Blogs, Duras | Tagged with COA, coming of age, Dysfunctional Family, family, Forbidden, France, identity, Indochina, Lolita, love, Marguerite Duras, melancholy, nostalgia, Personal Growth, poverty, The Lover, Vietnam
After finishing the book, I was left with the internal question of “What did I just read?” And then I looked up the author, and it started to make more sense. The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector is yet another book that dives into the themes of identity, the search for meaning, and […]
Posted in Blogs, Lispector | Tagged with Brazil, Clarice Lispector, existence, identity, Macabea, Personal Growth, Philsophy, poverty, Roast, romance, society, women
Hey Everyone!I hope you all could unwind and relax during the reading break. As we return to our classes, Time of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda stood out as a thought-provoking novel. When I first started reading this novel, I was a bit confused. The sen…
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with hope, identity, love, relationships, survival, Time of the Doves
Hey Everyone!I hope you all could unwind and relax during the reading break. As we return to our classes, Time of the Doves by Merce Rodoreda stood out as a thought-provoking novel. When I first started reading this novel, I was a bit confused. The sen…
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with hope, identity, love, relationships, survival, Time of the Doves
Hey everyone, whilst reading the novel and even after, it gave me a bitter, heartbroken feeling for Natalia. The novel follows Natalia from her as a working-class girl to her struggles as a wife and mother in a war-torn society. Through Natalia’s eyes, we witness the profound impact of war as she struggles with poverty, […]
Posted in Blogs | Tagged with abuse, grief, hope, identity, loss, love, merce Rodoreda, poverty, relationships, Socioeconomic Struggles, violence, war
I won’t lie, I wasn’t particularly excited about this book, but I surprisingly enjoyed it. It’s definitely original, fun with a dash of philosophical thoughts. The Book of Chameleons takes us on a journey of identity, memory, and truth, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Past = Identity? “My soul hurts with too much […]
Posted in Agualusa, Blogs | Tagged with Dreams, Germany, identity, Jorge Luis Borges, lies, life, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Portugal, The Book of Chameleons
Entering the world of ‘The Time of the Doves’ by Merce Rodoreda was like stepping onto a rollercoaster of emotions, navigating the already difficult life of Natalia, turned upside-down due to the Spanish Civil War. This literary journey becomes a captivating search for identity, belongingness, growth, and transformation. Natalia’s alienation From the beginning we can […]
Posted in Blogs, Rodoreda | Tagged with Belongingness, Colometa, Domestic Abuse, doves, growth, identity, merce Rodoreda, pain, Personal Growth, Spanish Civil War, Survivor, Time of the Doves, Transformation
