First thought on this book was omg it’s only 100 pages. Two pages in… these are going to be the longest 100 pages of writing I’ve ever read. But I made my roommate read a page and she said she liked it so maybe I’m uncultured. It’s making my head hurt.
Wow, I just finished this book and I’m almost grudging to admit I judged it far too fast based on the first few pages. The narration feels quite relatable to me in a way, I find myself drifting in and out of the story just as Rodrigo does. For the few sentences or paragraphs he is present, I find myself wondering who is he?? A ghost, a stalker, a part of Macabea’s consciousness? I really had no clue. But as soon as we delved back into the story of Macabea, I would forget him entirely. Her life was so tragic and pitiful, it was enrapturing. A morbid fascination is what I feel inspires Rodrigo to focus on this young lady and the reason we readers find ourselves locked into his descriptions of a lifeless, thoughtless, loveless existence. Macabea’s life seems to embody the suffix “less”. She seems to have no thoughts of her own, only able to quote moments from clock radio, she is given little physical description; personally I imagined her a grey spectre, rail thin and awfully tired looking. To me she already seems to be a ghost while she lives, and so I hope if there is an afterlife in Lispector’s creation, Macabea finds a fuller existence.
The gasp I gasped when Macabea was hit by the car, oh my days. I suppose I was as foolish as she to believe such a fantastic future awaited her. However, perhaps living for a few moments with such hope, followed by a sudden, quick death was the best possible fate for her. Do you think the fortune teller got her future mixed up with the girl before her? That was my first thought. Then I realized the fortune teller might have been totally full of crap and making stuff up. Or perhaps she just wanted to give Macabea a few moments of joy in her life, before the inevitable. That’s another question for you guys, do you believe in fortune tellers? My mum has a fortune teller and she believes everything she says but I’m skeptical and curious what others think…
3 replies on “The Hour of the Star”
“I imagined her a grey spectre, rail thin and awfully tired looking. To me she already seems to be a ghost while she lives, and so I hope if there is an afterlife in Lispector’s creation, Macabea finds a fuller existence.”
Interesting! The ghostly aspect of her is deeply related with her lack of actions and will.
We can discuss it on Wednesday.
Julián.
Hi Catrin,
I really liked your analysis of Macabea’s fortune, how “perhaps living for a few moments with such hope, followed by a sudden, quick death was the best possible fate for her” and how the fortune teller may have just been a con. The idea of the fortune teller wanting to give Macabea a few moments of joy in her life before the inevitable is also very interesting and thought provoking.
As for me, no I do not believe in fortune tellers. But maybe that’s because I don’t want to know my future – I rather live my life awaiting what’s to come then stressing about what’s set out for me. The whole idea of being able to know your future is super eerie to me, because does that imply that your fate is inevitable, or can you take efforts to change its course? And if you change its course, does this complicate things further?
Lots of thoughts..
I agree with your description of her pitiful life and person, so why is the character presented that way is the question for me, I’ll be interested to listen to the professor’s videos and the class discussion to see what others think. as for fortune tellers i do believe in them, i went once when i was 22 and there is no way they could know anything about me and she told me all about my past and my future. it was so weird i’ve never gone again.