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The Besieged City

By Clarice Lispector
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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3.69 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,137 ratings, 217 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Besieged City by Clarice Lispector is a novel that delves into the life of LucrΓ©cia Neves, a young woman navigating personal desires and societal constraints in a Brazilian town. Through fragmented narrative and rich prose, Lispector explores themes of identity, existence, and the complexity of human emotions. The story captures LucrΓ©cia's internal conflicts and her quest for autonomy amidst the conventional expectations of her surroundings.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy exploring deep psychological themes and appreciate a rich, introspective narrative. It offers a unique glimpse into the internal world of its characters, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing society, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in character-driven stories.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Besieged City, Clarice Lispector's revelatory third novel, is now available in English for the first time.

Written in flight from Lispector's 'shipwreck of introspection', it is a book unlike any other in the Lispector canon, a novel focused on the simple act of seeing the external world. Its heroine, Lucrecia, is utterly mute and unreflective, possibly devoid of any inner life. The plot is unlike any other Lispector narrative: a small-town girl marries a rich man, explores the world, and lives happily ever after.

Despite this seemingly straightforward story, the novel includes miraculous horses, linguistic ecstasies, catty remarks, visions from minor characters, and music from unknown sources. Lucrecia, free from the burden of thought, 'leaned over without any individuality, trying merely to look at things directly'. Yet, as her 'mere' looking progresses, it leads, as Lispector's biographer Benjamin Moser notes, 'paradoxically but inevitably, to Clarice's own metaphysical concerns. As it turns out, not being profound is simply another way of being profound'.

Translated by Johnny Lorenz

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Besieged City by Clarice Lispector is celebrated as an unparalleled work and considered a Brazilian national treasure. Reviews highlight Lispector's quest for a deeper understanding beyond conventional wisdom, exploring the everyday struggles of life and love. Her writing reflects the challenging journey of responding to life's indignities, showcasing her unique literary prowess.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241371374

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Johnny Lorenz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 172g

Pages: 224

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About the Author

Clarice Lispector (Author) Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian novelist and short-story writer. Her innovation in fiction brought her international renown. She was born in the Ukraine in 1920, but in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Civil War, the family fled to Romania and eventually Brazil. She published her first novel, Near to the Wildheart, in 1943, when she was just twenty-three, and the next year was awarded the Gra a Aranha Prize for the best first novel. She died in 1977, shortly after the publication of her final novel, The Hour of the Star.

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