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Quote by Clarice Lispector

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The Hour of the Star

This book is a poignant narrative that delves into the complexities of human existence, focusing on the life of a young woman who arrives in a coastal city in Brazil. The story is imbued with a sense of isolation and the pursuit of ambition, offering a rich tapestry of emotional depth and cultural insight. more

Author

Clarice Lispector
Clarice Lispector

Clarice Lispector was a renowned Brazilian writer, born on December 10, 1920, to a Ukrainian immigrant family, and passed away on December 9, 1977. Her works are known for their unique narrative style and profound philosophical insights, and she is considered one of the greatest Brazilian writers of the 20th century. more

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“Las Grandes Historias son aquellas que ya se han oído y se quiere oír otra vez. Aquellas a las que se puede entrar por cualquier puerta y habitar en ellas cómodamente. No engañan con emociones o finales falsos. No sorprenden con imprevistos. Son tan conocidas como la casa en la que se vive. O el olor de la piel del ser amado. Sabemos cómo acaban y, sin embargo, las escuchamos como si no lo supiéramos. Del mismo modo que, aun sabiendo que un día moriremos, vivimos como si fuéramos inmortales. En las Grandes Historias sabemos quién vive, quién muere, quién encuentra el amor y quién no. Y, aun así, queremos volver a saberlo.”

“La vida estaba en el espejo, en el espejo de la pantalla de cristal líquido, pues ambos escribíamos también en el ordenador (palabra de Nisisen: Lo que esos viejóvenes o vejestorios que aún escriben a mano o con máquina de escribir no entienden de escribir a ordenador es que nosotros podemos editar una frase diez veces en un minuto y ellos no, chapuceros).”

“Man is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. Indeed, my experiments have proven to me that he is the Unreasoning Animal... In truth, man is incurably foolish. Simple things which other animals easily learn, he is incapable of learning. Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and a dog to be friends. I put them in a cage. In another hour I taught them to be friends with a rabbit. In the course of two days I was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally a monkey. They lived together in peace; even affectionately. Next, in another cage I confined an Irish Catholic from Tipperary, and as soon as he seemed tame I added a Scotch Presbyterian from Aberdeen. Next a Turk from Constantinople; a Greek Christian from Crete; an Armenian; a Methodist from the wilds of Arkansas; a Buddhist from China; a Brahman from Benares. Finally, a Salvation Army Colonel from Wapping. Then I stayed away for two whole days. When I came back to note results, the cage of Higher Animals was all right, but in the other there was but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh--not a specimen left alive. These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court.”