Clarice Lispector

Novelist, Short Story Writer

Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian writer known for her introspective novels and short stories that explore themes of identity, love, and existence.

Born
December 10, 1920
Died
December 9, 1977
Quotes
57
Rank
#415

About Clarice Lispector

Clarice Lispector — Life and Legacy

Clarice Lispector, a prominent Brazilian author, is celebrated for her profound exploration of human emotions and the complexities of identity. Her distinctive voice and innovative narrative style are exemplified in works such as 'The Hour of the Star' and 'The Passion According to G.H.' Lispector's writing often reflects her belief that the act of writing serves as a means of self-discovery, as she once stated, 'I write to understand myself.' This idea permeates her work, where characters frequently grapple with their inner lives and the essence of existence. Lispector's quotes reveal her deep understanding of love as a multifaceted experience, often intertwined with pain and vulnerability. For instance, she portrays love not merely as a romantic notion but as a profound connection that can lead to self-revelation. Her exploration of solitude further underscores her characters' journeys toward understanding themselves, challenging conventional perceptions of loneliness. Today, Lispector's insights continue to resonate, offering readers a lens through which to examine their own identities and emotional landscapes. Her unique ability to articulate the intricacies of the human experience ensures her relevance in contemporary discussions about literature, identity, and the nature of existence.

Quote collection

Clarice Lispector quotes (page 1 of 3)

57 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"But don't forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes."

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"Everything in the world began with a yes. One molecule said yes to another molecule and life was born."

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"It is because I dove into the abyss that I am beginning to love the abyss I am made of."

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"Putting my hand in someone else’s has always been my definition of happiness. Before I fall asleep, often - in that small struggle not to lose consciousness and go into the greater world - often, before I get up the courage to go into the vastness of sleep, I pretend that someone has my hand in theirs, and then I go, go to that enormous absence of form that is sleep. And when even after that I don’t have courage, I dream."

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"The only truth is that I live. Sincerely, I live. Who am I? Well, that's a bit much."

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"Do you ever suddenly find it strange to be yourself?"

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"I do not know much. But there are certain advantages in not knowing. Like virgin territory, the mind is free of preconceptions. Everything I do not know forms the greater part of me: This is my largesse. And with this I understand everything. The things I do not know constitute my truth."

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"Do you know that hope sometimes consists only of a question without an answer?"

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"There it is, the sea, the most incomprehensible of non-human existences."

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"Whether she won or lost, she would continue to wrestle with life. It would not be with her own life alone but with all of life. Something had finally been released within her. And there it was, the sea."

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"Her curiosity instructed her more than the answers she was given."

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"The mystery of human destiny is that we are fated, but that we have the freedom to fulfill or not fulfill our fate: realization of our fated destiny depends on us. While inhuman beings like the cockroach realize the entire cycle without going astray because they make no choices."

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"Who has not asked himself at some time or other: am I a monster or is this what it means to be a person?"

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"Things were somehow so good that they were in danger of becoming very bad because what is fully mature is very close to rotting"

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"I have grown weary of literature: silence alone comforts me. If I continue to write, it’s because I have nothing more to accomplish in this world except to wait for death. Searching for the word in darkness. Any little success invades me and puts me in full view of everyone. I long to wallow in the mud. I can scarcely control my need for self-abasement, my craving for licentiousness and debauchery. Sin tempts me, forbidden pleasures lure me. I want to be both pig and hen, then kill them and drink their blood."

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"What I want is to live of that initial and primordial something that was what made some things reach the point of aspiring to be human."

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"No it is not easy to write. It is as hard as breaking rocks. Sparks and splinters fly like shattered steel."

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"You don't understand music: you hear it. So hear me with your whole body."

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Clarice Lispector Novelist, Short Story Writer
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"My life, the most truthful one, is unrecognizable, extremely interior, and there is no single word that gives it meaning."

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