The Complete Stories

For as long as I've known of Lispector, the legendary Brazilian writer, I've been drawn to her but always intimidated by her "greatness," her glamour, and her difficulty, and so I had read plenty about her, without actually reading her. This new, complete collection of her stories is no less intimidating: it's over 600 pages, and the cover makes Lispector look like she stepped out of Un Chien Andalou. But then I opened to a story at random, "The Sharing of Loaves," and in its four, short pages I was hooked. It's not a difficult story; in fact I think it must be difficult not to love it. Come in and try it out yourself: it starts on page 254. I sampled more stories after that, and they carry a similar clarity and intensity, but honestly, that first story is all I need for now.