ik i have two answers BUT breath of life, i think, contains a lot of sentiments that ali smith has (passion and care for humanity in an almost quasi religious way) but it screams in a way that ali smith sings (idk if that makes sense). i think clarice lispector is probably the most human person to grace the earth and her prose reflect an odd reverence for people even though they‘re not very happy go lucky. breath of life does this best, i recommend going into it blind, but i will say that it is the best answer any book has had to the why are we here question
Mar 11, 2024
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finished reading this like 2 weeks ago, PI.BKCLB read it a few months ago but i was waiting to get my hands on a physical copy. very worth the wait! a challenging read, some of it def went over my head but has such interesting things to say about creation, mortality and god.
Jan 28, 2025
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I want to thank Liv for giving me my favourite book.
Clarice has been my favourite author since I was 14, reading what she writes always felt like reading my thoughts and beliefs about life on a page as if they had been scooped out of my brain and elegantly placed in a book.
This is the only text I had never read and known to be her most regarded work The Passion According to G.H. takes the status of a masterpiece In the Brasilian Literature scenario. I wanted to make sure to read it when I felt ready, ready to say goodbye to Clarice, as I turned 21 one of my best friends gifted me this book and I knew it was time.
The history is simple, a woman is cleaning her house, and she finds a drawing, a roach and God. From there Clarice takes your hand and leads you into the journey of finding meaning.
According to Aristotle, the end of all human actions resides in the search for happiness. This book describes that in the most genius way. Heaven and hell are portrayed as being a place on earth, a place on us. I doubt that two people can read this book and tell you the same history, it is highly subjective you can take away from it whatever exists in your mind.
My biggest takeaway was that hell and even are inside of us, by wishing for things you don't have you must go through war to achieve them, war is hell. By wishing for things that you already have (like seeing your friends on the weekend, talking to your grandparents, baking a cake) you find heaven. Heaven is in the simple, it is in the recognition that you were given more than what you could have asked for. Love is the realization of getting someone you wished for through passion, it is tedious, complete and beautiful. You can find content in love, and you no longer wish.
That is what I read, but please don't let my blurry vision take you down a path. I am sure that if you read it your life and experiences would lead you to many different conclusions.
This is a book that I would love to give to everyone I know and ask them what it is about.
That is the beauty and geniality of Clarice.
"Humility is much more than a feeling, it is reality seen with a minimum of good sense".
Jun 8, 2024
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one of my favorite books of all time. some of her book’s translations are difficult but this one captures the flow of her words so beautifully. basically a nontraditional love story that i think anyone can relate to
Dec 27, 2024
Top Recs from @mdoinurmom
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if you think you’re the smartest person in your friend group you’re weird and annoying. the best friendships come out of mutual awe and respectability. be friends with people who make you want to know more things.
Jan 29, 2024
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i will never be in a situationship in the same way i will never be in the land of oz--it's just not real. i think using the word doesn't let you self-reflect in a way that is truly helpful. i was telling my friend about the awkwardness of seeing an exhook up in a relationship bc i thought we had mutual feelings and she said "oh your exsituationship" and i thought (for the first time) no, we had clear boundaries i just got my hopes up. my point is that instead of using situationship as a catch-all for not quite dating or wtv failed prospect, take it as a moment to reflect on what exactly went wrong. idk if this is profound or not
Jan 30, 2025
i’m averaging 14,000 steps a day for the past year, why? i walk everywhere. at one point i was averaging 16,000 (this is my flex). you get to explore a city and now when people ask me for directions i can actually tell them bc i’ve gotten really good at knowing where i am. if it takes less than an hour for me to walk from a to b, i will walk. if i have enough time i’ll walk 2+ hours just to see someone. just put on a good playlist/pod and go go go!!
Jan 29, 2024