I lowkey have kept my copy on me everywhere I go (daily) and travel to For the past like 6 years lol. Idk what it is w/ me and books that take place in/around Italy but they always seem to hit deep. feel the same about Sandor Maraiās āCasanova in Bolzanoā and Susan Sontagās āThe Volcano Loverā a bunch of hitters!
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".
this is the first book that has grabbed me since sjónās the blue fox I read agua viva last year but didnāt felt like I was able to appreciate it for what it was. but so far the passion has hooked me for the same reasons I felt like I was missing out on agua viva Iāve never seen the terrorjoy of existence described in such a recognizable way before šŖ³
If Iād recommend any book to someone it will always be this one. James Baldwin writing is so profound the emotional impact this book had me is so deep. Especially if you are a queer man the themes hit deep (although anybody could definitely relate in some way to it). Short read I definitely recommend everybody check it out
Itās starting to happen all the time to the point where we canāt even avoid each other⦠but Iām not complaining. Always wanted life to kind of feel like I was in a sitcom friend group