The Woman Who Killed the Fish
$17.95

The Woman Who Killed the Fish

Brand: New Directions
Current Stock: 1
UPC: 9780811229609
Gift Wrapping: Gift Wrapping Available
Authors: Clarice Lispector (Author), Benjamin Moser (Translator)

THIS BOOK WILL BE RELEASED ON: June 30, 2020

  • Hardcover: 64 pages
  • Publisher: New Directions (June 30, 2020)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0811229602
  • ISBN-13: 978-0811229609
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 9.2 inches

Four beguiling tales for children―a surprising new facet of Clarice Lispector’s genius

“That woman who killed the fish unfortunately is me,” begins the title story, but “if it were my fault, I’d own up to you, since I don’t lie to boys and girls. I only lie sometimes to a certain type of grownup because there’s no other way.” Enumerating all the animals she’s loved―cats, dogs, lizards, chickens, monkeys―Clarice finally asks: “Do you forgive me?”
       “The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit” is a detective story which explains that bunnies think with their noses: for a single idea a bunny might “scrunch up his nose fifteen thousand times” (he may not be too bright, but “he’s not foolish at all when it comes to making babies”). The third tale, “Almost True,” is a shaggy dog yarn narrated by a pooch who is very worried about a wicked witch: “I am a dog named Ulisses and my owner is Clarice.” The wonderful last story, “Laura’s Intimate Life” stars “the nicest hen I’ve ever seen.” Laura is “quite dumb,” but she has her “little thoughts and feelings. Not a lot, but she’s definitely got them. Just knowing she’s not completely dumb makes her feel all chatty and giddy. She thinks that she thinks.” A visitor with one eye from Jupiter arrives and vows Laura will never be eaten: she’s been worrying since “humans are a weird sort of person” who can love hens and eat them, too. Such throwaway wisdom abounds: “Don’t even getting me started.” These delightful, high-hearted stories, written for her own boys, have charm to burn―and are a treat for every Lispector reader. 

Reviews

“Lispector should be on the shelf with Kafka and Joyce.”
- Los Angeles Times

“Utterly original and brilliant, haunting and disturbing.”
- Colm Tóibín

“Better than Borges.”
- Elizabeth Bishop

About the Authors

Clarice Lispector (1920–1977), the greatest Brazilian writer of the twentieth century, has been called “astounding” (Rachel Kushner), “a penetrating genius” (Donna Seaman, Booklist), and “one of the twentieth century’s most mysterious writers” (Orhan Pamuk).

Benjamin Moser is the author of Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector, a finalist for the National Book Critics' Circle award. At New Directions, he edits the new translation of Clarice Lispector's work, of which The Besieged City is the eighth volume. For promoting her work around the world, the Brazilian government awarded him the first State Prize in Cultural Diplomacy. A former books columnist at Harper’s Magazine and The New York Times Book Review, his latest book, Sontag: Her Life and Work, is published by Ecco Press.

 

 

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