Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector

Near to the Wild Heart

by Clarice Lispector

All New Translation by Alison Entrekin | Edited by Benjamin Moser

Featuring an Introduction by Benjamin Moser

The Sensational Debut That Unleashed “Hurricane Clarice”

Near to the Wild Heart, Clarice Lispector’s astonishing first novel, tells the story of Joana—a woman whose life unfolds in a rush of consciousness, from childhood through a troubled marriage to her own fierce, poetic self-realization. Published in 1943 when Lispector was only twenty-three, the book became an instant literary sensation in Brazil, its style and voice hailed as revolutionary.

Lispector takes her title from James Joyce—“He was alone, unheeded, near to the wild heart of life”—and her prose likewise pulses with epiphany and interior monologue. Joana’s journey, from a middle-class upbringing to the dissolution of her marriage and beyond, is told in language both intimate and elemental. At its heart, the novel is a fearless meditation on freedom, femininity, and the mystery of existence.

This new translation by Alison Entrekin, edited and introduced by Benjamin Moser, brings the full vitality of Lispector’s landmark debut to English-language readers.

Ask yourself:

• Are you drawn to novels that revolutionize literary style and voice?
• Do you crave stories that delve deep into the mind and soul of a complex heroine?
• What does it mean to be truly wild-hearted in a world of convention?

Encounter the Extraordinary: Follow Joana’s journey as she questions, rebels, and ultimately redefines herself on her own terms.

Experience Literary Innovation: Witness the birth of a new literary force—Lispector’s language, raw and dazzling, is like nothing you’ve read before.

Awaken to Possibility: This is more than a novel—it’s a call to arise, strong and unafraid, “as comely as a young colt.”

Near to the Wild Heart is not just the origin of Clarice Lispector’s genius; it is a vital, urgent classic of world literature, and a touchstone for anyone who seeks the wildness within.

Praise:

“Lispector’s prose is like glass: it reveals, at the same time that it wounds.”
—Colm Tóibín

“One of the most original and brilliant novelists of the twentieth century.”
—The New York Times

“Lispector’s wild, interior vision forever changed Brazilian literature.”
—The Guardian

About the Author:

Clarice Lispector: Literary Revolutionary

Clarice Lispector (1920–1977) was born in Ukraine and raised in Brazil, where her bold, innovative novels earned her a reputation as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. Her work is celebrated for its psychological depth, experimental form, and fearless pursuit of the ineffable mysteries of life.

Book Details:

• Original Publish Date: 1943
• New Translation Release Date: 2022 (New Directions Edition)
• Publisher: New Directions Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• ISBN: 9780811220026
• Languages: Portuguese (original), English

Other Titles Liked by Readers of Near to the Wild Heart:

From Clarice Lispector:

• The Hour of the Star (ISBN: 9780811219495)
• The Passion According to G.H. (ISBN: 9780811219686)

Other Popular Titles:

• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (ISBN: 9780156907392)
• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (ISBN: 9781609450786)
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (ISBN: 9780393352567)
• The Waves by Virginia Woolf (ISBN: 9780156949606)

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