Apple in the Dark
Brazil

Apple in the Dark

by Clarice Lispector

Identity & Belonging Literary Fiction Classics Fiction 2023

Summary

The Apple in the Dark follows Martim, a man who flees his home after believing he has committed a terrible act against his wife. Seeking refuge in the Brazilian countryside, he finds work on a remote farm owned by two women, Vitória and Ermelinda. Away from the structures of his former life, Martim begins to experience the world as if he were discovering it for the first time. His escape becomes a profound journey into the nature of consciousness, language, morality, and personal identity. Through introspective prose and philosophical reflections, Clarice Lispector explores what remains of a person when familiar social roles and established beliefs fall away. Rather than offering a conventional narrative of guilt and redemption, the novel examines the unsettling possibility of creating oneself anew. It is a deeply existential work about freedom, responsibility, and the struggle to understand what it means to be human.

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Country
Brazil
South America
About the author
Clarice Lispector
Clarice Lispector

Clarice Lispector (1920–1977) was a Brazilian novelist and short-story writer widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in modern Latin American literature. Born in Ukraine to a Jewish family, she immigrated to Brazil as an infant and grew up speaking Portuguese. Her writing is known for its introspective style, psychological depth, and philosophical exploration of consciousness, identity, and existence. Often blending everyday experiences with profound existential questions, Lispector developed a distinctive literary voice that challenged conventional narrative forms. Her notable works include Near to the Wild Heart, The Hour of the Star, and Água Viva.

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Details
Published
2023
Author
Clarice Lispector