This is another Clarice Lispector wonderful book. The Besieged City (though its title)is not a book about war or anything like that. It tells us about the solitude of women and the way they are sufocated by the society. Like any other Clarice book, this one doesn't have a defined story. Only feelings and sensations.

That book stinks. That is my Opinion. has nothing to do with the French Foreign Legion. I dumped it into the trash can already. Very disappointed.

Qué está haciendo aquí: ¿Tratando de interesarse por el libro? Pues entonces que espera ¡cómprelo! Se lo advierto, no se va a arrepentir. Recomiendo la quinta historia (es buenísima) END

Lispector applies her "stream of consciousness" style in an unusual two part writing. The two parts, stories and chronicles, offer observations on life within the unstable framework of her society.

The stories subjects are worked over by the raw cats tongue of power. From a simple invitation to lunch to a series of dreamlike cockroach executions we are drawn in and held captive and helpless.

The chronicles are observations "rescued from my bottom drawer" and called incomplete by themselves. However, as a group, these snapshots evoke a potent response. They blend together the best of this writers style in a format that strengthens the individual parts and gives back much more than you expect.

I was amazed that this book pulled such intense emotional responses from me. I needed to withdraw and carefully inspect each segment before going back. A strong book written without denouement or apology

"Patriarchy" "American imperialism" and other post-modern and feminist political buzzwords ruin this book just as much as they ruined Professor Stasz's "Jack London's Women." The Professor's statements (paraphrased) that without Charmian, his mother, his nanny, et al, the world would never have heard of Jack London is bunk, and insulting to a genius of American letters. Further, her baseless assertion that London's first wife and second wife were happier after his death because he was gone from their lives is wishful thinking. I think his widow might have begged to differ with the good Professor. Professor Stasz but destroys her credibility as a scholar by continually showcasing her assumptions about a man she never knew, colored by her politics. I'll never waste my time on her work again.

Being an avid biography reader I have developed some prejudices. I like biographies where I can detect that the author liked his subject. It is obvious that although discerning about London's at times haphazard behavior, the author does like and understand her subject. Ms Stasz introduces enough psychological insight to explain this behavior without the explanations becoming oppressive. Both Charmian and Jack become friends you care about. They are developed into vital people whose adventures you share, disasters and all. Another prejudice is readability and this was one of those books I read easily. I would recommend it highly and I don't do that often, unfortunately.