Brazilian Books Beckon Bibliophiles
OK. Enough of the ham-handed alliteration.
April Readers: BRAZIL
May Readers: MISSOURI, USA; Thursday, 6:30 PM; May 31 at G. P., Pendleton, OR
The World Readers met, as usual, at their customary haunt. The discussion this month centered on Brazilian literature.
Michele introduced us to Jorge Amado (1912-2001), Brazil's "...best known storyteller", and his novel "The War of the Saints"(1988). Jorge Amado has been called one of the great writers of our time.
"The joyfulness of his storytelling and his celebration of life's sensual pleasures have found him a loyal following. With The War Of The Saints, he has created an exuberant tale set among the flashing rhythms, intoxicating smells, and bewitching colors of the carnival. The holy icon of Saint Barbara of the Thunder is bound for the city of Bahia for an exhibition of holy art. As the boat the bears the image is docking, a miracle occurs and Saint Barbara comes to life, disappearing into the milling crowd on the quay. Somewhere in the city a young woman has fallen in love, and her prudish guardian aunt has locked her away--an act of intolerance that Saint Barbara must redress. And when she casts her spell over the city, no one's life will remain unchanged." (from amazon.com)
Michele exuberantly described Amado's "War" as containing "lively, racy, sensual descriptions", and added "The characters are well drawn and distinctive."
Bill has apparently spent many hours encsconced in his chariot during the past month- at least enough to listen to a taped version of John Updike's "Brazil".
"Nothing Updike has written before prepares the reader for this book, a tale of doomed lovers with wry reference to the Tristan and Isolde legend. Black street kid Tristao Raposo, 19, first sees blonde, convent-educated Isabel Leme, 18, on a beach in Rio; both recognize that they are fated to be lovers. He is sophisticated in the ruthless rapacity of the poor; she is "accustomed to the logic and wealth of power," but both are starry-eyed idealists and romantics who decide to defy Isabel's diplomat father and run away together. Forcibly parted for two years by her father's henchmen, the pair eventually reunite and begin a series of ill-fated adventures that lead them into the Brazilian jungle and into the heart of darkness. Recounting the lovers' tragic trajectory from heedless passion to degrading toil to false security to ironic, brutal death, Updike draws a panoramic picture of Brazil over the past three decades, depicting a country in social and economic chaos with a huge, despairing underclass and a largely heedless wealthy population. In settings as varied as the country's topography--Rio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, the gold mining area of the Dourados, and the jungles of the Mato Grosso--Updike delineates the tyranny of the white men over people of color, the despoilation of the land, the demise of the spiritual dimension in the modern world. He has assimiliated an astonishing amount of knowledge about flora and fauna, native tribal customs and lore, including sorcery. Indeed, it comes as no surprise when the narrative segues into magical realism. Despite its emphasis on the enobling qualities of true love, this is a dark book that speaks of "a steady decay from birth to death." Even Updike's language is different here: the intellectual legerdemain, the shimmering metaphors and caustic humor are largely abandoned for a straightforward narrative prose. Whether or not this will be the "breakthrough" book to a larger audience that his publisher foresees, this is an intriguing story that takes Updike into new territory in many senses of the word. 75,000 first printing; BOMC selection." (Editorial review from Publishers Weekly; Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Finishing off this month's readings was a poem by the decidedly modern-sounding Luis Vaz de Camoes (1525-1580), which follows:
Let Love search for new arts, a new talent
to kill me, and new indifference;
for it cannot take away my hopes,
for it will have difficulty in taking from me what I do not have.
See with what hopes I maintain myself
See how dangerous my safety is!
For I do not fear contrasts or changes,
sailing on the rough sea, my vessel lost.
But, although there cannot be any grief
where there is no hope, Love hides
from me an evil that kills and cannot be seen.
For there are days that have placed in my soul
an I know not what, that is born I know not where,
appears I know not how and hurts I know not why.
The assembled readers concurred with Bill that Camoes was depicting his feelings about the inevitability of death.
The get together ended with a spin of the globe, and Missoui, USA is the subject of our new literary search.
April Readers: BRAZIL
May Readers: MISSOURI, USA; Thursday, 6:30 PM; May 31 at G. P., Pendleton, OR
The World Readers met, as usual, at their customary haunt. The discussion this month centered on Brazilian literature.
Michele introduced us to Jorge Amado (1912-2001), Brazil's "...best known storyteller", and his novel "The War of the Saints"(1988). Jorge Amado has been called one of the great writers of our time.
"The joyfulness of his storytelling and his celebration of life's sensual pleasures have found him a loyal following. With The War Of The Saints, he has created an exuberant tale set among the flashing rhythms, intoxicating smells, and bewitching colors of the carnival. The holy icon of Saint Barbara of the Thunder is bound for the city of Bahia for an exhibition of holy art. As the boat the bears the image is docking, a miracle occurs and Saint Barbara comes to life, disappearing into the milling crowd on the quay. Somewhere in the city a young woman has fallen in love, and her prudish guardian aunt has locked her away--an act of intolerance that Saint Barbara must redress. And when she casts her spell over the city, no one's life will remain unchanged." (from amazon.com)
Michele exuberantly described Amado's "War" as containing "lively, racy, sensual descriptions", and added "The characters are well drawn and distinctive."
Bill has apparently spent many hours encsconced in his chariot during the past month- at least enough to listen to a taped version of John Updike's "Brazil".
"Nothing Updike has written before prepares the reader for this book, a tale of doomed lovers with wry reference to the Tristan and Isolde legend. Black street kid Tristao Raposo, 19, first sees blonde, convent-educated Isabel Leme, 18, on a beach in Rio; both recognize that they are fated to be lovers. He is sophisticated in the ruthless rapacity of the poor; she is "accustomed to the logic and wealth of power," but both are starry-eyed idealists and romantics who decide to defy Isabel's diplomat father and run away together. Forcibly parted for two years by her father's henchmen, the pair eventually reunite and begin a series of ill-fated adventures that lead them into the Brazilian jungle and into the heart of darkness. Recounting the lovers' tragic trajectory from heedless passion to degrading toil to false security to ironic, brutal death, Updike draws a panoramic picture of Brazil over the past three decades, depicting a country in social and economic chaos with a huge, despairing underclass and a largely heedless wealthy population. In settings as varied as the country's topography--Rio, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, the gold mining area of the Dourados, and the jungles of the Mato Grosso--Updike delineates the tyranny of the white men over people of color, the despoilation of the land, the demise of the spiritual dimension in the modern world. He has assimiliated an astonishing amount of knowledge about flora and fauna, native tribal customs and lore, including sorcery. Indeed, it comes as no surprise when the narrative segues into magical realism. Despite its emphasis on the enobling qualities of true love, this is a dark book that speaks of "a steady decay from birth to death." Even Updike's language is different here: the intellectual legerdemain, the shimmering metaphors and caustic humor are largely abandoned for a straightforward narrative prose. Whether or not this will be the "breakthrough" book to a larger audience that his publisher foresees, this is an intriguing story that takes Updike into new territory in many senses of the word. 75,000 first printing; BOMC selection." (Editorial review from Publishers Weekly; Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Finishing off this month's readings was a poem by the decidedly modern-sounding Luis Vaz de Camoes (1525-1580), which follows:
Let Love search for new arts, a new talent
to kill me, and new indifference;
for it cannot take away my hopes,
for it will have difficulty in taking from me what I do not have.
See with what hopes I maintain myself
See how dangerous my safety is!
For I do not fear contrasts or changes,
sailing on the rough sea, my vessel lost.
But, although there cannot be any grief
where there is no hope, Love hides
from me an evil that kills and cannot be seen.
For there are days that have placed in my soul
an I know not what, that is born I know not where,
appears I know not how and hurts I know not why.
The assembled readers concurred with Bill that Camoes was depicting his feelings about the inevitability of death.
The get together ended with a spin of the globe, and Missoui, USA is the subject of our new literary search.
posted by BHP at 6:40 AM
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