“Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon” by Jorge Amado (Brazil) Favourite Quote Life was good, one had only to live it. To warm oneself in the sun, then take a cold bath; to eat guavas and mangoes, to chew peppercorn, to walk through the streets, to sing songs, to sleep with a young man. And to dream…
“Hour of the Star” by Clarice Lispector (Brazil) Review Challenging, frustrating, meditative and surrealistic were some of the adjectives that readers used to describe this modern classic. They found it difficult to get into and agreed that it needed more than one reading. They called it a thinking book and would not recommend it for…
“The Zahir” by Paulo Coelho (Brazil) Synopsis and Review “The Zahir”: we can think of nothing else One day a renowned author discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared leaving no trace. Though time brings more success and new love, he remains mystified – and increasingly fascinated – by her absence. Was she…
“City of God” by Paulo Lins (Brazil) Synopsis and Review “City of God”: an eternity of poverty, revenge and violence? Based on a true story, this is a frighteningly moving account of daily life of gang members in one of Rio de Janeiro’s notorious slums, Cidade de Deus. The author, Paulo Lins, moved to the…
“Black Waltz” by Patricia Melo (Brazil) Synopsis and Review “Black Waltz”: a dance spiralling into insanity Jealousy is the focus of this classic psychological thriller by one of Brazil’s most acclaimed writers. A successful conductor of a major symphony orchestra is married to a gifted violinist close to thirty years his junior. But he is…
