Product Description
Ilhéus in 1925 is a booming town with a record cacao crop and aspirations for progress, but the traditional ways prevail. When Colonel Mendonça discovers his wife in bed with a lover, he shoots and kills them both. Political contests, too, can be settled by gunshot...

No one imagines that a bedraggled migrant worker who turns up in town–least of all Gabriela herself–will be the agent of change. Nacib Saad has just lost the cook at his popular café and in desperation hires Gabriela. To his surprise she turns out to be a great beauty as well as a wonderful cook and an enchanting boon to his business. But what would people say if Nacib were to marry her?

Lusty, satirical and full of intrigue, Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon is a vastly entertaining panorama of small town Brazilian life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

A Brazilian town evolves towards modernity in this 1925 classic novel.
This Brazilian classic novel is set in 1925.Changes were happening then, big changes.The dominance of the brutal plantation owners, who had forged their will through gunfire and violence was being challenged by progress and a gentler and more practical way of doing business.The book is set in a town undergoing such upheavals and the author brings it all to life by the use of realistic details, gentle humor and an understanding of human nature and the social constrictions of the time.Here, women are either wives or mistresses and men who kill their wives and their lovers are never punished.The town is showing signs of progress though.There is now a bus line.And a young politician is trying to bring modernity to the town by having the sandbar dredged, thus enabling more trade.Politics are complex and include violence.But there is no doubt that changes are coming.

Enter into this a young migrant woman named Gabriella.Not only is she beautiful and carries the scent of clove and cinnamon, but she is an expert cook who is quickly hired in a bar. Soon she is sleeping joyfully with the bar owner and winning over the patrons with her delicious food.She is totally childlike and unpretentious and loved by all.Through her, the author portrays an unsophisticated idealism.She effects the whole town and how her relationships play out against the political turmoil make the book a unique and interesting read.

Personally, I thought the Gabriella character was a little too sweet and overdone because nobody is that perfect.I was more intrigued with the politics although there were so many players that I sometimes got their names confused.But I did enjoy the view of the town in transition as well as the uniquely Brazilian feel of the story and I came away with a better understanding of a time and a place and a way of life that is no more.For that I acknowledge the author for introducing me to his very unique world view.

A Sweet Touch of Bahia
As is the case with all of the books I have read by Jorge Amado, the story becomes almost secondary to the description of the people and places where the tales take place. Amado is an outstanding story teller and a gateway to understanding the history of Bahia, the colorful area of Brazil north of Rio. His familiarity with and affection for the customs and people of this area are remarkable. In this novel, the central figure is the beautiful mulatto woman, Gabriela, who arrives on the dynamic scene that is early Ilheus. It takes a little while for the residents to recognize the treasure of beauty, sexuality and culinary skills she brings to this neighborhood but, when they do, she is the hero the community has been waiting for.

Amado is not well known in the United States but he is a highly respected author in his home country. His stories of lovely damsels, Candomble ceremonies, and the rustic part of Brazil he writes about are absolutely delightful. He is Brazil's most engaging story teller and an absolute treasure for his region of Bahia. Although he is not the fountainhead of "Magical Realism" that a few of his South American colleagues aare known for, his style moves along the same lines and requires the reader to suspend belief from time to time. It is well worth doing that. Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon is a very entertaining book.

Stanley C. Diamond, Author of What's an American Doing Here?: Reflections on Travel in the the Third World.

Enchanted Words weave a wonderful magical story
Jorge Amado provides a wonderful partially true tale of the Brazilian cacao plantation era.He masterfully weaves simultaneous intrigues, persons and events into an often breath taking story that soon sucks you into the tale such that you will find excuses to keep reading to find out what happens next.Amado's imaginative writing leaves you thinking you witnessed the events first hand, in a movie, or maybe in a dream.And that is for the English version.The Spanish version ramps up the realism and authenticity even more.I suspect the original Portuguese version does it still more.

I usually have about 10 books around the house, maybe 15, in various stages of reading them.Yet suddenly I felt compelled to read "Gabriela" again (the last reading was 15 years or so ago) and unfortunately discovered I had loaned my English and Spanish versions out at some point, and like most good books, they hadn't made it back home.I searched frantically a few of the well-known book store chains as the desire to reread this book increased daily.One of my co-workers just recently left to visit family in this area of Brazil and out of the blue he mentioned that way back when he had been at the bar that is the center of this book's events.I had tried to get the book out of my mind yet this conversation caused me to search for it more frantically.I finally ordered it through Amazon and the day it arrived I joyously picked it up and didn't want to put it down again!I began to devour the book again just as a snow storm arrived.So I finished it by the time the storm was over.

Amado's writing puts him on an uncrowded pillar with Garcia Marques, Roa Bastos, Guirraldi, Borges and a few other authors who can write about common every day past events in the South American countryside yet make mundane events palpitate with life and energy.The imaginative writing style hypnotizes you into thinking you are actually witnessing or participating in the related events.

My Brazilian uncle introduced me to Amado's writing in the '70's.A well to do banker, his pride and joy was his collection of hard-bound Jorge Amado books.As we discussed Garcia Marquez, Roa Bastos and other Latin American authors, he would shake his head and say emphatically, "Boy! they don't compare to Jorge Amado.You must read him to understand how an author makes magic with words.Amdao writes about Brazil's soul!"I often think of our discussions and his passion for Amado's writing and thank him for introducing me to Amado.Hopefully, you will soon be just as enchanted with this story as me.

When you finish the book, collect your thoughts, catch your breath, determine what day it is and where you are, and decide you need more.Then you are ready for his other spectacular work, "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands".The Spanish version: "Dona Flor y sus Dos Maridos".The original book was so enchantingly entertaining and hilarious that it was made into a very decent Brazilian movie.Hmmm, I wonder if that is now available on DVD?

robertoshidokan
[...]

Girls, Boys and Cocoa
Amado takes us for a romp through Ilheus and the citizens of Ilheus romp through life. Struggling to join the modern world of the 1920's, the town and the people are experiencing growing pains.

We get to know many of these folks intimately. They represent the entire spectrum from the haves to the have-nots; from the criminal to the not quite so criminal; from the promiscuous to the prim and proper.

This being South America we have the macho men, booze, sexy ladies and, of course, guns. All are liberally interspersed throughout the book. Most of all we are shown the humor of this place and time.

We get to know the people and actually care for some of them. If the development of the story not been so transparent, the book would have been even better. But, I will read more Amado.

I miss my friends in Ilheus
I just finished Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon and already I miss my friends from Ilheus.Amado's writing is gentle and his attitude seems to be that we are all in this together.Characters are not all bad or all good.People slowly, patiently, discuss differences and wait to see what will happen.People are going to be who they are going to be and you can't much change that.In a way, he reminds me of Trollope as he is writing about the different social layers of the community and the twisting relationships in the town. I think I just start back at the beginning and read the whole book again. ... Read more

Product Description
It surprises no one that the charming but wayward Vadinho dos Guimaraes–a gambler notorious for never winning—dies during Carnival. His long suffering widow Dona Flor devotes herself to her cooking school and her friends, who urge her to remarry. She is soon drawn to a kind pharmacist who is everything Vadinho was not, and is altogether happy to marry him. But after her wedding she finds herself dreaming about her first husband’s amorous attentions; and one evening Vadinho himself appears by her bed, as lusty as ever, to claim his marital rights. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Unable to review - book not yet received
Unable to review as this book has not yet been received.Please advise what date I can expect receipt

Regards,

Dan Flanagan

Making Peace with Desire
I confess. I am a diehard fan of Jorge Amado. I came upon his work as I was preparing for a trip to Brazil and wanted to learn a bit about the country. If nothing else, I was insured a detailed and colorful look at the culture of Bahia which Amado writes so knowledgably about. His depictions of Candomble and other traditional aspects of this exciting spot of earth are worthwhile in and of themselves.

In this novel, the struggle of desire on the part of one woman (most of his protagonists are women) finally resolves in a liaison with two men. One of them offers the day to day stability she needs and seeks; the other continues a relationship with her even after he dies at a fiesta. He returns to provide the spirit, the sexual satisfaction and the excitement that her life would otherwise lack. This is a lively and interesting piece of reading by one of my favorite novelists. Amado can visualize circumstances equal to the best of the magical realists but he is often easier to read and even more vivid in his ability to describe emotions and settings. It is not surprising that an entertaining movie originated from this story. Highly recommended.

Great Book
Jorge Amado is one of the best Brazilian writers ever. Dona Flor one of the landmarks.

Jorge Amado
Jorge Amado is the best brazilian writer. Dona Flor and her Two Husbands is a very funny and interesting book that shows a little bit of the bahian culture.

The Best Book About Marriage
I love this book. This is the funniest book ever written about marriage, and cooking, and in-laws, and gambling, and whores, and cooking school, and nosey neighbors, and the afterlife. If anyone saw the movies made from the book, the book is much better than the movies. Although it was translated from Portugese, and takes place in Brazil, I could relate to the problems and the solutions of our heroine, Dona Flor.
Without a doubt this is Amado's best book. A treat for anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A romp through Bahian culture!
Jorge Amado had fun writing this book as he tugs at your leg (or beliefs) from start to finish.His presentation of Candomble' remains ever present and moves to front and center in this narrative.He captures Bahian daily life and its citizens' comments about their neighbors such that the colorful imagery remains painted in your thoughts long after you put the book down.Like with Dona Flor and some of his other books he also discusses in a delightful manner the daily conflicts and torn allegiances between the Catholic Church and Candomble'/Macumba followers.The winner between the two like for most Bahianos can solely be determined by you.

This is a neat book, a fun read.Good for vacation or just passing the time.For those familiar with Jorge Amado's novels this is similar to sitting down with a good friend who has been away for a long time to update you on the most recent town happenings.If you have yet to experience Jorge Amado, this is a good starter as it is relatively short, 300+ pages, entertaining throughout and exposes you to a part of South American life you probably have never even imagined.

[...]

What fun!
No sinister plot -- just fun!Sure, it does get overly complex a few times, but the positive factors outweigh the negatives by a big bunch, especially at page 150 when Danilo's about to - - - - - terrific.And, as repeatedly noted, fun.

Syncretic Saint Seeks Solution to Sexual Snafus
I've enjoyed reading Jorge Amado's novels for most of my life.I love to get back into that world of tough guys and sexy ladies who get involved in various good causes, helping the poor or saving the environment, but never fail to appreciate each other fully.I admire Amado's interest in the Brazilian religions known as macumba or candomble, religions based on a mixture of African gods and Christian saints and practiced by millions of Brazilians, whether they possess African ancestors or not.He always weaves a fast-moving, humorous, optimistic, colorful story.How close Amado's world may be to the actual Brazil is something else again.I mean, did "Miami Vice" resemble Miami in any substantial way ?

If you've enjoyed such great novels as "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon", "The Violent Land", "Tieta do Agreste", "Tent of Miracles", or "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands"---and there are many others---then no doubt you are going to like THE WAR OF THE SAINTS too.It's a slight plot, but Amado performs his usual magic and creates a engrossing story out of it.The wooden statue of a saint disappears en route to a museum exhibition in Bahia.Everyone thinks the statue has been stolen, but actually St. Barbara, the image in question, has suddenly come to life as an African goddess.Her aim is to set aright the sexual lives of several individuals.She does so and resumes her wooden form just in time to save the director of the museum from total ruin.The histories of the various characters, the political and cultural setting of the times (1970s Bahia under the despotic rule of the generals), and lots of detail about Afro-Brazilian religion make up the bulk of the book, which covers a space of only three days.Amado includes large numbers of actual people in his novel this time---how many, I couldn't determine, not being so familiar with the Brazilian cultural scene, but Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gilberto Freyre, and many others do appear.OK, political correctness a la North American feminism does take a hike, but if you can accept that sexual attraction plays a large role in our lives and not everyone lives by the same principles, then you can plunge into the joie de vivre, humor, and happiness that suffuse this novel, like so many others by Amado. I could have called my review "Reading a Samba".For sure it's tropicalismo, but you'll definitely like it.

War of the Saints
Confusing at times.The book is not written for an English speaking audience (It is translated),and could use footnotes.It is definitely biased against the Catholic Church.It does have it's good points.The recounting of how a marriage turned into what it was, felt real and true to life.

A Rich Pageant of Love, Joy and Belief!
Jorge Amado is one of the very finest novelists from Brazil.He combines a rich love for people with a sympathetic view of their life complications.Mix in a little humor, and a tragedy becomes comedy . . . yet the serious commentary remains.His amazing imagination makes the mystical seem as real as what you are holding in your hand.It's almost as though you've entered an alien world, yet on the surface it seems familiar.I'm always reminded on Alice in Wonderland when I read one of his novels.

In this story, the statue of Saint Barbara of the Thunder, a highest esteemed icon is on its way for a special exhibition in Bahia.Upon arriving in that fair city, the statue vanishes and the fun begins!Saint Barbara has come to life and begins to travel all over Bahia.Those who appreciate religious belief will enjoy the fun as people are unable to grasp this miracle.

At the same time, there's another story thread.Young Manela wants to enjoy a festival whose roots are of the spiritualist sort.Fearing for her soul, her aunt Adalgisa seeks to avoid this.At the same time, Manela is drawn to a handsome young man whom Adalgisa sees at inappropriate.Will the path of true love prevail?This story thread is used by Mr. Amado to explore the nature of what it is to do good.

The two story lines eventually merge in one powerful river of satire, irony and good humor.When the heavens collide, can mere mortals hold their ground?Probably not.As in Shakespeare's storms, the turmoil in nature and in the heavens eventually affects the people in all sorts of unexpected ways.You cannot escape it.You also cannot escape the good fun and magical quality of this very funny book.

Be sure to refer to the book's glossary to understand the non-English words in the text.That will expand your appreciation of the book.

After you finish, think about where your religious beliefs may sometimes cause you to be intolerant rather than being open to all of God's gifts and children.How can you open your heart and mind? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Classic Amado
I was thrilled that Amazon was able to get this book for me. I feel as if I'm reading Brazilian culture; not of the privileged but of the masses.

A flockin' beauty !
The word "picaresque" was invented for the novels about the demi-monde of Bahia, Brazil, written by Jorge Amado.All of them contain characters you hate to part from, characters that will live forever in the world of fiction, the characters of novels like "Tieta", "The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell", "Gabriela: Clove and Cinnamon", "Jubiaba", "Tent of Miracles", "Home is the Sailor", "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" and many others.The lowlifes of that city in northeastern Brazil come to life--all the cardsharpers, whores, thieves, frog catchers, sailors, food vendors, drunks and neer-do-wells.Most of them might stray from the letter of the law occasionally, some of them normally.They might quarrel, steal, or prostitute themselves, but they are never mean, never vicious or oppressive.These are tales, after all, and they represent a world--not the real world of Brazil, but the world inside Amado's head, a great place to be I think.In Amado's Bahia, the women are strong and charming, nearly always beautiful and certainly generous with their favors.The fish stew is always great, and rum flows like water.Only the cruel police and the venal politicians dupe the people, betray anyone for money, and oppress their fellow men.OK, maybe the stories are not so realistic, but they are extremely entertaining.You can't put these books down.And Amado respects and builds up the Afro-Brazilian religion known variously as Macumba or Candomble, the religion which joins the West African religious system known as vodun to Catholicism.The colorful life of this religion is woven throughout almost every one of Amado's novels.SHEPHERDS OF THE NIGHT is no exception.

The novel is divided into three sections, but interlinked.In the first, we read about the brief marriage of Corporal Martim, a rake and dealer of marked cards who marries a beautiful, but jealous and domineering ex-prostitute while he is on the lam out in the sticks.His friends look aghast at this travesty of his real, uncommitting nature, and amidst a rum-induced haze decide to do something about it.The second part tells of the christening of the Negro Massu's son, conceived with a woman who dies young, leaving Massu, assisted by his grandmother, to raise the boy.The tale involves a Catholic priest who cannot recall his own origins in the Macumba rituals.Amado tells us how deep the roots of this syncretic culture really are.The third section deals with a land invasion by the poor folks of Rampa do Mercado.They illegally occupy lands owned by a rich Spaniard and despite attacks by the police, manage, through political machinations and pure determination, to hold onto them.There must be a sacrificial victim however.......
If you have never read Jorge Amado, this is a good place to start.If you have read any of his other works and liked them, you'll definitely like this one too.It's a flockin' great read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice but a bit of a letdown
I had this book recommended to me by several people, but honestly, I found it a bit of a letdown.The story takes its merry time to reach an obvious conclusion.Also, the characters are often hard to keep apart as they intermingle in various ways.As well, Amado keeps an objective viewpoint throughout and sometimes seems to be condoning the actions of the "Colonels" and the inequities of the whole social structure he is describing, which is unusual considering his leftist past.

Not to be underestimated, however, is the sensuous atmosphere which pervades the book, the beautiful descriptions, and the sometimes (though not often enough) biting irony.

A great book about the fight for Cacao land in Brazil.
This is a must read for Amado fans.The book can be compared to a cowboy story because it is a book about tough men who call themselves colonel.The colonels harvest cacao, the golden fruit.The two most powerful Colonels, Horacio and Zinho struggle for the rich Sequiro Grande forest, with armed gunmen and lawyers.You will root for one of the Colonels and be transported to a land where men are macho and life is cheap.A must read is the continuation, the Golden Harvest.If you like this book or Amado, please email me. ... Read more

Product Description
The Wisconsin edition is not for sale in the British Commonwealth (excluding Canada), the Republic of Ireland, or South Africa. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Tent of Miracles
This is all the wonderful storytelling and remarkable characters that one expects from Amado.If you have read other works by him you will not be disappointed and if this is the first you will want to read more.

Brief thoughts on Jorge Amado's TENT OF MIRACLES
This is a ribald, subtle, funny, and culturally informed novel about race, class, and culture in the northeast of Brazil.Some think that Amado is either too ideological in his early works or too formulaic in his later books.Others say that he, like Gilberto Freyre, tends to romanticize and perpetuate the myth of Brazil's racial democracy.Others find his erotic descriptions sexist and stereotypical.But I think Amado's critics miss the spirit and power of this book.Contained in TENT OF MIRACLES is one of the great narratives -and comedies- of cultural expropriation and commodification that you'll ever read.I think it's a classic.

Gave up after 100 pages
Since this is the only non-glowing review of this book, I feel some responsibility to say a bit about the reviewer.I read about 40 books a year, mostly non-fiction.Maybe 10% of the time I will not finish a book, or will scan it.My tastes in fiction run towards the classics including modern classics, authors who command my attention, who create a compelling and instructive world that informs this world we live in.Authors, to my mind, must engage the reader, and if they are to draw us into their world, if they are to move us from a place of lesser understanding to one of greater, they must reach us where we are.

This book did not engage me.After 100 pages I still felt a stranger to the characters.I just did not care what they were going to do next.To paraphrase Ernest Dimnet in "The Art of Tninking","life is short.Only read the great books; don't waste time on the merely good."(And of course, the "great" and the "good" apply only in our own appreciation.)

Again, I did not finish this book.Maybe the last 270 pages redeems the first 100.Maybe you will love it as did the other reviewers.

A Master Storyteller Tells a Masterful Tale
When I first read "Tent of Miracles" in the early 1970s, I fell in love with it. Of all of Jorge Amado's novels I have read, this is probably my favorite. I say "probably", because it's hard to pick a favorite out of so many fine works. Reading it again after more than thirty years, I am pulled in all over again to the streets of Salvador, Bahia, following the mulatto Pedro Archanjo in his rambles, his conversations, his love affairs and his obsession with telling the story of his people in four books published by friend and "brother", the miracle painter Lidio Corró.

"Tent of Miracles" is about Bahia's African and mestizo people, their rich culture, their poverty, and their struggle against the racism, with Pedro as their advocate and champion. It's also about his "rediscovery" by the North American Nobel Prize winner and scholar, James D. Levenson, whose attention makes Archanjo the focus of a major "cultural event" that celebrates the 100th anniversary of his birth. The celebration turns out to be a monumental farce in which Pedro Archanjo's memory is laundered and turned into a commercial icon. In 1969 he's still too uncomfortable to the political powers to leave him as he was in "real life", a "donnadie" (Mr. Nobody), a self-educated man of the people whose life ended at age 75 when he died of a heart attack on the way to the room an old friend had given him in a brothel.

It's too bad Amado has been largely forgotten by North American readers; he is far too good for that. It wasn't too long ago that I could find him on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and all of his books on Amazon. Amado, who died in 2001 (he was born in 1912), is one of America's foremost writers. For me, rereading him is like getting together with old friends and taking up where we left off the last time we met. I know exactly what neighborhood I am in, where we're going next, and who we'll meet. I can hear the talk and the laughter, smell the smells of the street and the food, and hear the singing and the sounds of the guitar, berimbau and drum.

If you haven't read "Tent of Miracles", buy a copy and read it. The New York Times called it "a most enjoyable romp", which is like calling a drop-dead beauty "a nice-looking gal": way, way too insipid to fit the reality.

My hat is off to the University of Wisconsin Press for bringing this book out in this fine paperback edition. It sure has set me on fire again!

George Polley
Sapporo, Japan

Tent of Miracles (THE AMERICAS)

Another Masterpiece by Jorge Amado
Tent of Miracles (THE AMERICAS)

Another Masterpiece by Jorge Amado

Although not as fast a read as "Dona Flor and her Two Husbands" or "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon", "Tent of Miracles" is an outstanding piece of work which relates the entire life and the posthumous celebration of the Centennial of Birth of the mulatto Pedro Archanjo, alias Ojuobá- the Eyes of the King-.Archanjo's struggle throughout his entire life centers around racism, the wellbeing of the mix breed and the understanding of miscegenation in the Brazilian area of Bahia from the early 1900's until the time of his death around the end of WWII. Archanjo is a womanizer, a studhorse who could have only sons, an autodidact who mastered several languages, a grand buddy and companion, a performer of voodoo ceremonies with a free laugh, a dancer, a great conversationalist and listener, a sociologist, an anthropologist, an ethnologist, and, principally, an utterly excellent reader and writer.

Nevertheless, he does not put pen to paper on anything: the core of his work lies on the lives and struggles of the mestizo race and on proving, without little doubt, that the Brazilian face is a mestizo face and its culture is mestizo.He actually accomplishes to put in writing four books, rather pamphlets, namely: "Daily Life in Bahia", "The African Influence on the Customs of Bahia", "Notes on Miscegenation in the Families of Bahia" and a "Cookbook"."Notes on Miscegenation..." was written when he was about fifty years old and proves that no single family in the area was pure white.As a matter of fact, pure or Aryan race was a thing that did not exist in Bahia or in Brazil for all that matters. These facts, which were supported with great evidence, brought about great controversies among the stiff nosed so-called whites of the region.The voodoos ceremonies were prohibited and prosecuted by the police, the intermarriages were just about forbidden or very badly considered and the mulattos, Negroes or mestizos were considered no better than animals.
But what really stroke me was the real friendship that Archanjo was able to pursue with his - so called- twin brother: Lidio Corro, the Miracle Painter at the Tent of Miracles.They both were in love with the same woman, Rosa de Oxalá, however, Archanjo, who could have had the woman he wanted, let go of her for Lidio's sake.The book is also filled with myriad voodoo ceremonies, dances, faithfulness, enchantments, convictions and terminology.

And last, but not least, you get the benefit of a myriad examples of "magical realism" within this wonderful prose.

It is definitely worth the read.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The climax of a rich career
Although this is not a crowd pleaser like Dona Flor or The War of the Saints, it is Amado's greatest novel. He returns to the social concerns of his early novels but treats them with a depth and richness that are the fruition of his long career.

Same Faces, Different Book
In general, I am an admirer of Amado's work, but this is not his best effort.He has once again introduced us to the cast of characters that he grew up with in his native Bahia - the miserably poor of the sertao, the vaqueros, the itinerant peddlars (one of which- a Turk again, no less - is the main character), the narrow-minded clergy, all milling around and not really going much of anywhere.The "Showdown" is a faceoff between bandits, which is a culmination of the events in this little backwater village on the Sao Francisco.

As usual, Amado is very good at providing us with a slice of life and a variety of interesting characters, but the story is a bit too thin in this work.Not up to the level of "Dona Flor" or "Gabriela."

Incidentally, the reference to a Sudbury Horse Classic in the trade reviews for this book are obviously for some other book, apparently an English mystery of the same name.No horses here, except in an incidental way. ... Read more

Product Description
Banished for promiscuity, Tieta returns to the seaside village of Agreste after twenty-six years. Thinking she is now a rich, respectable widow, her mercenary family welcomes her with open arms. But Tieta is forced to reveal her true identity in order to save the town's beautiful beaches from ugly development. For the only way she can stop the factory is to call upon her close connections in Sao Paulo's highest political and financial circles-as only the Madam of the city's ritziest bordello can. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Great Story
This book made my Jorge Amado my favorite writer, ever. He is such a great story teller, and this story really moved along with a great cast of characters. I don't know anyone else who quite captures his style. He has little asides to the reader in it, and he is quite hilarious. This book was over 650 pages long and I was truly sorry to see it end! Just wish they'd make it a movie...

A Cross between a Tract and a Soap Opera
"Tieta" is set in Agreste, a small coastal town in north-eastern Brazil, whose main occupations seem to be fishing (often a cover for smuggling) and goat-breeding. The central character, Tieta herself, left the town as a teenager after being banished from her parents' house for her promiscuous behaviour. After nearly thirty years she returns as a wealthy woman; the local people believe her to be the widow of a prominent businessman, but the truth is that she was the man's mistress rather than his wife and that her wealth was earned as the owner of a high-class brothel in Sao Paulo. Upon her return, Tieta becomes caught up in a campaign against the building of a titanium dioxide factory on the coast near the town.

The novel was written in the seventies and is set in the sixties, and its theme reflects the growing environmental awareness of those decades. In his youth, Amado was an enthusiastic communist, and "Tieta" can be read as an attack upon capitalism, although from an environmentalist viewpoint rather than from a Marxist one. Amado makes it quite clear that his sympathies are with those who hope to prevent the erection of the factory. He paints the industrialists who plan to build the plant as greedy polluters of the environment, and has great fun at the expense of those local people, particularly the local government official Ascanio, who support them out of an abstract belief in "progress" but who have no idea what titanium dioxide is and cannot even say if it is a gas, a liquid or a solid.

Unfortunately, by the end of the novel the reader, unless he or she has some previous knowledge of chemistry, will be just as ignorant of the true nature of titanium dioxide as the hapless Ascanio. In the nearly 700 pages of a novel in which the titanium dioxide industry plays an important part, Senhor Amado does not find room to impart this seemingly important information. Neither does he find room to tell us what this chemical is used for, what economic value it has, how toxic it is, why it poses such a pollution risk, and what measures can be taken to overcome that risk. One is simply left with the impression that it is a deadly poison and that only a particularly evil person would want to manufacture it.

Besides giving us an obviously slanted view of the chemical industry, Amado also gives us an idealised picture of Agreste and its surrounding area. I had always got the impression that the north-east of Brazil was an impoverished area, but in the novel Agreste is frequently described, particularly by Tieta and her travelling companion Leonora, as a "paradise", and some of the local residents echo that description. The town is peaceful and law-abiding, and the only unemployed person seems to be an old beggar named Goatstink. The inhabitants are not exactly rich, but they seem to be content and to have sufficient for their needs. Their main complaint is that life in Agreste is too quiet and that their lives lack excitement. Amado seems to be afraid of the argument that industrial development might relieve poverty and unemployment, so he denies that those factors exist. The area where the new factory is to be built is, of course, a stretch of coastline famous for its beauty. Although the novel was clearly written in support of the "green" cause, it is too biased and one-sided to be of any real help to it.

Besides environmentalism, the novel also deals with another preoccupation of the sixties and seventies, sexual liberation. As well as grasping industrialists, Amado also targets the sexual hypocrisy of Brazilian society. The townspeople of Agreste welcome Tieta because they see her as a rich, respectable widow; if they knew the truth about her, they would reject her, even though most of the male inhabitants of the town themselves frequent the local brothel. One of the few sexually continent characters, Tieta's widowed sister Perpetua, is portrayed as mean-spirited, hypocritical and money-grubbing. Amado's view seems to be that sexual activity, in virtually any form, is a good thing, and that trying to control it only leads to hypocrisy and repression. This is not an erotic novel in the sense of one that contains detailed descriptions of bedroom activity, but it is one in sex is frequently mentioned. There are allusions to most forms of sexual activity, all presented with lip-smacking relish. Amado was so keen to present the arguments for sexual liberalism that he did not stop to consider questions such as whether a brothel is the ideal workplace for a fourteen year old girl. No doubt only a confirmed reactionary like Perpetua would allow herself to be troubled by such questions.

Although I have given the book a largely negative review, readers should not allow that to prejudice themselves against Amado's works in general. This was only the second of his novels that I have read, but the other, "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" was much better, and, to my mind, justified the claims that are often made for him as a great novelist. "Tieta" does not. It is overlong and overly propagandist and the characters, with the partial exception of the colourful if shameless Tieta herself, tend towards the stereotypical. (Ruthless businessman, tart with a heart, randy teenager, corrupt politician, frustrated old maid, etc.) The end result resembles a cross between a tract and a soap opera, written by an old man (Amado was in his mid-sixties when he wrote it) trying to be more trendy than the younger generation.

PS. Titanium dioxide is a solid, chiefly used as a white pigment. It is classified as a low toxicity risk except in cases of chronic inhalation.

Great reading
Out of any doubt, one of the best latinoamerican novel. It`s beutiful, unforgetable, merely a big pleasure read this master piece. Politics, Poetry, Sex, brasilian landscape, an many another subjects are here. You wont regret of buying this book.
Jorge Amado`s reading is a kind of happiness.

This book is awesome, a must read.
This was the first Amado book I read and it is problably the best to start with. The book combines both political commentary, comedy and sex in a way that you will be glued to the book from beginning to end.Also a feature of this book which makes it extra interesting is how the author stops the book and talks to you, it is as if he were right in front of you.It makes the books so personal and even better.If you like this book or Jorge Amado, please email me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Satisfaction
Delivery on time and good enough condition for a used book, as advertised.

Thanks for the find!

Timeless protrayal of Brazil's Poverty
Amado's literary output falls rather neatly into two periods.His early work is imbued with a strong sense of social responsibility, a fact for which he had some difficulty under the Vargas regime, and I believe he may have even done a short stint in jail over.The second period, the post-"Gabriela" books, are a lot more laid back and anecdotal.

Sorry to say that in general the second period is the one that's more fun to read, and the books he wrote in the second half of his life are what established his international reputation.A lot of his earlier stuff is not that great, with one exception - this book.

The story is about the kids on the street in Fortaleza, back in the 1930's.To say that they're poor doesn't do justice to it - they live on the street.By necessity they're thieves, but you can't help liking them.They have aspirations of their own in life.

Explaining it in a few words like that may make the American reader think that he's dealing with some "Angels with Dirty Faces" sort of story.It's not.This is not a sentimental novel.It's a reflection of some of the hard realities of Brazilian life, like the urban poverty that never seems to disappear.But it also reflects some of the inherent optimism and the very un-American concern with each other that Brazilians manifest - features of their society that make Brazil such a wonderful place.

awesome, but old
hey, I know that this book is awesome, but is old too, the reality of Brazil is not that anymore, some people tend to form opinions about things that they don't know, that they have never seem with their own eyes. But the best thing is that it still is a really interesting novel, and if you read you won't forget, it is just the best book I ever read.

Simply the best book I've read this year
I would recommend this book to anyone as an absolute must read.I read it in the original Portuguese at the suggestion of a friend and if you have the ability, I suggest you do the same.The translation simply doesn't portray the magnificence and beauty of Amado's original.After living in Brazil for sometime, this novel is, to me, the most incredible portrayal of these youth and the circumstances in which they live.The book may be 70 years old, but it is certainly as applicable today as anything else I've read.

If you've read them all, read this!
It is absolutely magnificant. This is the first time for me writing a book review online and I thought that I'd never do it, but after I saw that there's is copy out there somewhere I had to say that 69$ is nothing for this book. It is the only book I take along when I travel or move abroad. It is the book that can change your life, or atleast bring that special something to it. Now that I'm reading this through I have this funny feeling that it's not me writing, but from time to time you come across extraordinary matters that make you act in a very peculiar way. This is one them. Don't miss it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

This book is Wonderful with a capital "W"!
If laughter is good for the soul, your soul will be in very good condition after reading this humorous account of Qunicas Wateryell.

Great book
This story, and the story "Forest Gump" are two of the best and most entertaining works of short fiction I have ever read.A real gem, and a delightful insight into Brazillian culture and humor.

Interesting book
This was my first foray into contemportay Brazilian fiction.Amado wove a short tale -- a fairy tale or fable -- with great ease and artistry.The descriptions of the characters and the setting fill the imagination with sights and sounds and "characters" of all types.

Loved the illustrations.Facinating artwork.

This was a pleasure to read.

"imbricated in Magical Realism,mixture of dream and reality"
Jorge Amado (1912-2001) is one of Brazil's most famous writers, and in this little book we are able to realize why he has such recognition. "The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell" is a translation of one of his shortest but more original books, "A morte e a morte de Quincas Berro D'Água", first published in 1958.

The author is part of a movement in Brazilian literature that was called "regionalism", mainly characterized because each one of the authors strived to write about his region, and tried to incorporate in his works words closely related to the local speech. Amado does just that, and in his books we can see a little of his beloved "Bahia". He deliberately ignores orthographic and grammatical rules, and adds in his written work expressions that so far could only be found in informal conversations. Amado wrote for everybody, in a language that the average person in Bahia, and Brazil, understood. He loved to be considered a "story-teller", rather than a "serious" writer that wrote only for a few.

I read this book for the first time during a course I attended regarding "A Literatura brasileira através dos contos". Most of the students (myself included) thought that "A morte e a morte de Quincas Berro D'Água" was only a long story. Our professor, Adriana Almeida, told us that it was a novel, due to the fact that it includes a lot of parallel stories and coexisting dramatic incidents, among other reasons.

But... What is this book about?. An essay that I liked a lot says that the action is, in this book "nitidamente imbricada no Realismo Mágico, mistura sonho e realidade; loucura e racionalidade; amor e desamor..." ("nitidly imbricated in Magical Realism, mixture of dream and reality; craziness and rationality; love and hate..."). I can only dream of saying something more accurate... You can find all that, an much more, in the few pages that compound this book. Yes,"A morte e a morte de Quincas Berro D'Água" is about the two deaths of a person (possibly three deaths?), and about how a person can change dramatically his life, if he wishes to do so.

After reading "A morte e a morte de Quincas Berro D'Água" you will be able to decide by yourself who was happier, and who led a better life, ifJoaquim Soares da Cunha or Quincas Berro D'Água. Any opinion is valid, as far as you can give reasons for it.

On the whole, I strongly recommend this book, as an excellent example of the kind of work that a really gifted author can write. If you can, try to read this book in portuguese. If you are unable to do so, read a translation, because even if you won't appreciate all the subtle shades of meaning and feeling that can only be grasped in the original language, you will still enjoy it a lot.

Belen Alcat

The best Companion for a Lecture Night
This is a very short, unpretentious book. Nevertheless, inside it there lies the essence of brazilian culture. I read this book firstly when I was 14, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Now I have been reading it again, and Ican tell you that it is one of the good books I have read throughout mylife. If you are a little (you only need to be very little) interested inBrazil, or in having some pleasant hours of reading, I strongly advise youto buy it. ... Read more