Brazilian Literature
- Thread starter Eric
- Start date
Stevie B
Current Member
Thanks for the feedback on Dourado, Daniel. By the way, I could see the similarity in looks between him and Sabato - they could have easily passed for brothers. One thing I didn't know about Sabato was that he was also a painter. I especially liked his oil painting entitled Dostoievksy which I've been unable to copy and paste. Here is the link if you want to check it out: literarystaches.tumblr.com/post/1120701976/dostoievsky-oil-painting-by-ernesto-sabato
Daniel del Real
Moderator
I was aware of Sabato as a painter but I had never seen this painting. Very interesting indeed.
Here's the painting so evetyone can click on it to enlarge.
View attachment 349
Here's the painting so evetyone can click on it to enlarge.
View attachment 349
Does anyone know what sort of reputation Bernardo Carvalho might have in Brazil? I know he's a journalist who's won some sort of award, but that's about all. Only two of his novels seem to be available in English; though neither is Deathless Great Writing, I enjoyed both and found Nine Nights to be downright haunting.
Sevastefo mentioned Nélida Piñón on the Nobel Speculation thread. She looks genuinely interesting. I missed Liehtzu's thread on her back in 2009, since when the thread has not been accessed. Maybe Liehtzu can revive the thread and get rid of all those question marks that one of the technical changes has given rise to. It's rather sad that Liehtzu was ahead of us but no one, literally no one, replied to Liehtzu's description.
DouglasM
Reader
I wonder if anyone's into reading Brazilian literature lately. We've been experiencing a rush of talented writers rising to prominence in the last years. I'll name a few, so you can check their upcoming translations (if available): Michel Laub, Luiz Ruffato, Cristóvao Tezza, Bernardo Carvalho, Luiz Antônio de Assis Brasil, Adriana Lunardi, Mariana Ianelli, Carola Saavedra, Ana Maria Machado, Daniel Galera, Antônio Xerxenesky, Carol Bensimon, Lourenço Mutarelli, João Paulo Cuenca, Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, Milton Hatoum, Andrea Del Fuego, Ricardo Lísias, Contardo Calligaris and Edney Silvestre. This is a specially good moment in our literature.
I apologize in advance for not bringing more information regarding each one of them. I'm afraid my knowledge of the English language only provides me the ability to construct basic sentences, not long explanations. But if any one of you fellows end up reading a book from one of these authors, there's a good chance you'll at least have a good time. I myself have not read all of them.
He enjoys a pretty good reputation and is a very respected author, specially after Nine Nights. Not brilliant, but still talented. None of his novels failed to garner positive reviews from the critics since that one.
I apologize in advance for not bringing more information regarding each one of them. I'm afraid my knowledge of the English language only provides me the ability to construct basic sentences, not long explanations. But if any one of you fellows end up reading a book from one of these authors, there's a good chance you'll at least have a good time. I myself have not read all of them.
He enjoys a pretty good reputation and is a very respected author, specially after Nine Nights. Not brilliant, but still talented. None of his novels failed to garner positive reviews from the critics since that one.
pesahson
Reader
So many new names you mentioned, DouglasM. I tried every one of them in the library catalogue, unfortunately, in vein. But having looked through the thread I found some names that have been translated into Polish, like Graciliano Ramos, Machado de Assis and J. G. Rosa. I'm going to try to get my hands on their books!
Daniel del Real
Moderator
From all those names I only know two of them: Luiz Ruffato that was present in the Guadalajara Book Fair last November, and Andrea del Fuego who just won the José Saramago prize. Actually I opened a thread on Andrea del Fuego, basically trying to collect some information on her, if anyone have read her etc. As expected no one responded, so if you have any comments about her please let me know. Thanks for sharing all those names.
DouglasM, I sympathise with your list of names in #27, but the sad thing is that readers in the USA and UK (plus other English-speaking countries) are in the Catch-22 situation where they neither read any foreign language, and that the translation culture in both countries is very undeveloped.
There are a handful of serious publishing houses in the USA and the UK that bother with translations, but unless there is a sea change in attitudes there, people can carry on talking till the cows come home about "wonderful" Brazilian (Argentinian, Mexican, etc.) writers, and it will all remain drawing-room chit-chat unless someone gets down to translating the works and convincing reputable publishers to take the books.
Brazil itself can do something. I understand it has already started a programme to subsidise translations from (Brazilian) Portuguese. But that's a fat lot of good if there is hardly anyone in the USA or UK who has the ability to translate literature at a high level of sophistication, as opposed to someone who is too young and inexperienced to really help get the books into the bookshops.
There are a handful of serious publishing houses in the USA and the UK that bother with translations, but unless there is a sea change in attitudes there, people can carry on talking till the cows come home about "wonderful" Brazilian (Argentinian, Mexican, etc.) writers, and it will all remain drawing-room chit-chat unless someone gets down to translating the works and convincing reputable publishers to take the books.
Brazil itself can do something. I understand it has already started a programme to subsidise translations from (Brazilian) Portuguese. But that's a fat lot of good if there is hardly anyone in the USA or UK who has the ability to translate literature at a high level of sophistication, as opposed to someone who is too young and inexperienced to really help get the books into the bookshops.
pesahson
Reader
I've just finished Sao Bernardo. I really liked the narrating style. Very matter-of-fact and straigtforward, even when dealing with the protagonist's descend into madness. That's what it seemed to me at least. It was a short book but it leaves you with something to think about. If any other books by Ramos were available in Polish I'd read them, but for now, it was the only one I found. Maybe instead I'll try to get me some titles by Machado de Assis.
Liam
Administrator
Salgado Maranhão now has his own thread.
Heteronym
Reader
Try Jorge Amado instead; or João Ubaldo Ribeiro. You won't regret it. They're excellent storytellers with an impeccable command of prose.
I found Machado rather disappointing, after all the hype.
Raphael Lambach
Reader
He's an excellent author. I don't know if you can find it in English but it's wonderful, anyway.
