Brazil

I bought this novel about the time of the Brazil Summer Olympics to learn more about Brazil and found it very enlightening. I've always been interested in Latin American culture with Spanish language study and always wanted to learn more about the great country in the eastern sector of South America started by Portuguese adventurers and explorers. This is a beautiful panorama of old Brazil from its earliest indigenous days through the conquista and then onward into modern times. The author was a South African author, now unfortunately deceased, who had major magazine credits and this was his life's dream to write about Brazil. I highly recommend this novel and am glad I read it.

As one whose second home is in Brasil, I find this book to be very entertaining and nicely written in the way it blends fact with fiction. The author's credentials as an established writer are very apparent in the way he portrays the story of a truly fascinating land and its people. From the stark beauty of the caatinga and the sertao in the Northeast to the lushness of the Southwest, from the city to the engenho, "Brazil" is a virtually unknown epic novel, a real "page turner" and my absolute favorite book for when acute saudades ("homesickness", for lack of a better definition) strikes and I cannot afford a plane ticket to visit friends and family throughout the country.The stories of the fictional families of the Cavalcantes and the da Silvas are set against a historical timeline stretching from before Brasil's discovery in the 1500's to the modern-day period of the construction of the country's capital, Brasilia. Along the way, you will encounter tales of the native Tupiniquim and the outsiders, the Dutch, French, English and Portuguese. There is excellent story continuity throughout and family trees are provided in the Appendix - you will come to know these people in a very personal way!The author has done his research well and it shows in the quality of his writing. For whoever has curiosity or an interest about Brasil, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! And for anyone wanting to visit the country, for personal enjoyment, business or whatever, reading this book before traveling there should be mandatory; you will get so much more out of your trip than you could ever receive from a guidebook!Bom viaje!Edit: 5 Setembro 2019. As I was chatting with friends from Brasil today, I was reminded of the debt I owe to the author of this book. I visited my family a year ago and, talking with people around me, I learned that many (perhaps most) Brasilians don't know their history, even to the extent of not knowing September 7th as anything more than a national holiday (for USA people, this would be exactly like forgetting Independence Day).Because I had read the novel several times, I was able to speak with people around me about the historical events of the book. This led to many interesting conversations, political, historical, social and cultural, and won for me many friendships that endure to this day and will endure forever! It was delightfully refreshing to speak with these people and see their eyes come alight and their hearts catch fire to learn of the history that is their own!Travelers to Brazil must keep their eyes open; Brazil is not the "Samba-and-Snakes" tropical Paradise of Hollywood portrayal. And this book, even though it is a love story about a country and her people, does not attempt to gloss over the ugliness behind the glitter. But behind the aldeia, the escrava and the pelourinho stand the hope and strength of an amazing people.Because of this book and the oh-so-many discussions I have had with people regarding the material in it, I am gladly welcome in any place I have been in Brazil. My beloved second country, Brazil, is a land of story and a land of storytellers. And this is exactly the book by and for storytellers!

Written like the Bible with layers upon layers of confusing names and tribes. Like most long books, I found this to broad amd long winded. Dozing off around page 200 of this tome today, I decided to call it quits. Fewer characters, fleshed out in greater detail would have my attention. The Portuguese were an incredibly destructive and barbaric race. They cut the forests down, planted sugar cane, tried to convert the native cannibals to the Bible and brought over slaves from Africa to harvest cane. I highly recommend Riding the Rails by the same writer. Fast and complelling read and much better organized.

I'm a guy who reads a lot. It's extremely rare that I haven't finished a book that I've started, no matter how bad it is. This is a book I put down half way through and, oddly enough, have shown no interest in picking it up again. I felt no attachment to the characters and no sense of intrigue about what was/is going to happen next.Basically, it appears as if the author read Michener and decided to copy the ideas and plot line without adding soul or the kind of depth that Michener could. Each chapter was the same story repeated: only the names were changed to protect the banality of the story.I do not recommend this book.

This book is a sweeping saga of the history of Brazil, from 1400 to 2000. It is similar in style to that of Michener, the great historical fiction writer It follows the history of some of the families gave the book the meat around the bone of the great novel. It started with the natives of Brazil to the Portuguese, Dutch, African, French, Spanish other Europeans, that make up a multi-cultural nation that is even more multi-cultural than the United States. This book deserves no less than a 5 star rating. It also deserves a second reading, perhaps a third or more. It should be required reading for anyone traveling to South America, specifically Brazil. All Mormon missionaries should read it prior to departure from their homes outside of this great country.

I read this historical novel after having completed a Master's degree and passed doctoral exams in Latin American history, specializing in Brazil--and wished I had found it earlier! Uys manages to weave the most important economic, political and geographic themes of Brazilian history into a vibrant narrative, populated by believable characters. His characters are not straw figures, but frequently reveal contradictory qualities--a pioneer's admirable physical courage in the rapacious pursuit of plunder...a Jesuit missionary's willingness to undergo rigorous deprivation and practice Machiavellian politics on a heartfelt campaign to save his indigenous flocks' souls, while subjugating their earthly bodies...a patriot whose Enlightenment ideas of liberty lead him to reject colonialism, but do not extend to freeing his own slaves...a messianic social reformer whose campaign for justice turns his followers into cannon fodder...the heiress of an aristocratic family who uses her privileged position to advocate for street children. The contradictions, brutality, heroism and inspiration are all here. Better than several semesters of dry history lectures...and more memorable!

Makes the history of Brazil live, weaving it together into every readable, coherent story. It makes sense of the various strands I encountered while resident for more than 20 years in the country, giving a voice to many, much better than any text book I've come across. However I have one caveat. I found the section on the war with Paraguay interesting but tedious.

Great biography of a wonderful country! I understand a lot more about Brazil and Brazilian culture and heritage, as well as particular traits of behaviour...I guess being a woman I was not so interested in the war part, which in my opinion dragged on for far too long. The book is big enough as it is and hundreds of pages of war against Paraguay was a little too much for me.But the rest was fantastic, mixing real elements to fictional characters is the best way to tell History.

Umfassende, mitreisende Beschreibung der Geschichte Brasiliens. Äußerst hilfreich, das heutige Brasilien zu verstehen.Beeindruckt durch seine Sachkenntnis. Auch alle Brasilianer sollten es lesen.