Synopses & Reviews
Along with The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray, two masterworks by the greatest Brazilian novelist of the twentieth century, published for the centennial of his birth
Published here for the first time in English in a brilliant translation by the peerless Gregory Rabassa, The Discovery of America by the Turks is a whimsical Brazilian take on The Taming of the Shrew that will remind readers why Jorge Amado is to Portuguese-American literature what Jorge Luis Borges is to Spanish-American literature. It follows the adventures of two Arab immigrants—‘Turks,’ as Brazilians call them—who arrive in the rough Brazilian frontier in 1903 and become involved in a merchant’s farcical attempt to marry off his shrew of a daughter.
Review
“Delightful . . . A wonder of the art of narration [by] the voice, the feeling, and the joy of Brazil.” —José Saramago, from the Foreword
Review
“Cause for rejoicing . . . Irresistible . . . Thoroughly satisfying. There’s more packed into the slender
The Discovery of America by the Turks than many a novel five times its length, delivered with zest and spice and an unashamed love of physical pleasure. Perhaps more than any other author, Jorge Amado can capture in words the simple, radiant joys of living.” —
Shelf Awareness“Delightful . . . A wonder of the art of narration [by] the voice, the feeling, and the joy of Brazil.” —José Saramago, from the Foreword
Review
“Funny, intelligent, often tender, not infrequently raunchy . . . The tale unfolds with twists worthy of a Shakespearean comedy, but what is truly memorable are Amado's character portraits and his vibrant comic scenes of Brazilian life. . . . [An] excellent example of the particular mixture of folkloric elements and high-literary storytelling for which Amado is often paired with Gabriel García Márquez.” —
The Wall Street Journal
“Delightful . . . A wonder of the art of narration [by] the voice, the feeling, and the joy of Brazil.” —José Saramago, from the Foreword
“Hugely entertaining . . . Amados version of Brazil is seductive.” —The Times Literary Supplement
“Cause for rejoicing . . . Irresistible . . . Thoroughly satisfying. Theres more packed into the slender The Discovery of America by the Turks than many a novel five times its length, delivered with zest and spice and an unashamed love of physical pleasure. Perhaps more than any other author, Jorge Amado can capture in words the simple, radiant joys of living.” —Shelf Awareness
Synopsis
Published here for the first time in English in a brilliant translation by the peerless Gregory Rabassa,
The Discovery of America by the Turks is a whimsical Brazilian take on The Taming of the Shrew that will remind readers why Jorge Amado is to Portuguese-American literature what Jorge Luis Borges is to Spanish-American literature. It follows the adventures of two Arab immigrants-"Turks," as Brazilians call them-who arrive in the rough Brazilian frontier in 1903 and become involved in a merchant's farcical attempt to marry off his shrew of a daughter.
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Synopsis
For the first time in English: legendary Brazilian author Jorge Amado's spirited novella about Arab immigrants to South America—published for the centennial of Amado's birth
Two Arab immigrants—"Turks" as Brazilians call them—arrive in the rough Brazilian frontier on the same ship in 1903, hoping to find a future. They rub shoulders with gunslingers and plantation owners, and also tangle with merchants, one of whom is desperate to marry off his impossible daughter. Thus ensues a farcical drama that produces, in a humorous twist, the unlikeliest of suitors in this whimsical Brazilian take on The Taming of the Shrew.
About the Author
Jorge Amado (1912–2001) was born in the state of Bahia, Brazil, whose society he portrays in such acclaimed novels as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.
Gregory Rabassa is a National Book Award–winning translator whose English-language versions of works by Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Gabriel García Márquez have become classics in their own right. He lives in New York City.
José Saramago (1922–2010) was a Nobel Prize–winning Portuguese writer whose many novels include All the Names and Blindness.