Brazil

This book is an extremely unsettling and disturbing piece of work.

Throughout the entire process of reading it, I was filled with a sense of unease, almost bordering on guilt, and had an urge to hide it from the eyes of others.

Why?

**spoiler alert**

This is the story of two young individuals in love (or perhaps just lust), loosely based on the medieval tale of Tristan and Iseuelt. Set in 1960s Brazil, Isabel Leme is an upper-class white girl, while Tristao Raposo is a poor black man living in the Rio slums. They flee their families and head inland to the new capital, and then make their way back to Rio on foot in the most bizarre and brutal part of the book.

While in the wilds of Brazil, Tristao is captured and enslaved by religious zealots, and Isabel is forced to become one of the leader's wives. She befriends a girl who takes her to see a shaman who can give Tristao white skin and turn her black, which she does to save him.

Just like much of Updike's work, there is a significant amount of sex and death in this book.

Updike is a huge figure in American literature, although it seems he has now become more of a historical figure rather than someone at the forefront. I particularly love the two Rabbit books I've read, but Rabbit Redux also left me with a similar sense of unease, which cannot be ignored. I have the same discomfort when Updike writes about women, and this book is no exception - Isabel was a struggle for me; she felt like some third sex (the shaman sees her as a man in a woman's body). I couldn't bring myself to care for her or Tristan; they couldn't care for her bastard children. Ironically, despite the overt reference to a great medieval romance, this was not a book about romantic love.

Despite the structure, the trials, and the fact that it would have been easier for them to part, I was never convinced that this was a great love story - when Isabel speaks of loving Tristan, it was always in relation to the physical.

Despite all of this, the book was beautifully written - spare, fast-moving, and action-packed.

Much has been written about Updike, including by Updike himself, and I find it impossible to separate the author from my experience of the novel (which is unfortunate but perhaps a common issue with great and established writers).

There has been a lot of discussion about Updike's suspect misogyny and his overt (or perhaps unconscious) racial consciousness. Updike views both women and black people as "other," as a mirror for the white male. He suffered from psoriasis, which made him obsessed with skin; he went to the Caribbean to see if the sun could improve his skin condition and later wrote that this experience was "no doubt subtly racist."

Multiple critics have labeled him a narcissist, and his characters largely follow suit, which is probably why it's so hard to love them. (Interestingly, in a Salon guide to writers, Updike selects five books about loving, which are actually about sex and lust, not romantic love).

As a book about race (written by a white gentleman), this book was extremely uncomfortable; it simply doesn't work at all. The idea of a white privileged person sacrificing "all" (her white skin) to save the other, and then the other being killed because of his white skin and no longer loving her in the same way? I hated the constant comparison of Isabel's face to a monkey face.

Some critics have suggested that some of Updike's oeuvre was clearly more "fun" for him to write, including books like S. and Witches of Eastwick, both of which I enjoyed, especially the latter. I find this interesting because I did not find Brazil pleasurable to read.

4.5

Generally, books that focus on love and future expectations don't appeal to me. However, I decided to read this book a long time ago and I was looking forward to it with great anticipation. I was attracted by the author's language and the way of narration, which very simply, easily and beautifully described Brazil. There were some clichés, and the word "inflation" (and the wear and tear of the mind...) was overly repeated in many places, but still I was satisfied. Towards the end, it was less banal.

"Life constantly shakes us, little by little eroding our existence into small pieces. And what is left of us in the end is already completely different, strange and unknown."

This book offers a unique perspective on life and love. It makes you think about the meaning and value of our existence. The author's writing style is vivid and engaging, which makes it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story. Although there are some不足之处, overall, it is a good read that is worth recommending to others.

If you are looking for a book that can touch your heart and make you think, then this book may be a good choice for you. Give it a try and see if it can bring you the same feelings and insights as it did for me.

Do NOT take Updike to a farmers’ market.

Updike is a well-known author with a particular style and set of interests. He is likely to be more at home in a quiet study or a literary gathering. A farmers’ market, on the other hand, is a bustling and noisy place filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of fresh produce, local crafts, and people going about their shopping.

Taking Updike to a farmers’ market might seem like a good idea at first, perhaps to expose him to a different side of life or to give him some new inspiration. However, it is likely that he would feel out of place and uncomfortable. He might be more interested in observing the people and the activities from a distance, rather than actively participating in the shopping and bargaining.

In conclusion, while a farmers’ market can be a great place to visit for many people, it is probably not the best destination for Updike. It is important to respect his preferences and interests and to choose activities and outings that are more likely to suit him.

This book was truly amazing.

The language used in it was so vivid that it effortlessly helped me feel exactly what the characters were feeling.

Moreover, the detailed descriptions of the scenery transported me right into Brazil.

When the main characters were traveling in the jungle, I felt as if I was right there with them, striving to survive.

I really liked the way the author ended the book where it began.

However, it was a little complex.

Not only was the style and plot intricate, but I also had to look up every other word to fully follow the story.

It was a very challenging, intense, amazing, and rough book.

But despite its difficulties, it was extremely good and exciting to read.

It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and I found myself completely immersed in the story.

Overall, it was a remarkable reading experience that I would highly recommend to others.

I think I've mentioned this previously, but most of the time, it's extremely difficult for me to rate John Updike's books lower than four stars. His writing is always so masterfully eloquent, even when the plot might seem lacking or the pacing appears slow.

In the case of "Brazil," I did notice that it was a bit dull at certain moments. However, this was only because I felt that the two main characters were essentially reincarnations of the classic Tristan and Isolde/Romeo and Juliet archetype, which I later discovered to be true. At first, I was intrigued by the interracial romance. But then, I became frustrated with the way they were unfaithful to each other, especially when distance separated them.

Ultimately, though, I was irresistibly drawn into Updike's beautiful language, vivid descriptions, and his overall portrayal of a country that was ravaged by poverty and political instability during the time period (late 60s - 70s). I began to truly care about the characters because the odds seemed so overwhelmingly stacked against them. Kudos to Updike for making me feel the weight of impending doom in a way that Shakespeare did not.

Read this for the type of love story that, despite including a touch of fantasy, remains hauntingly real even in today's world.

Really, I couldn't be satisfied with this book and it has been a long time since I haven't had such an experience while reading a book.

The love between Tristan and Isolde was beautiful - I wanted to say, but I don't like Isolde as a character so much that I can't say it. The only thing that, more or less, appealed to me in this book was Tristan himself.

At moments, almost, magical realism was creeping in, which, in my opinion, didn't suit the book at all. On its own, the ending didn't appeal to me either.

And here too, the desire to bite into something in my mind was completely killed by these works.

*Update* Almost one year later, I made it five stars.

I'm quite satisfied, but my initial expectations for the book were greater than what it turned out to be.

Throughout the entire book, the thought persisted as to why the author of the Pulitzer Prize winner wrote a book in which there was nothing remarkable except for love, and this love was almost nothing compared to what love should be. Finally, I almost reached the conclusion that, apart from the traditional plot that involves the relationship between a rich old man/strange boy (or vice versa), the prominent theme in the book was racism, and I think it represented the reality in America to some extent. Although they, the southerners, didn't have a direct "battle" with the blacks, they still constantly discriminated against them. In the end, I still gave love to this book according to the author's original intention, but the quality of their relationship was also affected by the corresponding differences.

Regarding love itself, here the author beautifully described everything that could be associated with this feeling, but did not dwell on the negative aspects. The book clearly presented the appearance and temperament of the Brazilian people, and it seemed that poverty didn't mean anything else. The theme of poverty was never emphasized in the text, as if the author wanted to show that the main profound feeling was what was described, not complete happiness, despite the fact that the love between Tristan and Isabel was more based on complete experiences.

Their love and corresponding differences became more evident later when they lived together. How their natures changed and what they became.

Two things were most impressive in the book. The first was when Isabel made the most important decision in her life during her encounter with the whale, and the second was the final chapter, the reunion of Tristan and Isabel's families.

And to conclude, "The soul is strong, but the material is even stronger."

P.S. When writing this review, I changed between 4 and 5 stars several times. Sometimes I would give it 4 stars, but I think at some point I will definitely make it 5 stars.

The article presents an interesting take on a love story set in Brazil.

It tells of a passionate romance between a white girl and a black boy during a time when such relationships were not accepted, particularly by the girl's wealthy and powerful family.

The story, although somewhat common in its premise, stands out for its honest portrayal of the power balance within a couple and the inherent selfishness that we all possess.

It is also fascinating to learn about Brazil through the context of this narrative. However, one aspect that bothered the reader was the author's consistent reference to penises as yams.

This choice of language seemed out of place and perhaps a bit too unconventional for the otherwise well-written piece.

Overall, while the story has its merits, this one quirk detracted slightly from the overall experience.