This story was more interesting than I thought.

At first, I didn't have high expectations for it. But as I delved deeper into it, I found myself getting more and more engaged.

The characters were well-developed, and their actions and decisions kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot was full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which made it even more exciting.

I also liked the way the author described the settings. It was as if I could see the places and events happening right in front of my eyes.

Overall, this story was a pleasant surprise, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

Contemporary, dark, and erotic reading of the legend of Tristan and Isolde, an emotional journey to Brazil from 1966 to 1988, breathlessly caught between the repressions of the military dictatorship and the economic boom, bordering on the miraculous and the subsequent strikes, crisis, and uncontrollable inflation.

Tristão and Isabel are representative images of that era's generation, carrying not only the contrasts of their bodies, black and white, but also in the mentalities of the two parallel existing worlds, of misery and coldness. Fleeing from the lively coast to the dead desert, to the virgin mountains high in the mountains, through megalopolises, forgotten villages, and Indian huts, they nurture their fragile, forbidden love and grow together with it. She withstands racial and class prejudices, the fight, pain, hunger, and fatigue almost to death, scruples and time, even the shocking metamorphosis of their bodies. She survives with them and becomes stronger.

Updike is a good storyteller and psychologist. Even in the trivial daily situations, he manages to sow that grain that will capture the reader's attention permanently. His images are believable, strong, and memorable, delving into them and extracting the last particle of their deeply hidden essence.

His language is vivid and descriptive. One can feel the salty night breeze, the smell of water lilies, the dust that chokes the throat, the icy, lashing rain, and the warmth of the fire, the smell of unwashed bodies and cheap cassava, the smoke of opium, the ecstasy of intertwined bodies. In the intimate moments, he is very erotic and direct, without being offensively vulgar.

The translation is as good as it catches Updike's style, and so is the reading of the moments. It is inexplicable why the pages are sprinkled with Portuguese words transcribed in Bulgarian. Confusing writings like "In the fazenda of some edgy fazendeiro they supported themselves with the abandoned row of canja de galinha" and with the words translated under the line would sound simpler and completely in Bulgarian like "In the name of some edgy planter they supported themselves with the abandoned row of chicken soup."

There are also cases of absurdities, e.g. "caboclos and sertanejos" translated very carelessly only as "inhabitants of the sertão". The sertão is explained somewhere in the previous pages and has long been forgotten. We read and immerse ourselves in an interesting book anyway, we are not on an accelerated course in Portuguese.

In this book, Updike has given a good explanation for the loss of sense and from there - the strange sometimes ideas and the helplessness of the translators:

\\n  "He spoke so many languages that his brain was constantly translating, his language had no home."\\n

An okay book (at first glance)

It presents an interesting portrayal of Brazil and its various regions, different peoples, and their customs and so on.

However, the way women are portrayed, especially Isabel, and the big "twist" that made everything even worse, is very problematic and misogynistic.

It seems that the author has some ingrained biases that are reflected in the text.

This not only detracts from the overall quality of the book but also makes it uncomfortable for readers who are sensitive to such issues.

Moreover, the description of certain scenes involving yams has left such a vivid and unpleasant impression on me that I guess I'll never eat yams again.

Overall, while the book has some redeeming qualities in terms of its cultural and geographical descriptions, the negative aspects related to the portrayal of women and the associated implications cannot be ignored.

Vajh is an American writer, who is a great analyst and critic of American society. So why does he decide to write a novel about Brazil as well? Is it because a long South American journey is reflected in this desire? Or perhaps the emotions he wants to work with are too intense to be played out with Anglo-Saxon characters? I don't know. In any case, there are few Updike novels where more of the throbbing, energy-filled yam root is put into that little... hm... yam root container, you know, what I mean... or rather how I think about it. One can only think about such things strictly outside of working hours... except of course for those people who have to think about such things as a result of their work - such a person is, for example, Updike when writing the book called Brazil.

Tristão, the penniless black thief and robber, a child of the favela, steps onto the beach to Isabel, the snow-white skinned, wealthy and pampered girl - and from then on the hormones just rage. It's a full-blown Romeo and Juliet story of two people who, due to their social status, couldn't be each other's - but screw your social status, because they will just be each other's. And they carry their love around all of Brazil, while going through selected grotesque horrors comparable to Candide, their relationship is put to the test in every possible (and impossible) way, until... but shh. Updike builds the novel like a true professional from various opposites: philosophy collides with sensuality, tragedy with lyricism, proud desire for freedom with the dirtiest humiliation, and the person just clings to the armrest of the chair in the continuous ricochet. It's true that the author seems unable to resist inserting every, but really every Brazilian exoticism into the text as a tour guide, from Copacabana to the jungles, from the factories of São Paulo to the Indian shamans, let's say it's not football in it, really, and well, the pornographic material through which he channels his protagonists is almost becoming a caricature (just like in the case of Candide), but it's still an enjoyable, blood-pumping read. And as for whether Updike wrote a Brazil novel or just tried to write one... hm, I really don't know. This book moves somewhere on the border between the two.

Having only previously delved into Updike’s magnificent ‘Rabbit’ novels, this Brazilian-set narrative of intense and all-encompassing love came as a bit of a shock. Starting with ‘Tristan and Iseult’ as a springboard, Updike weaves a love story that traverses social divides, incorporates magic realism, and features some truly abysmal sex scenes.

A destitute boy encounters a wealthy girl on a Rio beach, and they promptly fall head over heels in love. Their families attempt to tear them apart, and circumstances throw every obstacle in their path, yet they remain united until the very end.

The initial few chapters are the most arduous to read. It’s a tale of youthful and astonishingly passionate love and lust in South America, but I constantly had the impression that it was penned by a wealthy, elderly white man sitting somewhere on the East Coast of the USA. His voice, despite its best efforts, always remains a touch too stately to truly capture the wild animal passion. Indeed, the numerous sex scenes are nearly all cringe-inducing (I can envision Auberon Waugh quivering with glee as he read them). The dialogue too is often stilted and strangely unconvincing (perhaps deliberately so?), and at times the narrative will take peculiar turns, seemingly so the author can explore something he read about in one of his Brazilian guidebooks.

And yet, despite all these flaws, I found it difficult to truly loathe this novel. No matter how atrocious the dialogue, or how much I chuckled at yet another graphically described ‘erotic’ act, Updike’s writing is still so incredibly incisive and brilliant. His knack for crafting a sentence or chiseling a paragraph that is beautifully evocative ensured that I derived pleasure from this novel despite its myriad problems.

It might be an impossible decision when I decided to say just one or two words about "Brazil". While reading, so many different emotions changed one another, sometimes even causing people's eyes to well up with tears. The story of Tristan and Isolde's love is a very difficult one for me personally. It touches their physical bodies, and in a certain way, love crosses over into what I would call the spiritual realm.

Perhaps it is because in literature we encounter a more elevated form of love, and this spiritual essence is hidden within us and begins to call for our physical bodies, and this body demands freedom in its own right.

It is read quickly despite the fact that the negative feelings are fewer and the intensity is greater. Sometimes I am still moved at certain moments, and perhaps the second time I read it, I will understand the text even better.

"The black elf of everything, and if you look closely, white too." - This is how the book begins, and I think this is that crucial moment that my thoughts follow until the last page of the book.

The plot of the book did not conform to my personal preferences.

Two individuals from completely different ends of the spectrum fall passionately in love. However, the only reason we are made aware of for their intense affection is that they are sexually voracious and have discovered each other to be sexually compatible. To be honest, I had much higher expectations.

I was discomforted by the stereotypical traits that Updike assigned to the characters based on their skin color. For instance, Isabel was portrayed as a shy and submissive sexual partner, but when she became black, she suddenly turned very aggressive and wild. Additionally, the oversexualization of black men, such as Isabel's preference for black men over her white Tristao, was rather disturbing to me.

If the book had been written in the first-person narrative, I might have excused the narration on the grounds that it was from the perspective of a simple character. But since it wasn't, it seemed to me that Updike didn't put in much effort to construct a solid plot.

Everything happened too quickly, was too underdeveloped, and lacked sufficient explanation. I don't question the fact that Updike is a brilliant writer; I just don't happen to enjoy his writing as much as I would have liked.

I've been an avid reader of Updike for many years. However, this particular work is not his finest in terms of style, character development, and a well-paced story, which are typically his strong suits.

There are numerous sudden jumps in time that seem to lack both meaning and consequence. These abrupt transitions leave the reader with a sense of being shortchanged, as if important details and connections have been overlooked.

Moreover, the issue of racism cannot be ignored in this piece. Updike attempts to pretend that he understands what it means to be black, but his efforts come across as lazy and rely on vague stereotypes to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. His bold and perhaps arrogant portrayal of these themes makes for an uncomfortable reading experience, to say the least.

Despite these flaws, Updike's descriptive language and skillful use of figurative devices managed to keep me engaged and reading. Nevertheless, I struggle to find many reasons to recommend this work, especially when compared to his other outstanding works such as Rabbit Run, Marry Me, and Couples.

I found the character development of Tristao and Isabel to be rather far-fetched.

At the beginning, it seems quite odd that Tristao and his brother, who supposedly have only attained enough education to read street signs, talk and act in such an educated manner, discussing communism and other complex topics.

Moreover, it's hard to fathom how an upper-class Isabel would immediately fall for this "slum dog."

And why would she be so accepting of Tristao's mother, despite her slovenly lifestyle?

It just doesn't add up.

The development of Tristao's shanty, on the other hand, is excellent.

It made me recall a time when I was 24 and new in Quito, Ecuador, eager for any new adventure.

I went back to my Colombian girlfriend's humble home, which, although not on the level of a shanty, was somewhat close.

I remember thinking, "I am living in the gutter, soaking in real life."

I enjoyed the adventure in the first half of the book.

It was fairly interesting until the middle, when they get captured by the jungle savages.

But I completely lost interest when they both switch skin color after the visit to the shaman.

That was just plain dumb, almost as dumb as something from The Celestine Prophecy.

Why didn't Isabel's father or uncle question her change in skin color beyond a radical tanning?

This book was a little too fantastic and "out there."

The characters, and obviously the story, are not believable.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

The first merit of this work is the care and brilliance with which it is written. Updike is a master in the art of narration, and here he gives ample demonstrations of his talent.

The novel tells us the existential journey of two young people who, against their own class limitations (he is black and she is white, he comes from the slums of Rio and she from an upper-class Brazilian family), decide above any other circumstance to live their lives together as a couple, as husband and wife, which will lead them to suffer the cruelest humiliations and hardships.

There are many aspects that slide between the pages of the book, which requires an extra exercise of concentration from the reader. Therefore, it is not a novel to pass the time. It is a novel that demands an intelligent and brave reader.

Updike's writing style is细腻 and profound, allowing the reader to truly immerse themselves in the lives and emotions of the characters. The story not only explores the theme of love and class differences but also delves into the human condition and the search for meaning in life.

Overall, this is a remarkable work that offers a thought-provoking and engaging reading experience.

I would not recommend this book at all.

Even after closely following the two main characters throughout the story, I still felt as if I knew very little about them. The only aspect that seemed to be emphasized was their enjoyment of having sex.

I understand that perhaps there was no intention to develop a love story, but the way the couple's relationship was initiated and everything that followed felt completely unbelievable and unnatural.

Moreover, the leads, especially the female character, were so overly sexualized that it became numbing and rather boring after a while.

Finally, the racial themes that were explored in this book were quite outdated and one-dimensional. There was no deeper thought or exploration from any of the characters regarding these important issues.

Overall, this book fails to engage the reader on multiple levels and does not offer a satisfying or thought-provoking reading experience.

A young black teenager hailing from the slums catches sight of a pure white girl who is a product of the upper class on a beach in Rio. Chivalrously, he offers her a ring that he has recently stolen at knifepoint from a tourist. Surprisingly, she takes him home and into her bed.随后，她还从她的监护人那里溜走，带着从她叔叔那里偷来的一大笔现金，去加入他艰苦的生活。

Why does this happen?

Patiently reading through, I searched for the motivations. Neither of them has experienced much, if any, parental love. It is reasonable to assume that both are receptive to a change that could make life more fulfilling. However, if the subsequent events justify their actions in their own minds, that justification was never clear to me. I believe this is actually a bleak story about self-destruction. The narrator remarks early on that "our deep selves welcome our catastrophes" (a perverse idea that may indeed hold some truth). Or, whether welcome or not, self-inflicted or not, destruction is presented as being inevitable: "Life robs us of ourselves, piece by small piece. What is eventually left is someone else."

Spanning over two decades and a pilgrimage into an alien realm and back, this book gives the impression of a grand saga. But it never managed to move me. I never felt a connection with any of the characters (who reminded me of the characters in another book that bothered me). I knew how it was going to end long before it did (but perhaps that predictability was intended to convey the inevitability of our ruin).

I might also add that the stolen ring (mentioned throughout the text) apparently belonged to a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution – an organization that, in my view at least, connotes tame and stodgy individuals far removed from anything suggesting revolutionary activity. There is a sort of revolution in the lives of these two characters, and perhaps also in Updike's writing of this book. I have admired his writing on several occasions before, and especially liked his novel Terrorist. This one, however, is a disappointment. I know he was stretching and attempting something different, most notably with the setting. Experiments don't always succeed. Sometimes, revolution is just foolish.