Colorless Tsuruku Tazki - Haruki Murakami

I read this book after a recommendation. I managed to finish it in two days because it's a very easy going book.

The story is about the colorless Tsuruku Tazki, he is colorless because his name does not carry the meaning of any colour in Japanese, differently from his other four friends, and the fifth grey, Haida. 

We get to know why the four friends stop talking to him in high school, but we never managed to know what happen to Haida, why he stopped talking to him, we finish the book without an answer. Murakami wanted to leave the question mark if Tsukuru's dreams were actually reality, but that's all, we don't get any final concrete answer! How frustrating! I wanted an answer. I wanted to know if there was anything else connected to the story he told related to his father and the pianist Midorikawa!

My favorite sentence from the book the one from Sara, the character's girlfriend, which we also don't ended up knowing if is dating someone else! Back to the sentence, Tsukuru imagines her saying "You went all the way to Finland to eat pizza margherita", I though it was a very Rastik's sentence.
That's all I have to conclude about this book. I won't spoil it and say that the group stop talking to him because one of the friend spread the news that he raped her, oh no I would not say that!

(From Farnham library)

A Descoberta da America pelos Turcos - Jorge Amado

O livro é bem pequeno, chamado de "romancinho" mas conta uma historia legal de se ler. Como conta no prefacio, o livro era na verdade para ser distribuido por diversas companias aereas italianas para os passageiros entre voos de Italia e as tres Americas. Tendo assim o livro escrito pelo norte Americano Norman Mailer, o mexicano Carlos Fuentes, e o proprio Jorge Amado. O motivo seria em 1992 data comemorativa dos Quinto Centenario do decobrimento da America.

 

Por motivo de uma tal de "operacao maos limpas" ocorrida na Italia para trazer a publico e a julgamento a corrupcao italiana, o livreto nao foi publicado a tempo de participar das comemoracoes. Cada um dos autores entao ganham o direitos autorais pela obra e os publicaram separadamente.

 

A obra do nosso Jorge Amado conta a historia de turcos, mas que na verdade sao arabes, logo de chegada ao Brasil em 1903, formando seus comercios e suas familias na regiao de cultivo de cacau  no sul da Bahia. O libanes Raduan Murad tenta convencer o sirio Jamil Bichara a se casar com Adma, filha de Ibrahim, dono de um armarinho, para poder herder os negocios do sogro e acalmar a fera, que alem de feia estava cada dia mais dificil de lidar. Na humilde opiniao da rapariga Paula Caolha, o pai deveria "baixar a peia" em Adma, ja Glorinha Cu de Ouro, acha que Adma "carece, coitadinha, é de uma boa rola". Jamil quando considerou casar-se com Adma pensou que em seu caso seria pouca rola e muita peia. Adma por fim acaba casando-se com o jovem que trabalhava no bar, Adib Barud, brasileiro grapiúna (sertanejos aos habitantes do litoral), pelo qual igualmente se apaixona pela fera.

 

Eu achei o livro cheio de graca, desde a visao esteriotipada dos arabes batendo em suas mulheres, ate as sacanagens dos bordeis por eles frequentados.

 

 (um dos livros que trouxe da "biblioteca" de casa- Brasil)

The Lost City of Z - David Grann

If I had to answer if I liked this book or not I would probably say I didn't.

My reasons: the author gives you plenty of insight about the topic surrounding the British explorer Percy Fawcett's search of the "lost city of Z". However, in 2005 the north american author himself goes for a quest searching for the traces left by the British explorer, I should have guessed it could only mean disaster. I was surprised to discover that there are people in the amazon jungle patient enough ($) to guide him and take him seriously after announcing his "quest". I wanted to throw the book away when I read that in the middle of his journey, while carrying his laptop though the jungle (!) and after talking to his baby son over the phone in the middle of the jungle (!!) he had a breakdown and said he already had enough material to write the book, and that he should go no further. I mean, I ain't no adventure explorer but that is exactly why I wouldn't go all the way there and chicken out in the middle of it because it got rough.

Anyway, the book describes the life of Fawcett and his persistent pursue of finding the lost ancient civilization in the middle of the world's lung, the amazon jungle. It also describes the explorer's wife despair after Fawcett, their son Jack, and his best friend Raleigh disappearance in Mato Grosso back in 1925. At that time Britain was very keen in sending explorers to seek new findings. Charles Dawin's own son was the "president" of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) during Fawcett time. The later organised many expeditions to Brazil under the RGS's fundings. In fact he wasn't the only one in those foreign land, Brazil had many tribes uncontacted and undiscovered areas, which by this fact alone was very attractive to explorers, but even more if added with the "El Dorado" legend. Explorers from all parts of the world were gathering their expeditions in a race to be the first one to discover the lost city and hopefully its treasure. Dr Rice was a very rich man which afforded to go few times to Brazil with the cutting edge technology, taking with him hydroplanes and wireless radio whereas our friend Fawcett was sending letters home and to the RGS stating his location and revealing the land by feet.

Fawcett was known for being very experienced when the subject was exploring the unknown. He was extremely fast, achieving unachiavable miles in a little time-span. He was very talented reading coordinates' instruments, and was very careful and considering when contacting an unknown tribe. He knew he was good, and so he dared to say the was the only capable person to infiltrate such rough land. He, however lacked money, so during what became his last expedition, he advertised his quest in north america, and was given a lot of publicity, and enough fund to get them going. The prize he was to win, however would be only redeemed upon his return. A large number of people (I'm not good at remembering numbers in general) were watching them close with interest. Every new location informed was making the newspaper top cover. It's not by accident that after their disappearance many people were intrigued and decided to go themselves on the quest, which had now become the quest to unveil what happen to the very skilled Fawcett rather than to discover the lost city of Z itself. It is said that as much as 100 people perished or disappeared searching for the Fawcetts over the years.

Luckily he author journey to trace Fawcett had a happy ending (I would be surprised if it hadn't in 2005). He gathered a lot of information about Fawcett's last location before disappearing, although there a lot of different version about this fact. In letters to the RGS Fawcett writes that the Dead Horse Camp (name based on real events) was their last camp site, but in letters to his family they give another location further north as their current location. Jack also says that the next time he would write would be up in Para, which they never made. The book writer travels to Wales to meet Fawcett's grandchildren and grand-grandchildren and gather more information about the explorer last location. He buys all his adventure gear and head to Brazil, he gets to Cuiaba meets Paolo whom use to work for FUNAI, and is keen to guide him to the Xingu area. The book goes back and forth from one chapter about Fawcett's journey to the next about the author's journey. After innumerous chapters detailing ever single step Fawcett took, the author just brush it on the side that he was probably killed by a local tribe which got offended they didn't give them gifts (they would be saving for a more fierce tribe). By then I was a bit disappointed, but nevermind.

The supposedly "real" new finding in the book was done through the anthropologist Michael Hecknberger at the Kuhikugu site, where it is believed there was once an ancient civilization. The archaeological complex is supposedly dated back around 1500 years ago up to 400 years ago where they supposedly killed by the disease brought by the Europeans settlers. I'm not totally convinced about that, specially after reading that the anthropologist was jailed in 2009 for trafficking cocaine in Florida. Weirdo!

So, my conclusion is that the book is worth it reading for the Fawcett detailed story rather than the author own experience in the jungle. I just wanted to say that I find it amazing the fact that the jungle explorers get so sick and exhausted by the smallest bugs than anything else. Being them the mosquitoes, the candiru, and all the nasty little fuckers. Also, I admire every description with the sucuri (aka anaconda) encounter. Just thinking about entering a river with the slightness possibility of one of those beast inside gives me goosebumps.

(From Farnham library)

Ariano Suassuna, Um Perfil Biografico - Adriana Victor

Ainda bem que so eu leio esse blog, quando se trata do meu escritor preferido eu gostaria de escrever da maneira mas bonita, ainda mais quando se trata de um livro sobre sua vida e obra. Sei que nao tenho capacidade pra isso, mas vou tentar deixar aqui as partes que mais gostei do livro.

Ao som do Quinteto Armorial - Do romance ao galope nordestino.

Muito do que li no livro eu ja sabia sobre o autor, outros fatos eu confesso que desconhecia. Em entrevistas sabia que o autor gostava de matar todos os seus personagens, e assim o faz na maioria de seus livors, mas nunca tinha me dado conta que isso teria uma ligacao ao fato de seu pai ter sido assassinado quando ele apenas tinha 3 anos de idade. O livro diz que ele traz pra literatura o seu lado "cruel" digamos assim, mas que depois de ter conhecido sua esposa - ela aos 13 e ele aos 17- que ele passa a acucarar sua vida.

Gosto quando ele diz que Se Paraiba, palavra feminina, e o "estado materno" de Ariano Suassuna, Pernambuco passaria a ser seu "estado paterno".

Ainda nao tinha entendido o conceito e proposta do Movimento Armorial, acredito que agora a passo a ter uma melhor ideia. Na minha concepcao trata-se de um movimento para trazer cultura popular nordestina mais proxima das pessoas atraves de musica, poesia, literatura, arte plastica, e tudo que esta relacionado a ela. Desconhecia tambem o artista gravador Gilvan Samico e o musico Capiba, mas ja conhecia o trabalho de J. Borges, e inclusive o admiro muito tambem.

Sobre sua casa, Ariano dizia que era "o melhor lugar do mundo", mesmo lugar que viveu desde 1960 com Zelia sua mulher, mais parece um espaco de esposicao de arte.

“Considero Ariano meu padrinho de arte. Foi um dos maiores incentivadores do meu trabalho. Ele foi um anjo na minha vida, me ajudou muito. Quando ele disse que, na opinião dele, eu era o melhor xilogravurista, todo mundo acreditou. Levei sorte, e até hoje aproveito isso. Sempre o admirei em todos os pontos. Outro igual a ele nunca vai ter” J. Borges, xilogravurista.

Suassuna comeco a escrever em 1981 sua obra ainda nao lancada: O jumento sedutor. Afirmou que "Se eu conseguir termina-lo como quero, sera o livro com o qual sonhei toda a vida. Nele estou unindo poesia, ensaio, romance e teatro". Em carta de despedida aos trabalhos que vinha exercendo em funcao de seu cargo como secretario de cultura de Pernambuco, disse que estaria angustiado, que na idade que estava, nao sabia se teria tempo suficiente para terminar o livro, pois para ficar como ele pensava e queria, teria mais de 20 volumes. Em uma entrevista tambem me lembro dele dizer que estava escrevendo mas se aquilo que tinha escrito nao agradace a Deus, Ele teria o poder de acabar com tudo. Apesar do livro nao ter sido lancado antes de sua morte, dizem que ele esta pronto e so faltando a autorizacao de Zelia e seus filhos para o lancamento. Torco para que isso aconteca em breve para eu e seus adimiradores podermos apreciar sua obra de grand finale. Tenho tambem esperanca que outras de suas obras esgotadas sejam relancadas, pois ainda nao tive o privilegio de le-las.

O livro ainda conta importantes episodios na vida de Ariano, como sua posse da cadeira 32 da Academia Brasileira de Letra em 1990, ou em 2002 quando a escola de samba carioca Imperio Serrano o homenagiou, mas acho que os fatos que eu desconhecia sao os mais interessantes de relatar aqui.

Portanto fica aqui meu humilde "post" comentando sobre o livro.

(Meu pai me enviou uma copia digitalizada por email)