"Excellent translation of a Brazilian classic first published as a serial in 1852-53. Sousa captures the vivacity and wit of the original while effectively evoking mood and historical milieu of free lower classes of Rio de Janeiro in early-19th century. Outstanding accompanying essays"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.http://www.loc.gov/hlas/

Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant (Library of Latin America)

Literature & Fiction

Sousa, Ronald W.

de Almeida, Manuel Antônio

United States

Oxford University Press

Recognized as a turning point in Brazilian literature, this entertaining novel of urban manners follows the ne'er-do-well Leonardo through his various romantic liaisons and frequent scrapes with the law. First printed in weekly installments in 1852, and later published in two volumes in 1854-55, Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant comprises a series of humorous vignettes held together by the adventures and misfortunes of this young rogue--who matures from a handful of a toddler into a ruffian of a boy and an idler of a young man--and his father, also named Leonardo. Manuel Antônio De Almeida tells a story in everyday language that is rich in detail of life on the streets and the modest circumstances of the free poor of Rio de Janeiro. Through satirical accounts of the escapades of characters who always seem close to the brink of some personal crisis or social misstep, yet who manage to pull through by hook or by crook, Almeida makes a subtle and incisive comment on Brazilian urban society and culture of the nineteenth century. Now available in a new and lively translation, Memoirs of a Military Sergeant occupies an important position in the satirical literature of Brazil and the world.

'The Amazon' features eight essays by Euclides da Cunha, about his trip through the Amazonin in 1905, written to describe the Brazilian hinterlands to the urban citizens.

The Amazon: Land without History (Library of Latin America)

DA CUNHA, EUCLIDES

In the eight pieces that make up The Amazon: Land Without History, which was first published in Portuguese in 1909, Euclides da Cunha offers a rare look into twentieth-century Amazonia and the consolidation of South-American nation states. Translated into Victorian English, which mirrors the rich and grandiose style of da Cunha's writing, this book offers a view of the continuously changing ecology of the Amazon, a testimony to the Brazilian colonial enterprise, and its imperialist tendencies with regard to neighboring nation-states.

World Literature

This book is a study in the social history of literature. Portugal's power and presitge began to decline in the mid-1500's, reducing the nation's international standing and self-image to a low point from which it has never fully recovered. In the ensuing years, this book argues, mythicizing the Age of the Discoveries and establishing a link to it have been recurring patterns in Portuguese thought. These patterns are reflected in what is called 'the literature of national regeneration.' Portugal's days of glory were short-lived: from the capture of the Arab port of Ceuta in North Africa (1415) to the defeat by the Moors in present-day Morocco (1578). The latter, in which the Portuguese king and the cream of the nobility perished, led to the accession of a Spanish king and to the end, in the Portuguese consciousness, of an era of greatness. The author's introduction discusses the impact on Portugal of 'two of the strongest intellectual currents of the age- Renaissance Humanism and a late-Medieval tendency toward prophecy,' showing these 'involved an extremely idealistic outlook on experience' and that such idealism was subject to frustration. Dr. Sousa shows how the self-image of writers since the Age of the Discoveries 'commingles in their minds with the image they have of their nation.' Chapters are devoted to Luis de Camoes and his epic poem Os Lusiadas (1572), Antonia Vieira and his Historia do Futuro (1647-63), Almeida Garrett and his lyric-narrative poem Camos (1825) Eca de Queiroz and his novel A Ilustre Casa de Ramires (1900), and Fernando Pessoa and his volume of poetry Mensagem (1934). Each of these authors is shown to treat the preoccupations of his time -ethical, political, and aesthetic- but with the leitmotif of national regeneration. The book's unique literary-historical synthesis makes it valuable to both Hispanic scholars and those seeking an introduction to Portuguese literature.

The Rediscoverers: Major Writers in the Portuguese Literature of National Regeneration

History & Criticism

Penn State University Press

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Books by Sousa, Ronald W.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sousa, Ronald W.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant (Library of Latin America)

Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant (Library of Latin America)

The Amazon: Land without History (Library of Latin America)

The Amazon: Land without History (Library of Latin America)

The Rediscoverers: Major Writers in the Portuguese Literature of National Regeneration