Brazil is one of the most culturally diverse countries and home to some of the most recognized authors in the world. Most of the stories and novels below were written by these renowned Brazilian writers such as Paulo Coelho, Jorge Armado, and Machado de Assis, and highlight their Brazilian roots, culture, and traditions. Choose a title or two from this list for incredible insight before or while traveling to this beautiful and tropical giant in South America.
Here are our top picks for books about Brazil
The Slum
by Aluisio Azevedo
This critically claimed story accurately shows the true shades of Brazilian society, more specifically the relationship race has to poverty there in the 20th century. The novel encompasses two separate love stories set in Rio de Janeiro, that touch on topics surrounding migrations as well as interracial relationships. The first story revolves around the life of an immigrant landlord breaking his lover’s heart over a relationship with a white rich woman. His quest is motivated by his desire to become a rich investor. The second story is a love affair between an immigrant and a mixed-race woman who is renting out an apartment owned by the greedy landlord. Azevedo can accurately describe the complex yet beautiful Brazilian values and overall culture.
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
by Jorge Amado
This novel by Jorge Amado, one of Brazil’s most recognized authors, is his most acclaimed work. The story is the picture-perfect description of the true essence of Brazil, bringing alive all the vibrant sounds, smells, and visuals the country has to offer. The story offers its readers a behind-the-scenes scoop of the life of a young Brazilian girl living in poverty, but working hard as a cook to reach better opportunities. The pages of this book are filled with beautifully written narratives on the culture, especially on the diversity of Brazil's ingredients and cuisine. Amado uses such lush detail and description the reader can practically smell and taste everything that is being made throughout the story!
Max and the Cats
by Moacyr Scliar
Published in 1981 and translated to English in 1990, this novel tells the story of Max Schmidt, a young man born in Berlin in 1912. He is forced to flee the country after having an affair with a married woman and offending the Nazis and ends up in a ship sailing to Brazil. Unfortunately, the ship sinks as part of an insurance scam and he ends up trapped on a smaller boat, along with a jaguar. This jaguar was one of the many animals caged and moved around to various zoos. Eventually, Max is rescued and finds himself starting from zero in Brazil, while not being able to let go of his German past. If the story sounds similar, its because the award-winning novel “Life of Pi”, was somewhat inspired by it. Scliar is a very respected author who currently lives in Porto Allegre and who is descended from a Jewish family that migrated to Brazil.
By Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knew he wanted to be a writer from a young age. Coelho’s novels convey strong messages written with simplistic, uncomplicated sentences and honest dialogue. He is known to tackle life’s biggest questions and challenges in a direct and poetic manner.
The Alchemist
Published in 1987, The Alchemist talks about the story of Santiago, a young boy who decides to escape his comfort zone by quitting his job and searching for his real purpose in life. He sells everything he owns and moves to Egypt, where his gut tells him to go. This novel, although fictional, is a story filled with real-life, heartwarming, and eye-opening lessons regarding following your heart and instincts in times of hardship, conflict, and struggles.
Eleven Minutes
Maria is a naïve and young Brazilian girl searching to discover herself after a terrible heartbreak that leaves her scared of finding love. She goes on with her life believing she will be alone forever and ends up moving to Switzerland looking for fame and fortune. Her hopes and dreams, along with her savings, all start crumbling down which leads her to find a job at a brothel in the red-light district of Geneva. She acquires enough knowledge from the brothel’s owner that she grows into a successful, groomed escort offering to her clients a unique experience, described as calming and almost therapeutic. She eventually meets a Swiss painter, who teaches Maria about her true calling and inner light. They end up falling in love, however, she is torn between her love life and professional life. Pulled between two cultures and lifestyles, she has to decide what is her next step as a woman.
Brazil: A Biography
by Lilia Schwarcz & Heloisa Starling
This biography of Brazil gives readers a full perspective of its complexity as a country, its rich culture, and anything-but-boring history. Both authors are able to captivate the audience by narrating the epic story of Brazil, along with its delicious food, the vibrant art, the struggling minority groups, as well as the unstable economy and commonly known corruption. They are able to explain the long and ongoing process to reach growth in their social, political, and economic journey as a country. This book will provide the perfect insight of a country with unlimited potential to give its citizens and those who want to visit the best experiences in terms of cultural richness.
Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro on the Brink
by Juliana Barbassa
Rio de Janeiro is a city filled with alluring chaos, where the power of corruption correlates to the level of poverty. The book is set between the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, both hosted in Brazil. These global events brought attention to the nation, and generated a great deal of tourism and a boost in the economy. While Brazil is a beautiful country, and Rio is a vibrant city, they are also deeply flawed – generating a sense of urgency coming from the government and other parties, to turn this location into the best Brazil has to offer. The stakes were high, and corruption had a lot in play, which in turn negatively affected some of the least fortunate. Barbassa, as a journalist, uses her pieces to tell these stories in a unique style that's earned her well-deserved recognition among Brazilians. This book is a great way to understand the culture of Brazil and how it has been affected by its most powerful people.
Symphony in White
by Adriana Lisboa
Lisboa was born in Rio de Janeiro and won the José Saramago Prize of Literature for this book, a story of two young sisters living in a rural area of Brazil and their journey towards adulthood along with some dark family secrets. When Clarice, one of the sisters, turns 15, she moves to the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro with a family member. Maria Ines, who is only 11 years old, stays and begins her stage of careless and rebellious revelry. The girls grow and learn, meeting friends and lovers that will shape their journey for the better and for the worst.
Hoping to understand Brazil on a more personal level? Check out our Wonders of Brazil itinerary where you will experience the heart of Brazil by embracing its diverse culture, incredible cuisine, and the vastness of its natural splendors with plenty of people-to-people experiences, charming B&Bs, local expert guides, and bucket-list adventures!
