City of God

by Paulo Lins, Alison Entrekin (Translator)

Cidade de Deus, the City of God - a place where the streets are awash with drugs, where violence can erupt at any moment, but also where the samba beat rocks till dawn, where the women are the most beautiful on Earth, and where one young man wants to escape his background and become a photographer.

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Adventure, Mystery, Novels, Brazil, Book Club

496 pages, Print on Demand (Paperback)

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Paulo Lins é um escritor brasileiro que ganhou fama com a publicação, em 1997, do livro "Cidade de Deus", sobre a vida nas favelas do Rio de Janeiro, escrito enquanto assistente de um estudo sociológico.
Morador da favela carioca Cidade de Deus, começou como poeta nos anos 1980 como integrante do grupo Cooperativa de Poetas, por onde publicou seu primeiro livro de poesia, "Sobre o Sol" (UFRJ, 1986). Graduado no curso de Letras, foi contemplado - em 1995 - com a Bolsa Vitae de Literatura.
Em 2002, o diretor Fernando Meirelles produziu o filme "Cidade de Deus", com base no livro, que recebeu quatro indicações ao Oscar 2004 (melhor diretor, melhor fotografia, melhor montagem e melhor roteiro adaptado) e foi indicado para o Globo de Ouro de melhor filme estrangeiro. O roteiro é de Bráulio Mantovani.

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 3 out of 5]

الرواية دي حافلة جدًا و فريدة جدًا من نوعها و مبنية علي أحداث حقيقية
بالنسبة ليا اول مرة اقرا رواية جرائم و عصابات زي الافلام اللي بنشوفها و بتبقي كلها علي هذا الموضوع بس.
الرواية كانت صعبة شوية في تتبع الشخصيات لانك المفروض تبقي واخد بالك و انت بتقرا من خمس اوكار مخدرات مختلفه و مين تبع وكر مين و مين فيهم متحالف مع مين بس اللي خلاها صعبة شوية مش صعبة جدًا هو الأسماء المميزة جدًا لكل افراد الرواية تقريبًا.
الأسماء أول مشكلة هتقابلك في الرواية هتحسهم مبتذلين جدًا و ده هيهدد بانه يفصلك من الرواية بس اعتقد المترجم كان دقيق جدًا في ترجمة الأسامي لأني راجعت أسامي الشخصيات في الفيلم الشهير اللي مقتبس من الرواية و لقيت ان الترجمات مظبوطة الي حد ما فيه بعض الاسامي متغيرة بس معنديش مشكلة كبيرة ضدها.
كمية حشيش و كوكايين و اسلحة و سرقات و اغتصاب و عصابات و اوكار و بارات مش هتلاقيها في رواية تانية
انا اعرف ان قصة الفيلم بتكون عن اتنين اصحاب واحد عايز يبقي رئيس عصابة و التاني عايز يبقي مصور
بس في الرواية المصور ده مش موجود خالص
كل الأطفال اللي في الرواية طموحهم انهم يبقوا رجال عصابات
الرواية عن مدينة الرب في البرازيل مدينة كلها عشوائيات و كلها فساد الأطفال بيشربوا حشيش طول الوقت و بيسرقوا عشان يعرفوا يصرفوا علي نفسهم طول الوقت
و البوليس فاسد جدًا لو مسكك بيقلبك في الفلوس اللي معاك و يسيبك تمشي لو مش معاك فلوس يبقي في الغالب هيقتلك و فرصة ضعيفة انه يقبض عليك
حتي لما البوليس بيتطور جدًا في آخر الرواية و بيمسك رئيس العصابة الأخطر في الرواية زلطة بيقلبوه في الفلوس اللي معاه و بيسيبوه يمشي و مش بس كده ده بيسيبوله مسدس كمان يروح به من المسدسين اللي لقوهم معاه
فيه نقطة من نقط الرواية هتلاقي نفسك عايز ضربة قاضية يكسب زلطة و يقتله و ينتقم لنفسه لانه اتظلم ابوه اتقتل و حبيبته اغتصبت و بيته اتغربل بالرصاص
بس في الآخر الخير مش بيكسب الانتقام مش بيحصل و ضربة قاضية نفسه بيتقتل
رواية حافلة جدًا الحقيقة مليانه احداث بس كلها جرائم يعني فمعتقدش ناس كثير هتعرف تستمتع بيها لان في الاول و في الآخر ايه الهدف غير المتعة في رواية زي دي؟

[Shannon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading "City of God" my perception has definitely changed in the way that MEN, no, BOYS...are so easily swayed by evil and the evils of the world. The young men in the book succumbed to be products of their harsh environment because their mentality was "kill or be killed" or "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

The novel was written in a way where there was not a particular "linear" story line. It was scattered and jumpy which added to Brazil's City of God's unpredictable and disheartening activity.

I definitely walked away from this book with a better understanding of God and the importance of GOD in one's life. I also finished this book knowing that some people out there in the world are lost souls and need love and prayer in their lives. I don't know what evil kept the young men in the horrible positions they were in but whatever it was, it wasn't there to help them or bring them to a place of "happiness" in the end.

I originally picked up this book as a result of being UNSUCCESSFUL with finding the movie - that a late friend of mine INSISTED (right before he passed) that I see. I am GLAD that I was only able to get the book because I definitely got an in depth look at the heartache of evil and it's huge influence and brainwash of the youth.

Although it was very gruesome at times, and sometimes I had to put the book down, I recommend this book to anyone who is curious to know how loss of life, mentality, and youth affects a community - a city.

Enjoy :)

[Bianca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not comparable to the film, by any means. In this ONE case, the film is probably better than the book. With that said, the film wouldn't be so great if the book wasn't written first, to provide a story for the film to be based off of. And yes, I just ended that sentence with a preposition. :)

At any rate, the book has soooo many characters (almost like a Tolstoy novel!) and people are dying at an unhealthy rate, it's a little difficult to keep track of who wronged who and who's serving up revenge for what. Perhaps if I had read the book before watching the film (courtesy of a Portuguese language class in college), I might have had a different feeling about the book, but alas...

[mona aghazade · Rating 4 out of 5]

گفتن این حرف که اینحرف که اینجا Imdb نیست خوبه اما
دقیقا فیلم و کتاب یه داستان و روایت میکنه
داستان زندگی یه عکاس در شهری تو حومه ریو که توام با فقر و فلاکت وخشم و قتل و ...
شهر تقسیم بر دو شده
دو سری خلافکار که در راس قراردارن و بقیه مردم که طرفدار یا حامی شونن
هر روز قاچاق مواد
قتل و اتفاقا عجیب
یه قسمت جالب داره (عاشقانه) یکی از سردسته ها به یه دختر که نافرجام موند
در اخر تبهکارا به دست پلیس می افتن و پسرک راوی خبرنگار می شه و ...
جز 250 فیلم برتر

[Markus Krissin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a first-class milieu study, social novel and critique at the same time. Growing up (criminally) in a Brazilian ghetto suburb. Some escapes the milieu, the others perishes in it. Be sure to read and even better: definitely watch the movie. Great book, great cinema

[Patryx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lettura difficile sia per la violenza onnipresente dalla prima all'ultima pagina (e sapere che si tratta più di una cronaca che di un romanzo non aiuta) sia per l'interminabile numero di personaggi (poliziotti e banditi indistintamente) che si avvicendano con nomi che sembrano tutti uguali e che fanno tutti (o quasi) la stessa cosa (ammazzano, rapinano, spacciano, violentano, si ubriacano, si drogano).


Locandina del film brasiliano del 2002 diretto da Fernando Meirelles e Katia Lund, presentato fuori concorso al 55º Festival di Cannes

Città di Dio è una favelas (una delle molte) di Rio de Janeiro e leggere questo libro è come entrare in un altro mondo: in certi momenti mi sembrava di leggere un romanzo distopico, uno di quelli in cui le regole della convivenza come la conosciamo noi non esistono più e tutti possono commettere i più efferati delitti senza che questo crei grossi problemi di coscienza o abbia conseguenze di alcun tipo sugli assassini.


Un’immagine del film che rende bene l’estrema violenza che si vive a Cidade de Deus e la condizione dei bambini che già prima dei dieci anni hanno commesso crimini efferati

Uno degli aspetti più sconvolgenti è l'assenza di quella fase della vita che noi conosciamo come "infanzia": i bambini già a otto/nove anni spacciano e commettono violenze di tutti i tipi e, ovviamente, vengono uccisi per i loro errori senza alcuna considerazione per la loro età. La polizia è talmente corrotta che, pagando, si può non solo evitare l'arresto ma addirittura uscire dal carcere come se niente fosse. Gli unici che hanno qualche possibilità (scarsa) di modificare la loro sorte sono quei pochi che si convertono alla religione protestante: abbandonano i loro luoghi di origine e anche tutte le loro vecchie abitudini riuscendo a vivere di stenti e acquisendo, in cambio, la possibilità di morire a un'età superiore ai trenta. La scuola è un'istituzione praticamente inesistente.


Secondo i dati del City Hall Housing Office più di 1,4 milioni di persone a Rio de janeiro vivono in baracche

E' un libro interessante per lo sguardo crudo e privo di eufemismi che getta su una realtà così difficile ma è troppo frammentario per l'assenza di una trama vera e propria o, comunque, di qualche vicenda che faccia da filo conduttore.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visceral in the stories violence. A live baby dismembered. Men murdering their wives and vice versa. The gang violence is brutal in the slum in a battle for supremacy in the drug trade. The characters of Hellraiser in the 1960s, Sparrow in the 1970s and the evil insane Tiny and his battle royal with Knockout and Carrots in the 1980s.

The randomness of death, cycle of violence with children evolving into gangsters doesn’t change. It is black versus white with the racism. The police are completely corrupt and the residents of City of God live in fear of dying by stray bullets or at the whim of the gangs.

We read of the loves of the gangsters and their hedonistic lifestyles of drink, drugs and the samba.
There is no happy ending with the only changes are new gangsters replacing the murdered ones. Although one does escape the lifestyle to become a photographer.

[K2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Film definitely better

[Aaron Weinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. While the plot may be confusing, the main theme of violence through adversity and evil as a mainstay (in the slums) is well expressed and carried through the generations - this is evident when depicting characters who have known nothing but corruption, violence and squalor for their respective lives. Despite the convoluted plot, it's entertaining enough to follow and you can't help but feel for so many characters and their plight. Maybe the translation from Portuguese to English hindered the structure of the book and prose? Nonetheless, I loved it.

[Krestan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dumbest ending I have ever read in a book. However, the action was dark and fast paced and I did find myself in shock/awe/disgust at different point in the novels. Everyone died (ehh for the most part) except for the person I really wanted to which was annoying. I stopped reading for a while and tried to pick it back up but I struggled because I really forgot where I left off- try to read it straight though. Still a good book though, very vivid descriptions.

[Marija I · Rating 3 out of 5]

City of God - a moving depiction of gangster life in the Brazilian Favelas.

We follow the story of 3 main gangster characters during he 60's, 70's and 80s. Their rise to power, money and influence as well as their tragic ending.

Thoroughout this novel, we really become immersed and learn how the other side lives... their sufferring, their struggle, their vionence and their poverty becomes our own.

The reason I gave it three rather than 5 stars, is due to the lack of a protagonist... I would have liked the character and story of Rocket more pronounced. How a 'good' and 'honest' man survived in a place like that! Furthermore, a development of 'why' the children become who they become.... 'how' the alternative would affect ... What sort of families they come from... etc.

Overall - a good read though...It gave me an insight into life in the Brazilian favelas as well as general metality of those people.

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Há momentos que até me fizeram chorar, vide a descrição do bebê sendo esquatejado

[Caroly · Rating 4 out of 5]

sensação de que passei 3 meses lendo, mas foi otimo

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!!! There was so much more violence in this book than in the movie. So many characters are introduced and killed off that it was hard for me to keep up, but overall it was the same nature of the movie and very realistic.

[George (Abandoned Places) · Rating 2 out of 5]

An endless cycle of violence, some of which is quite disturbing. No plot at all.

[Martyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Difficult and monotonous reading, which gives the impression that it will never end. Paulo Lins jumps between characters, events and probably time planes without preventing the reader from becoming familiar with any of the them.

Senseless, fearful brutality, ubiquitous hopelessness, occultism and social malfunctions - this is the world, shown in the "City of God", where the worst scum live their best life, terrorizing entire neighborhoods, and those who decide to break the hate spiral most often meets the worst fate.

Paulo Lins may be a good writer, but unfortunately his work does not appeal to me. None of the three stories that were described in the book were interesting enough. It's a pity. I regret that I'm disappointed in her so much.

[Yuri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uma pedra que a equipe do Meirelles e da Kátia Lund soube ordenhar até a última gota de leite. Muita enrolação, personagens e conflitos mal elaborados, banalização da violência estilo filme de ação dos anos 80 que só morre figurante e tá lá os bicho-solto da bandidagem dando tiro a torto e a direito, erotismo de pornochanchada... Trocando em miúdos: só ideia errada. Só a primeira parte é aproveitável e mesmo assim enche linguiça. Quem quiser ler alguma coisa nessa linha, vai atrás do Meridiano de Sangue do McCarthy que é 100 estrelas.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

City of God, written by Braulio Mantovani, based on the novel by Paulo Lins, directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund
9 out of 10

Notes and thoughts on other books are available at:

- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... and http://realini.blogspot.ro/

Critics and audiences agree on Cidade de Deus.
The public has rated this violent, extraordinary film at number 21: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top?ref_=tt...

And TIME magazine has included this motion picture on its All-TIME 100 Movies list:

- http://entertainment.time.com/2005/02...

And City of God was nominated for four Academy Awards, in the year when Lord of the Rings took so many prizes.
In my book, Cidade de Deus is better than the winner of the Oscar for best motion picture and the director prize for that year.

Having said that, it must be added that this film is quite difficult to watch in many if not most of its scenes.
From the start, I think we are shown how they kill a live chicken on camera and if not all the blood and death dance, at the very least, the images of the seemingly still warm body and the plucking of feathers are gruesome.

Veganism is the way out.
One bird gets away and a whole band of children mostly runs after the animal, which escapes miraculously.
“What should have been swift revenge turned into an all-out war. The City of God was divided. You couldn't go from one section the other, not even to visit a relative. The cops considered anyone living in the slum a hoodlum. People got used to living in Vietnam, and more and more volunteers signed up to die.”

It all happens in the poor slums of Rio de Janeiro, where rival gangs fight with no mercy and apparently no mercy.
In one scene, Li’l Ze, perhaps the cruelest, most despicable of the killers involved, catches a few children.

True, there appears to be no lower limit to adhere to a gang or just start with a few buddies to rob stores.
Li’l Ze is the leader of most of the City of God, at least for a period, having killed rivals and leaders of various territories.

When he has the two kids in front of him, he is asking them to choose- leg or hand, for he will shoot them where they choose.
And not just that, after the children, who are no more than six years old, are shot in the foot, in spite of choosing the hand this Godfather has other ideas.

He picks one of his upcoming underlings, another child, aged twelve maybe, who wants to be part of the gang and says to him

- Now it’s your moment
- You choose and kill one of them

Being raised in this extremely violent environment, little boys become killers at a very tender age and they steal and fight.
“Filé-com-Fritas - Steak and Fries: A kid? I smoke, I snort. I've killed and robbed. I'm a man.” And most of the other characters have the same point of view.

Peaceful bystanders cannot stay of this all out, continuous war, for they get trapped and killed without any remorse.
In one instance, Li’l Ze and his band attack a young man and his girlfriend- the narrator explains that this is the only way the gang leader knows to get close to a girl and the general attitude is one of sexist, macho chauvinist males.

After he abuses and rapes the girl, beats the young man, the crazy mobster stops away from the scene of his crime and thinks- “why didn’t I kill that dude?!”
So he goes to his house, shouts that he wants the boy out, his brother comes and tries to reason with the gang of maybe 30 killers.

Unsatisfied, they kill the brother and start a shooting spree, covering the poor house in a rain of bullets, killing an uncle too.
The police are not just corrupt and involved in the drug trade and taking sides according to the pay off, but itself involved in killings.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate how much I love the movie for this novel, it's filmed incredibly well, tells a fascinating story and holds no punches. Now I realise just how faithful it is to the nearly 500 page novel, which is incredibly impressive once you realise the film is just a little over 2 hours long.

But this isn't a review on the film, it's about the novel. Pablo Lins actually lived in the City of God in his youth, but managed to escape with his life and achieve better things. This non linear novel tells of the gangster life during the sixties, seventies and early eighties, most of it actually happening in real life. The writing is straight to the point and flat and simple, just like the gangsters. It follows a pretty large amount of characters and in no particular order; multiple things can happen at one point in time. All the gangsters want is just money to buy nice things (help their families and drugs for themselves) and to be respected and in some cases feared. Only a few characters actually care that they kill people, while everyone else does it without a care in the world. There is no real character development. It's all just an odyssey into one of the greatest slums in the world. The book has a point of pointing out that those who leave the favela are more likely to survive, while basically everyone who stays has an unhappy ending to their story.

It's brutal and disturbing, yet you can't help but read on, just to see what else happens in this hellhole. The film now holds so much more to me, and I won't forget this book for a long time, for good or for worse.

[Jukka Kuva · Rating 4 out of 5]

City of God was, and is, a place of endless violence. Mob bosses have way more power in the favela of Rio de Janeiro than brazilian government and they change on a weekly basis as a younger gangster decides to kill the old boss. Very few can escape the cycle. Paulo Lins was one of those few. When he had got out, he wrote a book about his childhood neighbourhood and things he saw. That book is City of God. Lins' writing is just like the story it tells. Very harsh. Plain dialogue, jumps from scene to scene. Brutal descriptions of deaths of gangsters. The story doesn't need fancy text structure or sophisticated words. There's no need to smoothen the edges from a rough story. The fact, that things Lins writes about really do happen, makes the book a lot more touching. All those lives wasted and people killed for nothing. Collateral damage in a war is a meaningful death compared to this.

You should do things the other way around than I and read the book first, then see the movie. You'll value the book more and get some things from the movie better.

[Pilar O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I watched the movie before the book, and was very excited to read the book due to my love for the movie. The book includes many storylines and characters which makes it hard to remember who is who, aside from the primary kingpins. The book is split in three sections across three decades, and each section follows the primary city of god kingpin within the decade. The theme being that when one “boss” dies, there are 100 waiting in line to take his spot on top.

City of God is a detailed analysis of how many are set up for failure… and it’s hard to escape that due to societal trends. It outlines the nasty truth that evils begets evil. Not a feel good book lol, but realistic and entertaining nonetheless. I love Brazil as a country, and it was interesting reading an in depth analysis of favela culture.

All in all, I still prefer the movie over the book. However, the book really does a great job of immersing the reader into the city of god world.

[zahraa esmaile · Rating 1 out of 5]

#مراجعات_2020
#مدينة_الرب
رواية من الأدب البرازيلي المعاصر
عن مدينة ريودي جانيرو
مجموعة شخصيات مابين العصابات والشرطة
لحد نص الرواية كان الكلام كله عن حياة كل واحد ف العصابة دي
مع كمية مطارادات لانهائية
وكمية دماء ومشاهد قتل غير طبيعية وبوصف مرعب
الرواية أدب جريمة...محبيتهاش نهائي ولا قدرت اكملها
والترجمة سيئة جدا
اول مرة ف حياتي اشوف (إسم) بيترجم
زعيم الكل...تفاهة
واسماء شخصيات كتير اترجمت
شهر كامل ومقدر��ش اكملها..
نجمة واحدة...وياخسارة الوقت والفلوس والله
انتهى الريفيو
#الكتاب_رقم_88_لسنة_2020
#كتاب_غير_مكتمل

[Anna (DoesAnnaDreamOf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a literary work, I’ve found few redeemable qualities to City of God. There is no clear storyline, too many characters and no transitions whatsoever between the scenes. It is so confusing to follow.

However, its vivid descriptions create a realistic vision of the lives in the favelas. Violence, revenge and corruption are omnipresent and deeply interwoven. It’s heartbreaking at times, and it’s revolting at other times.

[Konstantin Weberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich habe vor einiger Zeit schon die erstklassige Verfilmung gesehen und komme nun endlich dazu, mir das Buch vorzunehmen. Es glänzt, im Gegensatz zum Film, mit viel mehr Details zu den Kids, des Milieus und der Leute. Ein tolles Buch zum tollen Film, bzw. Umgekehrt.... Lesen!

[Pablo Paz · Rating 3 out of 5]

largo, descriptivo en exceso..de esos raros casos en que es mucho mejor la peli que el libro.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all time!!! I seen the movie and just had to get the book as soon as found out there was one!

[Chris Westoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, struggled to read. A few chapters would have been nice.

[Rhuan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não acho que seja uma leitura fácil, principalmente por não ser uma narrativa linear, alternando entre o ponto de vista de várias pessoas que possuem um papel na trama, mesmo que mínimo. O livro apresenta alguns personagens “principais”, como Zé Miúdo, Pardalzinho, Inferninho e outros, cujos nomes se repetem muito ao longo do livro e as suas histórias são contadas, mas o objetivo principal parece ser relatar as ações e os conflitos dos assaltantes e traficantes de Cidade de Deus, mostrando os diversos crimes cometidos e as brigas de poder pelo tráfico na favela. Entretanto, após metade do livro, as histórias começam a se repetir, alternando sempre entre personagens secundários entrando para a criminalidade e episódios de tiroteio entre as gangues, fazendo o livro perder força e tornando a leitura cansativa, o que me faz ter a impressão que poderia ter umas 50 páginas a menos.

É importante dizer que, como esperado, é um livro extremamente violento! Por vezes até desnecessariamente gráfico, como ao descrever minuciosamente um episódio de estupro ou a morte de um animal violentamente. Por fim, o autor faz um ótimo trabalho ao ambientar o leitor, embora o livro seja minimamente descritivo, ao abordar a rotina e os comportamentos da população naquela comunidade e consegue entregar uma narrativa que te faz sair da zona de conforto e te chocar com a violência real que ocorre nas favelas brasileiras.

[Nicoleta-Cătălina Gal · Rating 3 out of 5]

24/ 2024 și 3 stele
Credeam că o să fie acolo sus alături de Sălbaticul lui Arriaga, pentru că filmul m-a marcat la vremea când l-am văzut.

Dar sunt atât de multe personaje și bucăți de text ca vise febrile, încât, chiar dacă ele separate sunt de impact și frumoase...
"Zilele ploioase par născute prematur, atunci când nu par avortate".

...totul este o ciulama care m-a obosit. Tocmai pentru ca subiectele sunt atât de dure și crude.

"Orice tăcere e o sentință care se execută, o beznă care trebuie străpunsă."

Suntem în favela poreclită Cidade de deus, unde refugiați ai inundațiilor, fugitivi, tâlhari și săraci se înghesuie și încearcă să trăiască.

"Dar oare le era dat să cunoască cu adevărat pacea acelora pentru care verbul "a trăi" însemnase mereu "a se zbate într-un puț de mizerie"?

Citim 3 povești, a 3 tâlhari diferiți dar mai profunzi decât ai crede. Infernalul, care vrea o fermă și soție și copii. Vrabiuță, care e de treabă și știe să și citească și un monstru pe nume Ze.
Legea care îi protejează de fapt are toane și propriile interese, iar cercul crimă- pedeapsă-răzbunare e infinit. Și nevinovații sunt prinși la mijloc.
Aici: Cuvântul greșește, glonțul vorbește.

Și e printre puținele dăți când filmul bate cartea pentru mine, dar tot vi le recomand pe amândouă, căci cartea este scrisă dine experiență proprie, iar la film a contribuit și autorul.

[Maria Fernanda Melgaço · Rating 5 out of 5]

Show de livro! Ainda melhor que o filme, o livro traz questões muito difíceis da realidade brasileira. Além disso, dá voz e vez a personagens, já há muito tempo, silenciados na nossa literatura e história!