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To historia chłopca, który mógł zostać rybakiem, jak jego przodkowie, ale stał się jednym z najbardziej skutecznych płatnych zabójców na świecie. Júlio Santana ma na sumieniu 492 osoby i nadal żyje na wolności gdzieś w Brazylii. Po realizacji zlecenia Júlio zawsze odmawia 10 razy Zdrowaś Mario i 20 razy Ojcze nasz, by prosić Boga o wybaczenie. Boi się, że skończy w piekle. Júlio nie zabija w imię żadnej ideologii - to jego zawód, którego nauczył się od wuja Cicero, gdy skończył 17 lat. W swojej 35-letniej karierze Júlio każdą z ofiar wpisywał do notesu z okładką z Kaczorem Donaldem.
Autor książki, Klester Cavalcanti, sprawia, że czytelnik obserwuje bohatera z bardzo bliska - widzi jego dramaty, marzenia, pasje i słabości. Poznaje go nie tylko jako płatnego zabójcę, ale także jako dobrego syna, kochającego ojca i wiernego męża. Przeprowadzanie wywiadów z bohaterem książki, sprawdzanie faktów, rozmowy ze świadkami zajęły autorowi 7 lat.
Autor książki, Klester Cavalcanti, sprawia, że czytelnik obserwuje bohatera z bardzo bliska - widzi jego dramaty, marzenia, pasje i słabości. Poznaje go nie tylko jako płatnego zabójcę, ale także jako dobrego syna, kochającego ojca i wiernego męża. Przeprowadzanie wywiadów z bohaterem książki, sprawdzanie faktów, rozmowy ze świadkami zajęły autorowi 7 lat.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
16 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Klester Cavalcanti
8 books7 followersBorn in 1969, Klester Cavalcanti is considered one of the greatest Brazilian investigative journalists. He worked for many years with the leading news magazine in Brazil, Veja. His books, Viúvas da terra (2004), The Name of Death (2006), and Days of Hell in Syria (2012), have each won him the prestigious Jabuti literature prize in Brazil. They explore and denounce problems in contemporary Brazil, from condemnation of the deforestation of the Amazon to a biography of a Brazilian woman who has devoted her life to freeing thousands of Brazilians from modern-day slavery. Other awards include Best Environmental Report from South America, the Natali Prize in Human Rights Journalism, and the Vladimir Herzog Human Rights Award. Cavalcanti became best known in Brazil in 2012 when he was taken prisoner in Homs in Syria despite having permission from the Assad government to travel there, and was only released thanks to pressure from the Brazilian government.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 6, 2019
O MATADOR
JS não é um psicopata nem um sociopata. Também não é um daqueles assassinos de nomes mais sofisticados, como os spree killers ou os mass murderers.
JS é um Matador. Ou melhor... foi, pois felizmente para uns e infelizmente para outros, JS já se aposentou!
Nunca foi um assassino compulsivo ou psicótico. Para ele, matar, foi um modo de vida, uma profissão que lhe rendeu muitos ordenados mínimos.
“Os mandantes dos assassinatos pagavam cerca de mil cruzeiros ao pistoleiro — mais de quatro vezes o valor do salário mínimo da época, que era de 225 cruzeiros”
A tua mulher engana-te? Não gostas de comunistas? Tens um vizinho pedófilo ?...
JS resolve o teu problema! Um tiro certeiro, e já está!
E sabem que mais? Quem estabeleceu contacto entre o autor deste livro e Júlio Santana, foi um agente da lei. Aliás o próprio tio de JS era um polícia militar e também ele matador. No Brasil, matador parece pois, uma profissão quase comum! Quase!...
Começou com um e acabou em 492
O comer e o matar está no começar!...
JS não é um psicopata nem um sociopata. Também não é um daqueles assassinos de nomes mais sofisticados, como os spree killers ou os mass murderers.
JS é um Matador. Ou melhor... foi, pois felizmente para uns e infelizmente para outros, JS já se aposentou!
Nunca foi um assassino compulsivo ou psicótico. Para ele, matar, foi um modo de vida, uma profissão que lhe rendeu muitos ordenados mínimos.
“Os mandantes dos assassinatos pagavam cerca de mil cruzeiros ao pistoleiro — mais de quatro vezes o valor do salário mínimo da época, que era de 225 cruzeiros”
A tua mulher engana-te? Não gostas de comunistas? Tens um vizinho pedófilo ?...
JS resolve o teu problema! Um tiro certeiro, e já está!
E sabem que mais? Quem estabeleceu contacto entre o autor deste livro e Júlio Santana, foi um agente da lei. Aliás o próprio tio de JS era um polícia militar e também ele matador. No Brasil, matador parece pois, uma profissão quase comum! Quase!...
Começou com um e acabou em 492
O comer e o matar está no começar!...
March 28, 2025
Nie rozumiem jak historię z takim potencjałem można opisać w tak nudny i nieciekawy sposób... Zaczęło się świetnie, a kończyłam na siłę, znudzona przeokropnie.
May 25, 2018
Dark Nonfiction About A Brazilian Hitman
This is for people who like dark crime reads because I’ll admit I felt sick by the end of it. This is not a book about a psychopath who wanted to kill people so he became a hitman. Instead, it’s about a teen boy living in a village in the Amazon in Brazil who doesn’t understand electricity because he’s never seen it. A teen boy who looks up to his uncle, unaware that his uncle is a terrible person. The book takes you into Julio Santana’s life, as he reported it to journalist Klester Cavalcanti, from his first kill at seventeen–for his uncle–to his time in the military fighting communists. Towards the end of the book, Santana pulls out the book where he kept the information on all of his kills and some of the stories of specific murders are revealed, including how his wife discovered what he really did to make money, to an accidental murder, and the time he was arrested. While Santana looks back with regret, wishing he’d gone a different route–and still hopes to be forgiven by God–it is impossible not to think of all the victims and how easy the choice is to not kill someone. It was sad, interesting, and awful to see the reasons people choose to hire a hitman, and the way people move the line of what is right or wrong to fit their greed and agenda. (I could have done with much less pages of male gaze losing-my-virginity story.)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: http://link.bookriot.com/view/56a8200...
This is for people who like dark crime reads because I’ll admit I felt sick by the end of it. This is not a book about a psychopath who wanted to kill people so he became a hitman. Instead, it’s about a teen boy living in a village in the Amazon in Brazil who doesn’t understand electricity because he’s never seen it. A teen boy who looks up to his uncle, unaware that his uncle is a terrible person. The book takes you into Julio Santana’s life, as he reported it to journalist Klester Cavalcanti, from his first kill at seventeen–for his uncle–to his time in the military fighting communists. Towards the end of the book, Santana pulls out the book where he kept the information on all of his kills and some of the stories of specific murders are revealed, including how his wife discovered what he really did to make money, to an accidental murder, and the time he was arrested. While Santana looks back with regret, wishing he’d gone a different route–and still hopes to be forgiven by God–it is impossible not to think of all the victims and how easy the choice is to not kill someone. It was sad, interesting, and awful to see the reasons people choose to hire a hitman, and the way people move the line of what is right or wrong to fit their greed and agenda. (I could have done with much less pages of male gaze losing-my-virginity story.)
--from Book Riot's Unusual Suspects newsletter: http://link.bookriot.com/view/56a8200...
December 31, 2022
This is a book about the banality of evil. A poor boy who becomes a hitman because... well, beats me. Because his uncle asks him to? The whole reason we get was: "It took the uncle three days to convince him to become a hitman." A boy who being in his fifties still believes that saying ten Hail Marys will make God forgive him everything: from sleeping with a prostitute and cheating on his girlfriend, to killing children for money to killing the wrong person. What is simply astonishing is the hitman's absolute lack of any ability of introspection. I don't expect him to feel guilty or anything, but he looks so unbelievably shallow here, not thinking about anything he does, doing everything he is told by people around him.
Unfortunately it may seem so as the book isn't particularly gripping, not to mention that some 70% of it is his life before he became a hitman plus the descriptions of his favourite sex acts, 20% is his life after he retired and the other 10% is his life as a hitman.
The only two reasons I could recommend this book to anyone is a) one learns a bit about the history of guerrilla in Brazil and b) it is a good cure for those romanticizing the Hollywood portrayal of contract killers.
Unfortunately it may seem so as the book isn't particularly gripping, not to mention that some 70% of it is his life before he became a hitman plus the descriptions of his favourite sex acts, 20% is his life after he retired and the other 10% is his life as a hitman.
The only two reasons I could recommend this book to anyone is a) one learns a bit about the history of guerrilla in Brazil and b) it is a good cure for those romanticizing the Hollywood portrayal of contract killers.
May 19, 2019
Klester Cavalcanti to podobno jeden z najlepszych dziennikarzy śledczych w Brazylii. Przez 7 lat przygotowywał się do napisania książki o najskuteczniejszym płatnym zabójcą na świecie. Rozmawiał z samym Juliem Santaną, ze świadkami, sprawdzał fakty itd. Dlatego spodziewałam się opowieści pasjonującej, która przybliży mi postać człowieka, który od 17 roku życia przez 35 lat zarabiał zabijaniem. Niestety, nieco się przeliczyłam. Przede wszystkim przeszkadza mi bardzo nierówne rozłożenie akcentów - niemal 2/3 książki zajmuje historia tego, jak Julio stał się płatnym zabójcą, czyli około 3-4 miesięce jego życia. Rozumiem, że okoliczności, w jakich się znalazł, przyczyniły się do rozwoju jego "kariery" i są dla jego biografii istotne, ale opis jego pierwszego stosunku seksualnego nie musiał zajmować 2-3 stron, wystarczyłoby kilka zdań. Podobnie opis jego udziału w łapaniu przez wojsko ukrywających się w puszczy komunistycznych partyzantów. Owszem, przybliża jego motywacje, a także pokazuje go jako wrażliwego chłopaka, który nie może znieść torturowania innych. A jednak szczegółowe opisy tego , co jadł z wujem w knajpce, lub ile jakiego pożywienia zabierało do lasu wojsko, dla mnie były stanowczo zbyteczne. Tym bardziej że pozostałe lata, które spędził jako płatny zabójca, zostały potraktowane bardzo po macoszemu. Nie oczekiwałam opisu każdego z 492 zabójstw, ale jednak liczyłam na więcej, niż otrzymałam. Poza tym, choć całość czytało mi się z zainteresowaniem i płynnie, to jednak mam wrażenie, że dostałam tylko opowieść o, bez głębszej analizy psychologicznej samego bohatera, jak i np. żony, która jako jedyna z mu najbliższych wiedziała, jak zarabiał na życie. O niej, oprócz historii ich poznania, wiemy bardzo mało, tyle że nienawidziła zawodu męża, ale też nie była w stanie go zostawić. Wydawca napisał, że czytelnik obserwuje bohatera z bliska - tu trochę się zgadzam, obserowałam Julia i tylko obserwowałam. Bardzo powierzchownie, bez szansy na jego bliższe poznanie, bez możliwości zrozumienia jego motywacji. Santana bycie płatnym zabójcą traktował jak zawód jak każdy inny, chciał się tylko dorobić. A jednak wydaje mi się, że człowiek, który na zlecenie mordował mężczyzn, kobiety i dzieci, bez względu na motywacje zleceniodawców, miałby coś więcej do powiedzenia niż to, że obrana przez niego droga kariery nie przyniosła tego, czego się po niej spodziewał. I że nie może całkiem odciąć się od przeszłości, bo czasami śnią mu się jego ofiary. A jeśli rzeczywiście podchodził do tego tak beznamiętnie, to też o tym można przesądzić na podstawie bardzo ubogich informacji i znów mało w tym psychologii. Autor nie daje też okazji, żeby poznać bliżej dorosłego Santanę. I znów wraca nierównomierne rozłożenie akcentów - kilka miesięcy z jego życia jest przeładowane zbędnymi faktami, reszta życia jest opisana bardzo powierzchownie. Szkoda. Naprawdę żałuję niewykorzystanego tematu, bo zapowiadało się interesująco, a sam fakt, że książkę czyta się warto i jednak z zaciekawieniem, to jednak mało, tym bardziej że ciekawość nie zostaje zaspokojona. I ten denerwujący tekst "Zamiast przedmowy". Brakuje mi też informacji, czy przypisy pochodzą od tłumaczki (Joanny Kuhn), bo to dość ważne zwłaszcza w jednym przypadku. Ogólny wniosek jest taki, że przeczytać można, ale nie należy mieć dużych oczekiwań. Za egzemplarz dziękuję wydawnictwu Muza.
August 30, 2014
Um nome para a morte
Em seu O nome da morte, Klester Cavalcanti conta a história de um assassino profissional que tem registrados aproximadamente 500 mortes. O livro é interessante como um registro do universo dos matadores de aluguel, mas estilisticamente é fraco, com sequências que pecam por querer dar um clima romanesco à saga personagem/entrevistado. Além disto, o livro peca por deter-se demais nas primeiras experiências de Júlio - nome verdadeiro do assassino - e acaba cansando. Perde a verossimilhança, tão cara aos romances jornalísticos com diálogos desnecessários e descrições pobres. Pode ser lido salteado sem grandes problemas, já que a trama não prende o leitor, que pode ir e vir buscando as sequências que lhe interessem, como a captura do José Genoíno no Araguaia. Muito regular...
Em seu O nome da morte, Klester Cavalcanti conta a história de um assassino profissional que tem registrados aproximadamente 500 mortes. O livro é interessante como um registro do universo dos matadores de aluguel, mas estilisticamente é fraco, com sequências que pecam por querer dar um clima romanesco à saga personagem/entrevistado. Além disto, o livro peca por deter-se demais nas primeiras experiências de Júlio - nome verdadeiro do assassino - e acaba cansando. Perde a verossimilhança, tão cara aos romances jornalísticos com diálogos desnecessários e descrições pobres. Pode ser lido salteado sem grandes problemas, já que a trama não prende o leitor, que pode ir e vir buscando as sequências que lhe interessem, como a captura do José Genoíno no Araguaia. Muito regular...
August 12, 2018
Klester Cavalcanti is a top investigative journalist in Brazil and The Name of Death is the result of more than seven years spent interviewing the Brazilian hitman guilty of killing 492 people. Told in a narrative non-fiction style, Julio Santana is 17 years old when his story opens with his first 'kill' in 1971.
What unfolds from there is a true crime account of Santana's life which is informative, eye-opening and sad. What I found immensely frustrating though was a jump in the timeframe of 20 years or so, which means we missed an important part of his life which included meeting and marrying his wife and having children.
Julio Santana's story then finishes in 2006 with no update to tell the reader what he's been up to these past 12 years.
These major gaps in Julio Santana's life made his story feel disjointed, and having been so invested in his teenage years, I wanted to know how he was living his life now.
The Name of Death by Klester Cavalcanti is recommended for fans of the true crime genre.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
What unfolds from there is a true crime account of Santana's life which is informative, eye-opening and sad. What I found immensely frustrating though was a jump in the timeframe of 20 years or so, which means we missed an important part of his life which included meeting and marrying his wife and having children.
Julio Santana's story then finishes in 2006 with no update to tell the reader what he's been up to these past 12 years.
These major gaps in Julio Santana's life made his story feel disjointed, and having been so invested in his teenage years, I wanted to know how he was living his life now.
The Name of Death by Klester Cavalcanti is recommended for fans of the true crime genre.
* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *
June 10, 2023
3.75 ⭐
Całkiem dobry reportaż. Historia tak mnie wciągnęła że przeczytałem w jeden dzień.
Całkiem dobry reportaż. Historia tak mnie wciągnęła że przeczytałem w jeden dzień.
September 29, 2019
Julío Santana, największy płatny zabójca w historii, który do dziś żyje sobie gdzieś w lasach Brazylii na „emeryturze”. Jego życie, powody zabijania czy też ciekawe przypadki zbrodni fenomenalnie opisał Klestet Cavalcanti, brazylijski dziennikarz śledczy, w książce Nazywają mnie śmierć. Dziennikarz siedem lat zdobywał zaufanie Santany, by ten opowiedział mu nie tylko swoją historię, ale i wyjawił niektóre nazwiska czy pokazał swoją twarz.
Kim był Julío Santana? Początkowo poznajemy go jako zwykłego chłopaka. Ten siedemnastolatek mieszkał na głębokiej prowincji, gdzieś nad brzegiem rzeki Tocantins, w município Porto Franco, w południowo-zachodniej części stanu Maranhăo. Miał rodzeństwo, kochających rodziców, dobre oko strzelca i dziewczynę w sąsiedniej wiosce, z którą trochę potajemnie się spotykał. Ich dom nie miał prądu, a jedyną rozrywką były opowiadania o życiu w mieście stryja Cícero. To właśnie on dał chłopakowi pierwsze zlecenie, wprowadzające w świat rewolwerowców, a potem zabrał do miasta. To on mamił dzieciaka, a potem młodego człowieka, życiem na wyższym poziomie, piciem coca-coli i „panienkami z Wietnamu” jak nazywano prostytutki. Wreszcie to on nauczył go przykazań rewolwerowca i dość pokrętnie wytłumaczył, że Bóg odstąpi od kary za zabójstwo jeśli odmówi się 10 zdrowasiek i 20 ojczenaszów zaraz po zabójstwie.
Julío prowadził własny spis zamordowanych: w notatniku wyglądającym jak zeszyt z okładką z Kaczorem Donaldem, który trzymał w starym plecaku, znajdowały się imiona i nazwiska nie tylko zabitych, ale i zleceniodawców. Cenny dowód z 492 nazwiskami zabitych, który teraz gnije gdzieś w odmętach rzeki Tocantins. Nie zabijał dla dobra świata, nie czuł się bogiem. Nie chcia�� nawet znać powodów, dla których zabija, choć zleceniodawcy z chęcią mu o nich opowiadali, jakby to miało umniejszyć ich winę. Był zwyczajnym płatnym mordercą. Pomylił się tylko raz i do śmierci będzie śnić mu się twarz tego nieszczęśnika.
Więcej na https://www.monime.pl/nazywaja-mnie-s...
Kim był Julío Santana? Początkowo poznajemy go jako zwykłego chłopaka. Ten siedemnastolatek mieszkał na głębokiej prowincji, gdzieś nad brzegiem rzeki Tocantins, w município Porto Franco, w południowo-zachodniej części stanu Maranhăo. Miał rodzeństwo, kochających rodziców, dobre oko strzelca i dziewczynę w sąsiedniej wiosce, z którą trochę potajemnie się spotykał. Ich dom nie miał prądu, a jedyną rozrywką były opowiadania o życiu w mieście stryja Cícero. To właśnie on dał chłopakowi pierwsze zlecenie, wprowadzające w świat rewolwerowców, a potem zabrał do miasta. To on mamił dzieciaka, a potem młodego człowieka, życiem na wyższym poziomie, piciem coca-coli i „panienkami z Wietnamu” jak nazywano prostytutki. Wreszcie to on nauczył go przykazań rewolwerowca i dość pokrętnie wytłumaczył, że Bóg odstąpi od kary za zabójstwo jeśli odmówi się 10 zdrowasiek i 20 ojczenaszów zaraz po zabójstwie.
Julío prowadził własny spis zamordowanych: w notatniku wyglądającym jak zeszyt z okładką z Kaczorem Donaldem, który trzymał w starym plecaku, znajdowały się imiona i nazwiska nie tylko zabitych, ale i zleceniodawców. Cenny dowód z 492 nazwiskami zabitych, który teraz gnije gdzieś w odmętach rzeki Tocantins. Nie zabijał dla dobra świata, nie czuł się bogiem. Nie chcia�� nawet znać powodów, dla których zabija, choć zleceniodawcy z chęcią mu o nich opowiadali, jakby to miało umniejszyć ich winę. Był zwyczajnym płatnym mordercą. Pomylił się tylko raz i do śmierci będzie śnić mu się twarz tego nieszczęśnika.
Więcej na https://www.monime.pl/nazywaja-mnie-s...
February 26, 2022
2.5*
I haven’t read or listened to this in Portuguese, but I don’t think that this translated very well. It was made even worse by having a non-Brasilian narrate the book. The mispronunciation of names, and what sounded more like a Spanish accent during the dialogue, threw me off even more!
It’s an intriguing story, really graphic and horrific at times, but I couldn’t get past these technicalities. It was fascinating to see the “human” side of a hit man and what may have driven him to this line of work, but every now and then, it felt like the author was trying to have you sympathize with him. Not sure if that’s something that was messed with the translation or not, but I’m not about to feel sorry for a guy who killed almost 500 people for $.
I haven’t read or listened to this in Portuguese, but I don’t think that this translated very well. It was made even worse by having a non-Brasilian narrate the book. The mispronunciation of names, and what sounded more like a Spanish accent during the dialogue, threw me off even more!
It’s an intriguing story, really graphic and horrific at times, but I couldn’t get past these technicalities. It was fascinating to see the “human” side of a hit man and what may have driven him to this line of work, but every now and then, it felt like the author was trying to have you sympathize with him. Not sure if that’s something that was messed with the translation or not, but I’m not about to feel sorry for a guy who killed almost 500 people for $.
April 8, 2023
Była naprawdę dobra. Myślałam że Julio okaże się człowiekiem bezdusznym, złym a on był dobrym, kochającym i ze swoimi zasadami mężczyzną, który po prostu został sprowadzony na złą drogę. Styl pisania mega prosty i szybki. Jednak dla mnie za mało klimatu Brazylii
February 5, 2019
Definitivamente um dos melhores livros que já li.
June 29, 2018
Great book! Was super busy with work but managed to get through it, I reckon I could have done it in one sitting otherwise. Very full on and eye opening
September 3, 2018
A powerful yet unusually "soft" read for a such a terrifying subject. There are no excuses given, but an insight you wouldn't expect from a man who killed for a living. Brilliantly written!
July 9, 2024
In "The Name of Death" Cavalcanti masterfully crafted an account that will cause you to have a slight moral crisis. So much so I have to preface this by stating I in no way shape or form condone murder. This story pieces together the personal story of a Brazilian professional hit-man with great care not to justify actions but to paint a picture to show how someone could not only fall into and continue this type of 'work' and in his later years still insist there are a devout man and a good provider for his family.
It doesn't go to give excuses for behavior, but it is clear from these accounts, that Sanatana was a young man who suffered manipulation and subjected to experiences that would be traumatic to someone of any age. In the shadow of that, his abuser is at least depicted as being someone of even fewer morals--though I'm sure given the brutality around them he carried his own damage-- who in the height of these formative events presented a developing mind pleading for a salve with what could be seen as righteous justification. To a young person who claims and for what its worth seemed initially kind hearted and ambitious as any youth, he promise that they could provide, that they're only doing something that someone else would be doing, that it wasn't a matter of not doing it would save a life, to 'if you don't do it, they'll kill me or hurt the family', it's easy to see where the sliding could start. Stir in a moral balancing of continual reassurance that god will forgive all sins if you make sure to keep to a regiment of absolution chants, stir in a years of emotional control and increased exposure to horrific violence all around you, and it becomes not so unimaginable.
This is a story that will make your heart ache. It will make you angry. above all, it will make you wish that this were not only fiction, but that it were far off history instead of just one more step of ongoing brutality that gets too soon swept under the rug.
It doesn't go to give excuses for behavior, but it is clear from these accounts, that Sanatana was a young man who suffered manipulation and subjected to experiences that would be traumatic to someone of any age. In the shadow of that, his abuser is at least depicted as being someone of even fewer morals--though I'm sure given the brutality around them he carried his own damage-- who in the height of these formative events presented a developing mind pleading for a salve with what could be seen as righteous justification. To a young person who claims and for what its worth seemed initially kind hearted and ambitious as any youth, he promise that they could provide, that they're only doing something that someone else would be doing, that it wasn't a matter of not doing it would save a life, to 'if you don't do it, they'll kill me or hurt the family', it's easy to see where the sliding could start. Stir in a moral balancing of continual reassurance that god will forgive all sins if you make sure to keep to a regiment of absolution chants, stir in a years of emotional control and increased exposure to horrific violence all around you, and it becomes not so unimaginable.
This is a story that will make your heart ache. It will make you angry. above all, it will make you wish that this were not only fiction, but that it were far off history instead of just one more step of ongoing brutality that gets too soon swept under the rug.
August 20, 2020
Julio Santana committed his first kill at the age of 17 at the behest of his uncle. Despite his initial anxiety about the kill, he later went on to kill over 490 people. His strict code of ethics meant that despite this, he only killed for money and never out of a personal rage.
If only Julio had been taught about money management from young age, and then perhaps he would have gotten as rich as he desired. I’m not familiar with the currency conversion, and of course the price of living is cheaper in Brazil, but I feel like he still could have done more. When he stated that he had left school at the age of 14, I understood that education was part of the problem. It is a systematic problem that led to Julio being able to lead a profitable life as a killer.
This novel was translated from Portuguese and it shows in parts. Some of the language is very formal and jostles the reader out from the story. I felt like I never really got inside Julio’s head. but then again, I wanted to understand more of the psyche behind the killer.
I wonder whether I should tag this under ‘Real Life Crime’. But Julio has never been charged with a crime, and this perhaps reflects the extent of Brazilian corruption more than anything else. I didn’t really follow the Brazilian Olympics, but I didn’t hear great things about the country then.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about a real life killer-for-hire, rather than a movie blockbuster version, this will be the book for you. Get it for someone for Christmas who you know enjoys a look into the darker side of human nature.
Did you enjoy this goodreads review? If so you may find it useful to visit my blog The Cosy Dragon . I regularly post new reviews on a variety of genres.
If only Julio had been taught about money management from young age, and then perhaps he would have gotten as rich as he desired. I’m not familiar with the currency conversion, and of course the price of living is cheaper in Brazil, but I feel like he still could have done more. When he stated that he had left school at the age of 14, I understood that education was part of the problem. It is a systematic problem that led to Julio being able to lead a profitable life as a killer.
This novel was translated from Portuguese and it shows in parts. Some of the language is very formal and jostles the reader out from the story. I felt like I never really got inside Julio’s head. but then again, I wanted to understand more of the psyche behind the killer.
I wonder whether I should tag this under ‘Real Life Crime’. But Julio has never been charged with a crime, and this perhaps reflects the extent of Brazilian corruption more than anything else. I didn’t really follow the Brazilian Olympics, but I didn’t hear great things about the country then.
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about a real life killer-for-hire, rather than a movie blockbuster version, this will be the book for you. Get it for someone for Christmas who you know enjoys a look into the darker side of human nature.
Did you enjoy this goodreads review? If so you may find it useful to visit my blog The Cosy Dragon . I regularly post new reviews on a variety of genres.
August 22, 2021
BOOK REVIEW 📚
book name: "THE NAME OF DEATH"
Author: @klestercavalcanti who is a Brazilian investigation journalist.
Pages: 238
Genre: True crime
SYNOPSIS: story revolves around "Julio Santana" bilingual to a poor family whose occupation is Fishing, living in the era when Brazil was lawless and crime was like a routine in it. To earn bread, Santana was made to commit a murder. So he was only 17 when he took life of a human.He took trainings from his uncle. Things didn't stop there for him. No one knew he will become a murderer for hire on an bigger scale. He killed more than 490 people. Killer by profession, ironically he was a devout Christian, a wonderful son and a family man. His conscience was tormenting his within frequently with increased frequency of his criminal activities. At that time in Brazil a person can either afford food or respect. But to Santana, respect was something he could never afford. Life went on happening to him, when Klester Cavalcanti, an investigation journalist got attracted towards Santana's story. He started taking his interviews on calls for seven whole years. Cavalcanti realized that behind a prolific murderer was an ordinary man, who kept his personal and professional life separate. Surprise was Santana's emotional and intellectual insight of his committed crimes. To learn his true story, you need to read the book. Sometimes, it becomes more easy to take the laws in one's hands like Julio did. The author highlights Brazil's then law and order situation as the reasons behind it in a chilling manner.
THOUGHTS: story is pretty exciting. If you like crime thrillers then this is your pick.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.9/5
book name: "THE NAME OF DEATH"
Author: @klestercavalcanti who is a Brazilian investigation journalist.
Pages: 238
Genre: True crime
SYNOPSIS: story revolves around "Julio Santana" bilingual to a poor family whose occupation is Fishing, living in the era when Brazil was lawless and crime was like a routine in it. To earn bread, Santana was made to commit a murder. So he was only 17 when he took life of a human.He took trainings from his uncle. Things didn't stop there for him. No one knew he will become a murderer for hire on an bigger scale. He killed more than 490 people. Killer by profession, ironically he was a devout Christian, a wonderful son and a family man. His conscience was tormenting his within frequently with increased frequency of his criminal activities. At that time in Brazil a person can either afford food or respect. But to Santana, respect was something he could never afford. Life went on happening to him, when Klester Cavalcanti, an investigation journalist got attracted towards Santana's story. He started taking his interviews on calls for seven whole years. Cavalcanti realized that behind a prolific murderer was an ordinary man, who kept his personal and professional life separate. Surprise was Santana's emotional and intellectual insight of his committed crimes. To learn his true story, you need to read the book. Sometimes, it becomes more easy to take the laws in one's hands like Julio did. The author highlights Brazil's then law and order situation as the reasons behind it in a chilling manner.
THOUGHTS: story is pretty exciting. If you like crime thrillers then this is your pick.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.9/5
June 9, 2020
"492 muertos es un título que nos lleva mentalmente a una suerte de criminal sangriento, que no encontraremos en este libro. El protagonista, Julio Santana, no cae en el tópico del cine ni de otras literaturas: no es un villano, ni un trastornado, ni sale de una situación desesperada. Cavalcanti recoge aquí el retrato de un ser humano. A través de las conversaciones íntimas, de siete años, entre él y el sicario, novela la génesis de un asesino al que trata con ternura. La crónica, con su drama contenido y aire afable, se lee con gusto, rápido. El narrador se mete en la piel del «héroe» y empatiza, quizás, un poco en exceso.
Santana sale de las selvas de Brasil en los setenta, en medio de pobreza y guerrillas y, simplemente, las circunstancias le convierten en un verdugo inevitable, le ofrecen una profesión que le atormenta pero le mantiene. Así, la maldad no es suya, sino de otros: otros que compran la muerte como caramelos, en medio de una naturaleza y una sociedad que engulle sin pensar. La cotidianidad de ese mal, de esas muertes, a veces rodeadas de elementos patéticos, o torpes, es lo realmente pavoroso. «Parecía un hombre tranquilo y bueno» . Y lo era. ¿No es eso lo más terrorífico o interesante?" Laura Franco
Santana sale de las selvas de Brasil en los setenta, en medio de pobreza y guerrillas y, simplemente, las circunstancias le convierten en un verdugo inevitable, le ofrecen una profesión que le atormenta pero le mantiene. Así, la maldad no es suya, sino de otros: otros que compran la muerte como caramelos, en medio de una naturaleza y una sociedad que engulle sin pensar. La cotidianidad de ese mal, de esas muertes, a veces rodeadas de elementos patéticos, o torpes, es lo realmente pavoroso. «Parecía un hombre tranquilo y bueno» . Y lo era. ¿No es eso lo más terrorífico o interesante?" Laura Franco
May 31, 2022
Não sei se foi o melhor livro que li na vida, provavelmente não, mas foi o livro que mais me cativou e me conseguiu meter dentro dele.
É uma história quase tão apaixonante como improvável, e talvez por isso, por poder ser na boa uma história de ficção, que me cativou tanto, mesmo sendo a história de alguém que tirou a vida a tanta gente.
É uma história quase tão apaixonante como improvável, e talvez por isso, por poder ser na boa uma história de ficção, que me cativou tanto, mesmo sendo a história de alguém que tirou a vida a tanta gente.
July 15, 2025
Po jakiego grzyba są tu sceny seksualne ja się pytam
Miała być to historia gościa który zabił 492 osoby i może opisywanie bardziej tych zbrodni . Pomijając fakt że autor pisał to 7 lat to szkoda gadać . Bo nic tu nie ma na tych stronach co mogłoby w jakikolwiek sposób zaciekawić odbiorcy i przekazać może więcej szczegółów lub opisu zbrodnii .
Miała być to historia gościa który zabił 492 osoby i może opisywanie bardziej tych zbrodni . Pomijając fakt że autor pisał to 7 lat to szkoda gadać . Bo nic tu nie ma na tych stronach co mogłoby w jakikolwiek sposób zaciekawić odbiorcy i przekazać może więcej szczegółów lub opisu zbrodnii .
July 15, 2018
Brutal nonfiction book about a professional killer whose jobs include union leaders, slaves and rural land owners struggling for better life.
March 6, 2020
Soube me a pouco ... fiquei curioso com o filme !!!!
May 7, 2022
4,5 ciekawa
February 12, 2023
Excelente, muy duro, atrapa. No sabes en qué momento deja de ser un niño.
April 23, 2023
3.75 🌟
Bardzo dobrze napisany, rzetelny reportaż.
Bardzo dobrze napisany, rzetelny reportaż.
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June 8, 2023Książka mimo małej ilości stron ciągnęła się niemiłosiernie. Główny bohater został przedstawiony bardzo płytko przez co nie odczuwałam względem niego żadnych emocji.
July 9, 2023
Bem escrito e com história envolvente! Puro suco de Brasil onde um pistoleiro profissional que matou quase 500 pessoas nunca ficou preso!
July 21, 2023
Chwilami sie gubilam, zbyt duzo szczegolow niepotrzebnych
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews