The Brazil Reader: History, Culture, Politics

by Robert M.Levine (Editor), John J. Crocitti, Orin Starn (Series Editor)

Bordering all but two of South America’s other nations and by far Latin America’s largest country, Brazil differs linguistically, historically, and culturally from Spanish America. Its indigenous peoples share the country with descendants of Portuguese conquerors and the Africans they imported to work as slaves, along with more recent immigrants from southern Europe, Japan, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Capturing the scope of this country’s rich diversity and distinction as no other book has done—with more than a hundred entries from a wealth of perspectives—The Brazil Reader offers a fascinating guide to Brazilian life, culture, and history.

Complementing traditional views with fresh ones, The Brazil Reader’s historical selections range from early colonization to the present day, with sections on imperial and republican Brazil, the days of slavery, the Vargas years, and the more recent return to democracy. They include letters, photographs, interviews, legal documents, visual art, music, poetry, fiction, reminiscences, and scholarly analyses. They also include observations by ordinary residents, both urban and rural, as well as foreign visitors and experts on Brazil. Probing beneath the surface of Brazilian reality—past and present—The Reader looks at social behavior, women’s lives, architecture, literature, sexuality, popular culture, and strategies for coping with the travails of life in a country where the affluent live in walled compounds to separate themselves from the millions of Brazilians hard-pressed to find food and shelter. Contributing to a full geographic account—from the Amazon to the Northeast and the Central-South—of this country’s singular multiplicity, many pieces have been written expressly for this volume or were translated for it, having never previously been published in English.

This second book in The Latin America Readers series will interest students, specialists, travelers for both business and leisure, and those desiring an in-depth introduction to Brazilian life and culture.

Genres: History, Brazil, Nonfiction, Latin American History, Sociology, Politics, Anthropology

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1999

Reviews

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the Argentina Reader, by a long shot. You have to work pretty hard to make Brazil come off as bland, but I guess that was a big part of the neoliberal era that produced this.

[Bill Pritchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Brazil Reader - History, Culture, Politics - edited by Robert M. Levine and John J. Crocitti, as an introduction to the inner workings of Brazil thru the lens of its History. The book does an excellent job of introducing the non-Brazilian - in small, easy-to-read bites, to this diverse and interesting culture and people. The work begins with about 60 pages on Brazil's Origins, Conquests and Colonial Rule (from 10 sources). Next it looks at the Imperial and Republican Brazil period for about 60 pages (15 sources). Then a look at the concept of Slavery and its Aftermath is covered over about 20 pages (7 pages). The Vargus Era - after an important Military Leader, covers approximately 80 pages and contains 19 sources. Section 5 is on Seeking Democracy and Equity, which consumes 70 pages with information from 15 sources. Section 6 takes an interesting look at Women's Lives over 50 pages with information from 11 sources). SEction 7 takes on Race and Ethnic Relations - over 40 pages with 10 sources. Section 8 is on the Realities of Brazil today covering approximately 60 pages with 14 sources. Finally, Section 9 is Saudades - 40 pages from 9 sources.

The Brazilian culture, with its combination of impressive population growth and government-directed industrialization has made Brazil primary - if not dominant - among Latin American nations. It is Brazil's singularity - and its character, self-perceptions, and transitions, that provide the central theme of this book.

It's not meant to be be all-inclusive. It is not an anthology of Brazilian History. The Brazil Reader takes traditional viewpoints and newer approaches to help us non-Brazilians better understand their past. If you are heading to Brazil (like I am), it is a great starting point. Recommended.

[Denis Manis · Rating 3 out of 5]

O livro "Reader" é uma coleção de ensaios que abrange uma variedade de perspectivas sobre o Brasil, incluindo temas como música, artes e a história política do país. Publicado em 1999, a obra não inclui eventos atuais, mas ainda assim oferece insights valiosos sobre a cultura e a sociedade brasileiras. Um dos ensaios mais notáveis é "A Era Vargas", que resume um período de status quo político, destacando as tentativas de Vargas de transformar o país antes de seu suicídio.

Embora não se trate de um guia de viagem e seja imponente com suas mais de 500 páginas, o livro é mais adequado para ser lido em casa, preparando os leitores para a experiência vibrante de conhecer brasileiros e apreciar suas diversas culturas e histórias. O conhecimento sobre a influência colonial na formação do Brasil é fundamental para ajudar os viajantes a entender as condições atuais do país, especialmente considerando que a escravidão foi abolida em 1888.

Os ensaios frequentemente apresentam relatos de vida de pequenos agricultores, moradores de favelas ou pescadores, capturando e explicando as esperanças, valores e experiências dos brasileiros. Isso fornece uma perspectiva realista e baseada na vida cotidiana, diferenciando-se do entendimento que muitos leitores de língua inglesa costumam ter sobre o Brasil — que frequentemente se baseia em acadêmicos ou jornalistas.

No entanto, a obra apresenta algumas falhas significativas. Por exemplo, a história dos Estados Unidos durante o golpe de 1964 e a ditadura não é adequadamente tratada, com apenas dois ensaios abordando a vida durante os "Anos de Chumbo". Isso limita a compreensão do impacto a longo prazo desses eventos na democracia brasileira, cujas consequências ainda são sentidas hoje.

Em contrapartida, alguns leitores expressam descontentamento com a falta de profundidade e organização. A crítica vai desde a aleatoriedade dos capítulos até a superficialidade das informações apresentadas, deixando muitos insatisfeitos com a experiência de aprendizado.

Em resumo, "Reader" oferece uma visão ampla e diversificada do Brasil, mas também apresenta limitações que podem frustrar os leitores que buscam um entendimento mais profundo sobre a história, cultura e economia do país. Para aqueles que desejam uma experiência mais completa e atualizada, seria aconselhável procurar edições mais recentes ou obras complementares que abordem esses temas de maneira mais abrangente.

[Nadia Marques de Carvalho · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrific. What is this sh*t? Who allowed this to be published? I bought the book with the intention to learn the history, culture and economics of Brazil. The book offers nothing of the sort. It is the most random collection of arbitrary chapters. Each chapter 1-3 pages long. One learns nothing. The writing from the variety of authors is frightful - historical figures are introduced with no background given. The most I learnt was from the introduction chapter, the rest was downhill. I read, at huge expense to myself, the first 100 pages - I can tell you next to nothing about Brazil. An abomination.

[AskHistorians]

These are a series of country studies that provide a valuable overview of various Latin American countries. They use both primary and secondary sources by eyewitnesses and important scholars respectively to illuminate key periods of each country’s history. They also include a trove of images, maps, and fine art. Each volume focuses on a single country. Currently, Duke has published readers about the Dominican Republic, Chile, Paraguay, Guatemala, Ecuador, Perú, Costa Rica, Cuba, México, Argentina, and Brazil

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays and entries covering (as the title indicates) not just history, but culture, politics, and other aspects of Brazilian society.

It is a great overview and cross-section that gave me a lot of insight into the Brazilian experience.

[Kevin Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of works which provided me with a better understanding of Brazil as a whole. Great intro text.