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The Discovery of America by the Turks
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The Discovery of America by the Turks Paperback - 2012 - 1st Edition

by Jorge Amado; Gregory Rabassa (Translator); Foreword by Jose Saramago


Summary

For the first time in English: legendary Brazilian author Jorge Amado's spirited novella about Arab immigrants to South America—published for the centennial of Amado's birth

Two Arab immigrants—"Turks" as Brazilians call them—arrive in the rough Brazilian frontier on the same ship in 1903, hoping to find a future. They rub shoulders with gunslingers and plantation owners, and also tangle with merchants, one of whom is desperate to marry off his impossible daughter. Thus ensues a farcical drama that produces, in a humorous twist, the unlikeliest of suitors in this whimsical Brazilian take on The Taming of the Shrew.

From the publisher

Jorge Amado (1912–2001) was born in the state of Bahia, Brazil, whose society he portrays in such acclaimed novels as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.

Gregory Rabassa is a National Book Award–winning translator whose English-language versions of works by Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Gabriel García Márquez have become classics in their own right. He lives in New York City.

José Saramago (1922–2010) was a Nobel Prize–winning Portuguese writer whose many novels include All the Names and Blindness.

Details

  • Title The Discovery of America by the Turks
  • Author Jorge Amado; Gregory Rabassa (Translator); Foreword by Jose Saramago
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 96
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Group
  • Date 2012-08-28
  • Features Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780143106982 / 0143106988
  • Weight 0.18 lbs (0.08 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.79 x 5.13 x 0.68 in (19.79 x 13.03 x 1.73 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Ethnic Orientation: Hispanic
    • Ethnic Orientation: Latino
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2012022549
  • Dewey Decimal Code 869.341

Media reviews

“Funny, intelligent, often tender, not infrequently raunchy . . . The tale unfolds with twists worthy of a Shakespearean comedy, but what is truly memorable are Amado's character portraits and his vibrant comic scenes of Brazilian life. . . . [An] excellent example of the particular mixture of folkloric elements and high-literary storytelling for which Amado is often paired with Gabriel García Márquez.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Delightful . . . A wonder of the art of narration [by] the voice, the feeling, and the joy of Brazil.” —José Saramago, from the Foreword

“Hugely entertaining . . . Amado’s version of Brazil is seductive.” —The Times Literary Supplement

“Cause for rejoicing . . . Irresistible . . .  Thoroughly satisfying. There’s more packed into the slender The Discovery of America by the Turks than many a novel five times its length, delivered with zest and spice and an unashamed love of physical pleasure. Perhaps more than any other author, Jorge Amado can capture in words the simple, radiant joys of living.” —Shelf Awareness

 

Citations

  • Booklist, 08/01/2012, Page 22
  • Shelf Awareness, 08/31/2012, Page 0

About the author

Jorge Amado (1912-2001) was born in the state of Bahia, Brazil, whose society he portrays in such acclaimed novels as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.

Gregory Rabassa (translator; 1922-2016) was a National Book Award-winning translator whose English-language versions of works by Gabriel Garca Mrquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortzar, and Jorge Amado have become classics in their own right.

Jos Saramago (foreword; 1922-2010) was a Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese writer. His many novels include All the Names and Blindness.

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The Discovery of America by the Turks (Penguin Classics)

by Amado, Jorge; Rabassa, Gregory [Translator]; Saramago, Jose [Foreword];

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Paperback / softback. New. <b>A Penguin Classic</b><br /><br />Published here for the first time in English in a brilliant translation by the peerless Gregory Rabassa, <i>The Discovery of America by the Turks</i> is a whimsical Brazilian take on <i>The Taming of the Shrew</i> that will remind readers why Jorge Amado is to Portuguese-American literature what Jorge Luis Borges is to Spanish-American literature. It follows the adventures of two Arab immigrants—“Turks,” as Brazilians call them—who arrive in the rough Brazilian frontier in 1903 and become involved in a merchant's farcical attempt to marry off his shrew of a daughter.<br /><br />For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout… Read More
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