Brazzil

Another great article John. Keep up the good work.

I congratulate John Fitzpatrick for writing this important book review.

Robb has an utterly distorced idea of the Brazilian reality.

One can describe his political vision of Brazil as childish and totally false.

He see politics in this country as a mere struggle between the forces of ‘good’ (Lula, PT, the MST…) and the forces of ‘evil’ (landowners, businesspeople, and other ‘rightists’…).

But now that the Lula administration has clearly been caught in a mud of corruption and clientelism, all his assumptions about the PT party and the 'moral' character of its charismatic leader have become even more ludicrous.

But this article is just a writers war !!!!!

Nothing else !

Fitzpatrick expresses how I feel about *his* writing. Weird, huh?

John is a boob!

Nothing else!

I was born in Americana, 120 Km. nortwest from Sao Paulo city. I'm a mix of Italians, Spanish and Austrians. A Brazilian is a mix of many Europeans, black Brazilians whose ancestres came from Africa as slaves, and Amerindians, the native people. Many have Japanese or Lebanese blood mixed in their veins. Proportinonally white people corresponds to 53% of Brazilian population. Americana the name of the city I was born has its name because it was found by American familys. The city at its side is called Nova Odessa because of the inumerous Russians, Lethonians, Latvian, Gerogean people who immigrated there. I would not be able to inumerate the amount of similar cases all around Brazil.

What is wrong with this kind of people like Peter Robbs? Does he ever bothered to read proper books of Geopolitcs, History and Geography before writting a book? Has he been studying Brazil throughout the American cinema screens?

I'm sorry Peter, but you tried to cause harm in a Nation which didn't harm you. Come to Brazil. Brazilian people would receive you in a polite and civilized manner to teach you that we inherited the best mix of civilization very, very far from the reality of a people which just few decades ago used of state racial policy against aborigenes. Fact.

Thank you Mr. Fitzpatrick.

well put

John,
You may be right that Robb has been rather liberal with his plagiarism of original Brazilian sources; you are also no doubt correct that he has got some of his facts and stats wrong (though for the most part, you are nit-picking here). But it seems to me that your critique has missed the point of ‘A Death in Brazil’.
Robb writes with a wit, lyricism and beauty that most novelists, let alone historians, could only dream of. His descriptions of the colourful fruits at Brazilian markets and the charm of murky north-eastern bars, to name but two, are simply sublime.
An author that successfully manages to combine historical narrative with travelogue and poetry (or inspired prose) is rare indeed and Robb has a deft touch in this respect. Your critique is based purely on Robb’s historical analysis, or lack thereof, while the beauty and richness of his style have completely passed you by. This is one of the most elegant and vivid books of its kind and it is a real pleasure that it has been written about a country that I, and others reading here, care so much about.
Those who have not yet done so should give it a go, and immerse themselves in the mastery of Robb's writing. Melodramatic, certainly; dull, definitely not. A work of genius would be where I plant my flag.
Limbojimbo.

Fizpatrick has no soul, so he'd never understand literature.

I think that Mr. Fitzpatrick has some very valid points. There are many weakness in Peter Robb's book that need to be addressed. I do also feel, however, that he gets too carried away in his critique, to the point where he just sounds like a gringo telling another gringo that he knows Brazil better...This weakens what could have been a very good article...

agree 100% this book is very well written, even if it doesn't stand the test of non-fiction, or rules of plagarism. I don't think the fact it is well written can be taken away from it. That being said, the possible historical inaccuracies should be pointed out so readers can disseminate fact from fiction.

Did anyone notice the scene in the second last section of the book where he writes about waking up beside a "sleeper" and that someone at the door told him to leave the bedroom as "he had been there for hours"? This is a completely bizarre scene and sounds to me like he was in a brothel taking advantage of the local talent. Can anyone come up with a better explanation?

It was a good readn and like all non-fiction book gives a good place to start and do your own research.

Us gringos who live outside Brazil do pick and choose the aspects of
Brazil we like and maybe Peter Robb was pampering to our needs.