#550 On Brazil, or Denouement: The Londonias-Figueras- John Keene

#550 On Brazil, or Denouement: The Londonias-Figueras- John Keene

This is a wildly ambitious story that hits its mark with a hammer. Spanning four centuries in the development of Brazil, this is like something out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. The tale is bookended by a murder notice of Sergio Inocencio Maluuf Figueiras, whose nude, headless body was found in an alley in one of Sao Paulo’s worst neighborhoods.

The rest of the story reads like an historical record of Brazil during the 17^th century. We learn of the lineage of the Figueras clan and much about the Portuguese colonial ruling class; How the family gained wealth through sugar plantations, gained fame through military heroics against the Dutch and Native populations, and gained notoriety through abuse and slavery.

Although a complete story and one filled with rich detail, I wonder if there isn’t more than enough here for a larger work, something akin to 100 Years of Solitude. I would certainly like to see that.

Notable Passage: “To the connected and ruthless flow the spoils.”

Rating: 10-10-9-8 Total= 37