Books from Brazil
Brazil has a large and varied literary tradition, with strong currents in the novel, poetry, memoir and the short story. The books below come from different regions and periods of Brazilian writing, and they range from social chronicle to crime fiction and fantasy.
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Contemporary Fiction
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The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
A novel about a writer whose wife disappears, it follows his search and his reflections on love and obsession.
- Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon by Jorge Amado. A novel set in a Bahia cocoa town, it follows the arrival of a migrant cook whose life becomes bound up with the town's men and its changing ways.
Mystery & Thriller
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The Silence of the Rain by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
A crime novel set in Rio de Janeiro that introduces Inspector Espinosa, who investigates the death of a company executive found in his car.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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The Ex-Magician and Other Stories by Murilo Rubião
A short story collection in the fantastic mode, it presents magicians, kings and other figures in strange situations.
Poetry
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Morte e Vida Severina by João Cabral de Melo Neto
A long narrative poem in verse, it follows a migrant from the dry sertão as he travels toward the coast.
- Alguma Poesia by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. A poetry collection from a leading Brazilian modernist, it is known for its everyday language and its treatment of daily life.
Memoir & Nonfiction
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Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus
A memoir written in the form of a diary, it records the life of a woman living in a favela in São Paulo.
- The Masters and the Slaves by Gilberto Freyre. A work of social history and nonfiction, it examines the formation of Brazilian society around the plantation economy.
How we choose
These lists start from books Atlas Unread readers can stamp for Brazil. Each title and author is confirmed against Wikidata, Wikipedia or library records before it is listed.