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standfast's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
flexluthor's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gem9589's review against another edition
4.0
I read this a few months ago, predictably for a class revolving around 20th century Latin America. I always enjoy learning about Brazilian history, as fraught and unconventional as it is, and it was particularly interesting to delve into this book with its detailed descriptions about class & race during the early 20th century. Although this book is fictional, it was written by a man who lived in the time when plantation life held the sweet allure of a quick success story and most of the land of Brazil outside its cities was untamed. It was a pretty easy & enjoyable read, poignant and ripe with recurring themes. I would consider reading more about this man, Jorge Amado, as well as more of the books that he writes.
hadassasilva's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pceboll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
2.0
Love the concept and setting....a true sucker for translated fiction and classics, I was excited to learn some Brazilian history through the gripping lens of the brutal colonization of the country's natural landscape. That being said, I could not get into this book. Well written but with such an old-fashioned grandpa adventure perspective I felt repeatedly bored..it felt like a syndicated show that plays on TV Land nonstop at the old folks home. Ester's storyline was definitely my favorite and while I do have some appreciation for "The Violent Land" as a whole, I'm glad I got it over with.
hannahbananali's review against another edition
4.0
With hints of magical realism (but not fully formed), The Violent Land provides a passionate, bloody glimpse at the riches of cacao in early 20th century Brazil. Although definitely not perfect with its treatment of women and slow pace, it was still a fascinating read.
calarco's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eladsch_'s review against another edition
I don't really know how to rate this, exactly.
There were moments that the writing was incredible, and there were moments that I really couldn't put the book down because I just wanted to continue reading. My main problem, though, with this novel was that there were just too many characters. I do love character-driven novels, but I could not keep track of all the names. There were characters that, too me, were irrelevant to the overall story. Also, it was just hard for me to actually connect to any of the characters - the minute I felt for one of the characters, they would never make another appearance in the plot.
Overall, i'm happy I read this - especially since I am a big fan of south american literature, but i'm not entirely sure that I will pick up another one of Amado's novels, at least in the near future.
There were moments that the writing was incredible, and there were moments that I really couldn't put the book down because I just wanted to continue reading. My main problem, though, with this novel was that there were just too many characters. I do love character-driven novels, but I could not keep track of all the names. There were characters that, too me, were irrelevant to the overall story. Also, it was just hard for me to actually connect to any of the characters - the minute I felt for one of the characters, they would never make another appearance in the plot.
Overall, i'm happy I read this - especially since I am a big fan of south american literature, but i'm not entirely sure that I will pick up another one of Amado's novels, at least in the near future.
omaciel's review against another edition
5.0
Jorge Amado was and is a phenomenal writer and I'm so glad that it took me until I'm in my 40s to be able to fully appreciate and enjoy his books!
bibiyaneva's review against another edition
5.0
What a wonderful book. The TBR game my friend and I play landed us on a South American author prompt and multiple POV and we chose this book knowing nothing about it and not being very convinced by the synopsis. But it turned out to be a delightful surprise. I loved the writing style and I loved that the book was teaching me about a world I had no idea had ever existed yet the thing I loved the most was the great setting. Very immersive, very different from anything I've read and it makes me want to read more from the author.