Patrícia Melo

A arriscada arte de escrever no escuro demanda o cultivo de um certo gosto pelas sombras que reinam nas profundezas da alma humana. Por outro lado, só aquele que procura algo às cegas pode tatear as texturas invisíveis da superfície do mundo. Pois é na alternância entre profundidade e superfície que os contos de Patrícia Melo nos levam por breves e impactantes passeios por zonas que não costumamos enxergar na luz. Assim, travamos contato com personagens como um crítico e escritor frustrado que enlouquece de rancor em meio a uma feira literária; uma depiladora que escuta os segredos mais escabrosos de suas clientes, e um adoentado músico brasileiro com sede de morfina em um hospital americano. Há ainda a história de Cecilia, personagem que se rebela contra sua autora por não aceitar o destino trágico que lhe é imposto. Fazendo uso da metalinguagem e visitando diversos gêneros, mergulhando na trama ou observando-a de fora, Patrícia Melo retorce suas narrativas, apagando as luzes, para em seguida reacendê-las. E o que vemos, então, é sempre uma grata surpresa.… (meer)

I almost didn't read this book. I picked it up at the library for the South American author square on book bingo, but then I finished two other books for that category, and the crime genre isn't really my thing. But isn't that what this challenge is about -- pushing boundaries? So, I read it.

I had a lot of feelings about this one, but then, I couldn't put it down. The main character seems to lack any kind of moral center, which of course snowballs him into a completely horrible situation that just seems to get worse and worse. I'm sure he'd think he didn't have any choices along the way, but as he drags more people down with him, one at a time, it becomes increasingly difficult to decide if you're rooting for him to get away with it or to end up executed on the side of some seldom-travelled road.

Some of the situations strained credulity, but really, what am I basing my expectations of Bolivian drug runners or rural Brazilian police on in the first place?

As I said, I don't read much crime fiction, so I don't know how this fares within the expectations of its genres. But different it was, and interesting.… (meer)

This must be the one book that the Brazil Department of Tourism hopes will forever be a flop. A young man of the streets in Sao Paolo senselessly and brutally commits his first murder, and then quickly gravitates to more killing. The reaction he gets from his neighbors is astounding to not only himself but also to the reader, but upon reflection it is understandable. There are probably lots of big messages here, but what I take out of this is a bit more mundane - there are a lot of crazies out there, and that guy that just cut you off or who jumped in front of you at the movie line could be one of them, someone who would give little thought to killing you in the next 60 seconds. It's a downer of a book, intriguing, I was glad to finish it. I think there's a lot of the world I'll see before heading to certain places in Brazil and South Africa (see my review of Random Violence).… (meer)