Bringing together Graciliano Ramos' three most acclaimed novels - S. Bernardo , Angústia and Vidas secas - this exclusive box set includes a previously unpublished text by professor and critic Ivan Marques, as well as a new graphic design and books with trilateral painting.
St. Bernard (224 pages)
At the end of a turbulent life, Paulo Honório, a powerful rancher from the backlands of Alagoas, tells his story. Within the confines of the S. Bernardo farm, the narrator revisits life's dramas and internal conflicts that remain unexplained until the moment his memoirs are written. Neither the farm, which he purchased for a paltry price, nor the teacher Madalena, whom he hired to teach the children on his farm and whom he eventually marries, gave him the peace he so desperately sought. After achieving material success, Paulo Honório confronts the existential void, which leads him to profound reflection on his own life and values through writing. At the same time, he reveals himself to be an unreliable narrator.
S. Bernardo , a novel first published in 1934, established Graciliano Ramos as one of the greatest authors in Brazilian literature. Infused with ambition, power, but also loneliness and redemption, the work explores the circumstances of the land tenure system and the social conflicts of Northeastern Brazil.
Anguish (320 pages)
Angústia features Luís da Silva, a civil servant from Maceió who leads a mediocre, emotionless life until the day he falls in love with Marina. Initially, the young woman shows some interest in the relationship and the material comfort marriage could provide, but she soon ends up leaving her fiancé for Julião Tavares, who is richer and more powerful. Overcome by jealousy and resentment, Silva is disturbed by the unfolding events and begins to follow Marina's life while dreaming of killing Julião. Written in the first person, the novel has a non-linear temporal structure, following the narrator-character's stream of consciousness and bringing the reader closer to Luís da Silva's turbulent feelings.
Originally released in 1936, while Graciliano Ramos was still in prison, Angústia brings the protagonist's internal conflicts, his obsession and the struggle against his own existential anguish.
Dry Lives (144 pages)
Originally published in 1938, Vidas secas follows the journey of Fabiano's family, Sinha Vitória, their two children, and their dog Baleia, as they flee the backlands in search of opportunities. Driven by the drought, the family of migrants sets out in search of a future, while experiencing a daily struggle for survival. Vidas secas , one of the greatest classics of Brazilian literature and the author's most celebrated book, is written in a dry and direct language that reflects the aridity of the backlands and the simplicity of the characters deeply affected by exploitation and extreme poverty.
