Brazilian poet Ledo IvoāsĀ
Snakesā NestĀ is a ātale badly toldā in a most artful manner. Part political allegory, the novel explores the nature of good and evil in a provincial port in northeastern Brazil during World War IIāāall the ills of the repressive dictatorship then in power are reflected in the corrupt and violent society of MaceiĆ³. As Ivo says: āDuring a dictatorship, all narratives are poorly told, since a dictatorship is the Kingdom of Lies and cannot tolerate the truth.ā But to focus solely on the allegory would deny the richness of the bookās many layers, the considerable skill with which the characters emerge from the narratorās false starts, the subtle and pervasive wit that skewers pomposity and pretension, the suspense created by the narratorās very unreliability, and the poetry with which the exotic setting is evoked. The last word in describing such a heady mixture belongs to the author, who calls it, āa story of terror and violence that is, surely, a sunny nightmare.ā Although Ledo Ivo is well known in his own country as a journalist and poetic spokesman of the āGeneration of 1945,ā this edition ofĀ
Snakesā NestĀ marks his first book-length appearance in English. Originally published in 1973 under the titleĀ
Ninho de Cobras,Ā
Snakesā NestĀ won the prestigious Brazilian Walmap Prize for that year. The novel has been translated by Kern Krapohl who, for several years, lived in Brazil and worked closely with the author. Jon M. Tolman of the University of New Mexico has contributed an informative introduction which clearly places the story both historically and geographically.
This book title, Snakes' Nest (or A Tale Badly Told), ISBN: 9780811208079, by L-Edo Ivo, published by New Directions (November 17, 1981) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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