Milton Hatoum

One of Canongate’s Myths series, Orphans of Eldorado is a realistic story set in early 20th century Manaus and Vila Bela that incorporates elements of the indigenous Amazonian legend of the Enchanted City conflated with the colonialist legend of El Dorado. The narrator is the estranged son of well-to-do rancher and shipping magnate whose life is essentially defined by his (mostly) unrequited passion for a young woman from a local orphanage that he meets at his father’s funeral. The rise show more and fall of the narrator’s fortunes presents a study in Amazonian society—the collisions of European colonial capitalism and the indigenous people, of wealth and poverty, of industry and the environment. Though I appreciated the cultural perspectives offered, I found the narrative bleak, dry, and off-putting and so never fully engaged with it. show less

Volume XIII of the Canongate Myths series is a short novel inspired by Amazonian fables of an enchanted city, and the search for Eldorado. The action centres around the Brazilian city of Manaus which, although situated way up the Amazon, is a major port.

Arminto Cordovil is in love from afar with Dinaura, an orphan from up the river under the care of the Carmelites. Florita, his family housekeeper tells him stories about the Indian girls, that they want to walk into the river to seek the show more enchanted city. Arminto gets permission to date Dinaura, but then his father dies making him an orphan too – his mother had died in childbirth. Arminto has to take charge of the family shipping empire and plantations further up the Amazon. When the freighter, The Eldorado, crashes, Arminto sees it as an omen, and combined with his obsession for Dinaura, things start to get out of control, especially when he discovers the truth about his father’s business.

Life up the Amazon at these faraway trading posts is vibrantly brought to life, for despite the remoteness, the river brings a diverse and rich mix of people to the steamy paradise. Arminto, having had a hard relationship with his lone parent, and ignoring advice from Florita and his father’s lawyer Estiliano, becomes obsessed with searching for his own private Eldorado. Although it was beautifully evocative of the region, and I felt at home with placing it timewise back around the 1930s, I didn’t feel as in touch with the myth of the enchanted city that inspired the story. I would have loved to hear more about the mysterious indigenous people and their legends, but Arminto was a rather unreliable narrator, smitten as he was. Fans of Love in the Time of Cholera by Marquez, will enjoy this little tale, and perhaps notice some parallels.

I particularly like the fact that the Myths series is worldwide in scope and I am looking forward to exploring further beyond the classics. It is a shame though, that having started off in hardback, new additions appear to now be in paperback only, (which is exasperating to collectors). show less

Yaqub nasce antes. Em seguida, nasce Omar. São gêmeos, mas uma enfermidade em Omar, ainda criança, vai determinar todo o futuro de uma família de origem libanesa que vive às margens do rio Negro, em Manaus.
Ciúme, ressentimento, amores misteriosos ou reprimidos são alguns dos elementos desse romance de Milton Hatoum. A trama é narrada por Nael, filho de Domingas, a empregada da família. O leitor demora a saber disso, como demora a saber de outras revelações, e fica sem saber de show more outras.
O período da ditadura e sua repressão brutal deixa sua marca na narrativa, bem como costumes de um Brasil escravagista. Em momento o autor faz discurso, mas tudo é dito.
Leitura indispensável. show less

Esse ano a adaptação para cinema de Órfãos do Eldorado está completando 10 anos e como foi muito discutido que Milton Hatoum estava no paréo para o Nobel de Literatura, então resolvi ler a novelinha nesse domingo chuvoso aqui do interior de São Paulo.
É uma novela sobre um amor perdido e a obsessão que leva um homem à ruína, tudo entremeado por lendas amazonenses, mas confesso que teorizar sobre o livro me causaria mais ânimo que sua leitura propriamente dita, digamos que o show more livro tem os elementos certos, mas não são levados às últimas consequências literárias. show less