Home Is the Sailor

Not the best Amado I've read, this brief novel was still a fun and thought-provoking read. In the 1920s, Captain Vasco Moscosco de Aragão arrives in the seaside town of Periperi, quickly enlivening the daily routines of the mostly retired people who live there with his wild tales of his seafaring and romantic exploits. But is he really a captain?

In addition to the 1920s, this story takes place at two other times: the 1960s, when a would-be historian is trying to sort out the truth about the captain, and the turn of the century when the "captain" was a young man with a vastly different history. While the reader comes to have little doubt that the captain is a master at telling tall tales, the novel explores the stories we tell ourselves show more and others, varying views of what is necessary to be respected, how we overcome the sameness of daily life, the role of fantasy and what happens when a fantasy becomes real, and ideas of what is right and wrong -- as well as, being a work by Amado, a romantic view of prostitutes and brothels, a fair amount of carousing, and some political jibes.

I read this book quickly and enjoyed it, and I'll continue to read Amado, but I'm glad I read more complex and interesting works by him first. show less

Fun little novel that I have toted around for YEARS and finally read. I'm sure there is no connection between my current reading binge and being smartphoneless for a week.

This is an interesting take on memory, stages of life, and the stories we tell ourselves. I'd have gone for eight doubled hawsers...

Loved it, enjoyed it, totally engrossed. It seems stupid (even to me) to have a bookshelf labelled "Latin American" but the reason I do so is b/c 11 yrs ago I organized a Latin American Festival at Chatham College that stimulated me to read a shitload of Latin American novels - so I tend to lump them all together: not w/ any sortof nationalizing intentions but more geographic/lingual/whatever. Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how many great Latin American novelists there are. This is the 1st one I've read by Jorge Amado - whose "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" was very popular.

This ISN'T "magic realism" - let's get that out of the way: not every Latin American novel is magic realism - that's just become a pseudo-critical show more catchphrase. It IS fanciful, though. The basic story is of a man who poses as a retired sea-captain in order to 'enoble' himself & the trouble he gets into as a result. There's a more general philosophical thrust here & most or all of the characters are deluded in some way or another. show less

A wonderful book! Reminiscent of a story out of the Decameron - extended to encompass a whole colourful life and world – were it not much better told (!!!). No need to say more: just read and enjoy it! (IV-14)

Contiene las novelas "La muerte y la muerte de Quincas berro de agua" (hasta la pagina 64) y "La completa verdad sobre las discutidas aventuras del comandante Vasco Moscoso de Aragon, capitan de altura¨..

«Los viejos marineros» narra la historia del capitán Vasco Moscoso de Aragão, un personaje extravagante que llega a una pequeña ciudad costera brasileña y despierta la fascinación de sus habitantes con relatos grandilocuentes de aventuras marítimas. Su figura provoca la envidia del práctico del puerto, Chico Pacheco, quien se empeña en demostrar que las hazañas del capitán son pura invención. La novela contrapone así la imaginación y el mito frente a la rigidez de la vida cotidiana, en un juego continuo entre verdad y fantasía.

Esta obra pertenece a la etapa más humorística y satírica de Jorge Amado. El autor despliega una prosa cálida, irónica y profundamente brasileña, donde la oralidad y el ritmo narrativo evocan show more la tradición popular del nordeste. La novela funciona como una reflexión sobre el poder del relato: la capacidad de las historias para transformar la percepción de la realidad y para construir identidades, incluso cuando se sustentan en exageraciones o invenciones.

Desde el punto de vista técnico, Amado utiliza una estructura dual que alterna la voz colectiva del pueblo con episodios centrados en los protagonistas. El contraste entre el capitán fabulador y el práctico racionalista genera una tensión narrativa que sostiene el humor y la crítica social. La traducción de Basilio Losada conserva la musicalidad del portugués brasileño y respeta el tono festivo y satírico del original. La novela es un ejemplo representativo del realismo mágico brasileño y de la maestría de Amado en la creación de personajes memorables. show less

Una gran novel·la d'un dels millors narradors brasilers contemporanis.
El comandant Vasco Moscoso arriba a Periperi, un barri de Bahia, al Brasil, amb seixanta-un anys. De seguida, tots els veïns el coneixeran i ell ho aprofitarà per explicar-los les seves aventures navegant pels mars del món: que si dones exòtiques, territoris desconeguts, mariners rudes... Amb aquestes històries enlluernadores, Vasco es guanyarà tot el barri excepte Chico Pacheco, que en desconfia i decideix investigar quina és la veritable història del vell mariner. Però qui pot dir on acaba la veritat i comença la mentida? Els vells mariners té ingredients de la novel·la d’aventures, però també és un brillant retrat dels costums relaxats de la show more burgesia del Brasil. Jorge Amado, un autèntic clàssic del segle XX, articula en aquesta obra una fascinant història d’històries, on exhibeix com mai el seu art d’entretenir i de divertir. show less