Customer Reviews

Brazil

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Malathronas' Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul is the best kind of book out there - I went in thinking it was going to be a travelogue of sorts, but it is that and so much more. First and foremost, Malathronas has the life I envy the most - exploring places outside the comfort zone, whether the big tourist cities or the often-overlooked locales. I've traveled to Brazil a few times, but the stories shared about the people of Brazil (and some of the tourists) bring a deeper understanding of who they are and what makes them tick. The history shared and the sites revealed make me want to buy a ticket and visit new places. Truely, it reads like the best book out there - the kind you don't want to put down, but if you do set it aside, you can pick it back up and not lose anything. Malathronas may be my new favorite author.

Not really my style of sceen as the book seem geared toward Gay travlers to Brasil; althought the discription of the street life an attiudes of the people seem to be spot on.

First of all I have to confess that I am greek, so I share the same nationality with the writer. But, to be honest, this is totally irrelevant with my enthusiasm about this book. Quite simply put, this is not one of the best books ever written about Brazil, it is not even one of the most intriguing and compelling pieces of travel literature at least I have come across; "Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul" is one of the best books I have ever read -period. It is extremely informative, analytical, touching, elaborate, well researched, funny, vibrant, colorful, masterfully capturing the essence of a unique country and, most importantly, its people, the not-so-crazy-but-still-crazy-enough-for-a-Westerner Brazilians. Besides the nationality, I have the privilege to share with Mr. Malathronas the same passion for Brazil and also, and maybe more importantlly, the passion for good writing. I could not care less for him being a greek or chinese, but his book makes me proud nonetheless. Read it and travel with it.

John Malathronas achieves the right balance of memoir and cultural survey in "Brazil: Life, Blood, and Soul." If only all travel writing was so colorful! I read Malathronas's book on a recent trip through Brazil, and found that he answered many of my questions better than the standard Lonely Planet or Fodor's-type guides. In fact, the historical details that he wove throughout were far better than I had expected.

I suspect that some readers may be put off by the casual sex and one-night stands that the author engages in (whose homosexuality plays a big part in this travelogue). Then again, he has a unique perspective and doesn't shy away from writing honestly about his experiences in Brazil. Highly recommended for those looking for an alternative to boring travel guides.