Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Pb [Paperback]

Jorge Amado (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1986

It surprises no one that the charming but wayward Vadinho dos Guimaraes–a gambler notorious for never winning—dies during Carnival. His long suffering widow Dona Flor devotes herself to her cooking school and her friends, who urge her to remarry. She is soon drawn to a kind pharmacist who is everything Vadinho was not, and is altogether happy to marry him. But after her wedding she finds herself dreaming about her first husband’s amorous attentions; and one evening Vadinho himself appears by her bed, as lusty as ever, to claim his marital rights.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Bawdy, brilliant, human and humorous . . . full of unexpected delights--everything a modern novel should be."–The Denver Post

“A charismatic storyteller. . . . No other Latin American writer is more genuinely admired by his peers, nor has any other exerted so great a creative influence on the course of Latin American fiction."–The New York Times Book Review

"A sentimental masterpiece."–Los Angeles Times;

"Poetic, comical and very human."–Chicago Tribune

“One of the greatest writers . . . also one of the most entertaining.” –Mario Vargas Llosa --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Portugese (translation)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 553 pages
• Publisher: Serpents Tail (December 31, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852421037
• ISBN-13: 978-1852421038
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,218,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jorge Amado's best, December 28, 1997

By 

C. J. Peiffer (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Pb (Paperback)

I lived in Brazil for several years and fell in love with Brazilian author Jorge Amado. "Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon" received some notoriety in the U.S. in the 50s or 60s, although Amado hasn't made much of a splash here since then. But his books are wonderful and shouldn't be missed. Apparently Amado was the son of cacao plantation owners, but when he wrote his first works in the 20s exposing land owners for their cruelty to workers, he was more or less disowned. I've read about a dozen of his works. Although each is very different, they seem to have recurring themes. Most take place in Brazil's underdeveloped Northeast, in Bahia or Sergipe. Women are often the heroines. Perhaps in further rebellion against his family, most of his characters are on the seamy side of society ---drunks, prostitutes, street people, con artists. Much of his work includes themes of death although not morbidly so. All are spiced with the superstitions, spells, and magic typical of folk religions that have their roots in the pagan beliefs of Africa transported to Brazil by slaves. "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" attracted some attention when the movie version appeared in the U.S. The Brazilian film, starring Sonia Braga, is one of my all-time favorites. It is funny, melancholy, romantic, and erotic ---but the novel is all that and much more. The story takes place in the 1940s. Flor, who runs a small cooking school in her home in Salvador, is married to Vadinho, who gambles, whores around, takes Flor's money, slaps her around, and is a master con artist who can charm even the padre. His only redeeming quality is that he is great in bed, tapping into Flor's deepest desires. But during one riotous night of Carnaval frivolity, Vadinho drops dead. After a suitable period of mourning, Flor is pursued by Teodoro, a pharmacist who is everything Vadinho was not. Teodoro has a steady job, is responsible and respectable. Only on their wedding night does Flor discover one other way he differs from Vadinho ---he's a dud at making love. Flor, a passionate woman, appeals to the gods for help and eventually figures out how to enjoy both of her husbands. Although the film version does not play up the importance of the gods, the middle of the novel is almost like a Greek play with the gods using humans to resolve their own conflicts. A little background about Brazilian Spiritism will help one understand the gods and their significance. African slaves in Brazil were told they must become Christian or be killed. They, of course, agreed to become Christians, giving their African gods the names of Saints with similar powers or characteristics. Eventually the two religions became intertwined. Many Brazilians worship at Catholic mass and attend ceremonies of Spiritism, Macumba, and Condomble paying homage to African gods and goddesses relying on spirits to help them solve everyday problems. Amado's books are filled with colorful details that enhance the accurate picture he paints of the Brazilian culture. He is wordy, but beautifully so. He won't appeal to someone interested in a fast read, but for those who love a good story, spiced with exotic details, unusual characters, comedy, emotion, and raw passion, "Dona Flor" is a gem, in my opinion the best of Amado's many novels. Other good options are "Gabriela Clove and Cinnamon", "Tieta Home from the Wars", "Sea of Death", and "The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell".

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A big, lusty novel of Brazilian life, July 20, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (Mass Market Paperback)

"Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands," by Jorge Amado, is a richly entertaining novel. The book has been translated into English by Harriet de Onis. "Dona Flor" tells the story of the title character, a cooking instructor who is widowed and who eventually contemplates remarriage.

"Dona Flor" is a big, sensuous, lusty novel that colorfully evokes the food, music, dance, sexual mores, ethnic diversity, and religious diversity of Brazil. Amado creates a huge tapestry of fascinating characters: the admirable Dona Flor; Vadinho, her roguish first husband; Dona Rozilda, her meddling mother; the gossipy Dona Dinora; gambling czar Pelancchi Moulas; and more.

Amado enlivens the novel with many delightful touches. He sprinkles Brazilian recipes into the text, and also offers insights into Candomble, an Afro-Brazilian folk religion with a colorful pantheon of deities.

"Dona Flor" is full of funny, romantic, and sexy scenes. The novel's plot also has an important magical/supernatural element. I highly recommend this novel, especially to those who are interested in Brazilian literature.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Amado, March 26, 2005

By 

Pro Artz (Western PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (Mass Market Paperback)

I lived in Brazil for several years and fell in love with Jorge Amado, a Brazilian author few Americans have heard of, although his novels have been translated into a zillion languages. Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon received some notoriety in the U.S. in the 50s or 60s, although Amado's works have not made much of a splash here since then. But his books are wonderful and shouldn't be missed.
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands attracted some attention when the movie version appeared in the U.S. with English subtitles. The Brazilian film, starring Sonia Braga, is one of my all-time favorites. It is funny, melancholy, romantic, and erotic ---but the novel is all that and much more.
The story takes place in the 1940s. Flor, who runs a cooking school in her home in Salvador, is married to Vadinho, who gambles his wife's money, slaps her around, frequents brothels, and is a master con artist who can charm even the local padre. His only redeeming quality is that he knows exactly how to tap into Flor's deepest sexual desires. But during one riotous night of Carnaval frivolity, Vadinho drops dead.
After a suitable period of mourning, Flor is pursued by Teodoro, a pharmacist who is everything Vadinho was not. Teodoro has a steady job, is responsible, honest, and respectable, and is careful with money. Only on their wedding night does Flor discover one other way he differs from Vadinho ---he's a dud at making love. Flor, a passionate woman, appeals to the gods for help and eventually figures out how to enjoy both of her husbands.

Apparently Amado was the son of cacao plantation owners, but when he wrote his first works in the 20s, exposing land owners for their cruelty to workers, he was more or less disowned.
I've read about a dozen of his works. Although each is very different, they have recurring themes. Most take place in Brazil's underdeveloped Northeast, in Bahia or Sergipe (where I lived in the late 60s). Women are often the heroines. Perhaps in further rebellion against his family, most of his characters are on the seamy side of society ---drunks, prostitutes, street people, con artists. Much of his work includes themes of death, although not morbidly so. All are spiced with the superstitions, spells, and magic typical of folk religions that have their roots in the pagan beliefs of Africa, transported to Brazil by slaves.
Amado's books are filled with colorful details that enhance the accurate picture he paints of the Brazilian culture. He is wordy, but beautifully so. He won't appeal to someone interested in a fast read, but for those who love a good story, spiced with exotic details, unusual characters, comedy, emotion, and raw passion, Dona Flor is a gem, in my opinion the best of Amado's many novels. Other good options are Gabriela Clove and Cinnamon, Tieta Home from the Wars, Sea of Death, and The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell.