Customer Reviews

Twelve Fingers: Biography of an Anarchist

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The original title "O Homem que matou Getulio Vargas" (The man who killed Getulio Vargas) insinuates something very unusual. Everyone who knows that Getulio (one the most popular presidents Brazil has ever had) has commited suicide, would buy the book only because of the title. This history behind this novel is very broad, and only Jo Soares could fit the character on many real facts in a so perfect and funny way, making the reader think that Dimitri realy took part on the scene, like everyone who really did. It's important to point out that "those who really did" are important characters of the world history, such as Al Capone, Mata Hari, Franklin Roosevelt, among others. The fact that Dimitri was kind of clumsy, or I might say "not so lucky", makes the hole book really, really funny. I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys any kind of history, and of course, to every who enjoys commedy (who doesn't?).

The second novel by Brazillian Jo Soares, author of the international bestseller A Samba for Sherlock, Twelve Fingers is an infectious, highly clever, an thoroughly amusing look at one (fictional) man's stumble of a life through some of history's better known events. Dmitri Borja Korozec is our Zelig-like, bumbling, oft-disoriented guide, born in the Balkans at the end of the 19th century to a Brazillian contortionist mother and fanatically nationalist Serbian father, who also happens to be a linotypist. Perhaps too much having been read into Dmitri's being born with 12 fingers (one additional index finger on each hand), he is consequently groomed to be a top-flight anarchist/assassin. Soon we follow the hapless Dimitri from Sarajevo to Paris to Hollywood, unintentionally triggering (or more often, just failing to trigger) a number of the 20th century's more significant events, including the start of WWI, bringing Spanish influenza to America, and bribing the wrong jury to thus ensure Al Capone's conviction. Along the way he manages to rub shoulders, if not bump into, a varied host of real historical figures, from Mata Hari to Marie Curie and Picasso to George Raft. Soares places archival photos throughout, with very amusing captions explaining our (anti-) hero's absence or obscuration in each picture.

I read both of Soare's books and it was surprised to see that 'A Samba For Sherlock' actually got higher remarks. I love this book and while I agree with some of the comments that the story is not much original (Forrest Gump) it's nevertheless a very good plot and some interesting historical facts. Read it, you'll like it!

Jose Eugenio Soares hit the jackpot with "Twelve Fingers," the most off-the-wall historical novel in recent memory. The novel follows the bumbling anarchist around the world, as he accidently spreads mayhem and bumps into many historic figures, and causes quite a few disasters.

Dmitri Borja Korozec was born to a Brazilian contortionist and a Bosnian anarchist, and was perfectly normal except for the extra index finger on each hand. He is hailed as a sort of anarchic messiah to the Black Hand society... except that he's such a klutz that he fails every time. During an important assassination, his two trigger fingers get stuck in the gun, and he fails to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand.

Dmitri leaves (with the gun still stuck), determined to continue the cause, and nearly gets seduced by the legendary Mata Hari. He goes through multiple countries and continents, getting involved with sultry women, trying to kill oppressers and always failing in spectacular ways. To top it off, he is being pursued both by a determined French policeman and a homicidal Indian dwarf.

In outline, "Twelve Fingers" sounds like a perfectly ordinary historical novel -- wars, historical figures, world travel, et cetera. But the humor is in the details. Soares winks at anything that can't wink back, such as having the French cop being the grandson of Victor Hugo's Inspector Javert, or the repeated near-fatal escapes of Motilah the Thug dwarf, who keeps falling off trains.

Soares doesn't let the book descend to basic comedy, however -- no icky jokes, no dumbing down. He includes cameo appearances by Mata Hari, Madame Curie, Picasso, and countless others, with blurry photographs accompanying the text. At the same time, he can deadpan lines that talk about the Italian Kama Sutra's chapter on men with two forefingers (nickname: Il Manusturbatore), and one of the most funniest love scenes I have ever read, complete with corny dialogue and too much alcohol.

Dmitri is a basic Forrest Gump character -- he drifts through life, although the middle of the book could use a bit of a lift. His bumbling can only keep things going so long, but the ending takes a sharp upturn when Dmitri tries to track down his long-lost relative, with shocking (yet somehow unsurprising) results. Supporting characters never get much in the way of personality, but then again, it is a book about the inept anarchist.

If Dmitri weren't such a goofball, it would be easy to imagine him bumbling through World War I-era Europe, leaving a train of mayhem behind him. As it is, Jose Soares' second novel is a rare comic treat.

This book refer to a young boy that was born on Banja Luka, Bósnia, he is different from other children because, he has twelve fingers in his hands, he believes this attribute is a god sign. When he was teen, he went to anarchist school where he learned about making bombs, and to operate guns.
When he was a young man, became odder murderer and accidentally participates of biggest crimes and tragic events of the history between Ferdinando Marcos's murder, the arrest of spy Mata Hari, murder of socialist deputy Jean Jaurés in Paris, in 1914. Picasso draw Dimitri in a napkin, in Brasserie Lipp, in 1917 and Fernando Pessoa participates of an esoteric session in the anarchist's company. He "Helps" the actor George Raft in the filming of Ben-Hur (1925), and Al Capone in the gangsters's world of Chicago. Has participated of the attack, unsuccessful, to the president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in Miami.
The book is a travel on the world modern history, the author with his singular culture make the reader enjoy a lot while reading. The book is a great classic of Brazilian literature; and the author is considered one of the smarter man in Brazil.

The first 100 pages of this picaresque are hilarious, then it begins to run out of steam. The running joke, that the protagonist is too incompatent to carry off any assasination, is not funny enough to carry an entire book. After Dimitri bungled his second assasination attempt I became bored sensing that there were no more surprises in store, and there weren't. Some of the historical references are interesting and others are flat. People who have never seen Zelig or Forrest Gump might find this story original, but it isn't. There is a theory among Brazilian television comedians like Jo Soares that there are only a limited number of jokes in the world and that they can be repeated over and over again with slight variations and people will still laugh. 12 Fingers suggests otherwise.