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Navegação de Cabotagem: Apontamentos Para Um Livro De Memórias Que Jamais Escreverei
Madrid. 1995. Alianza. 20x13. 510p.
- GenresBiography
574 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 1995
6 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Jorge Amado
151 books1,626 followersJorge Amado was a modernist Brazilian writer. He remains one of the most read and translated Brazilian authors, second only to Paulo Coelho. In his style of fictional novelist, however, there is no parallel in Brazil. His work was further popularized by highly successful film and TV adaptations.
He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1961 until his death in 2001. In 1994, his work was recognized with the Camões Prize, the most prestigious award in Portuguese literature.
His literary work presents two distinct phases. In the first, there is a clear social critic and political focus, with works such as Captains of the Sands and Sea of Death standing out.
In his more mature phase, he adopts an aspect of good-humored and sensual chronicler of his people, abandoning ideological motivations, with works such as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.
He was a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters from 1961 until his death in 2001. In 1994, his work was recognized with the Camões Prize, the most prestigious award in Portuguese literature.
His literary work presents two distinct phases. In the first, there is a clear social critic and political focus, with works such as Captains of the Sands and Sea of Death standing out.
In his more mature phase, he adopts an aspect of good-humored and sensual chronicler of his people, abandoning ideological motivations, with works such as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, The Double Death of Quincas Water-Bray and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 19, 2023
I finished reading the beautiful book Navegação de Cabotagem - Apontamentos Para um Livro de Memórias que Jamais Escreverei by Jorge Amado. Despite the title's statement, the book has countless posts, which constitute the memories of the great man and the memorable writer. I say posts because they are small texts in which the writer recalls facts from his life without linearity. The work, however, gives us an extraordinary contextualization of Brazil and the world from the 30s to the 90s.
Internally, he shows his enthusiasm for the Communist Party, its entire membership, and the suffering caused by his choice. Practically all Brazilian intelligentsia and the literary world were militant. Those who were not communists were integralists. In the external scenario, there was enthusiasm for the successes of the Soviet Union, especially those achieved during the Second World War.
A high point in the narratives of his book is the enormous advantages he derives from being a communist writer and the numerous international meetings of writers for peace, which gives him constant encounters with the world's intelligentsia. Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Picasso and Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel Garcia Marques were constant companions, and many others at the same level. His most tremendous success was to have won the Stalin Prize, the highest prize for literature in the Soviet world. This award even served him immunity against the purges that Stalinism promoted against its intellectuals. This prize was later renamed the Lenin Prize. Jorge did not accept the exchange as a matter of historical fidelity. The story does not change.
Another constant point of beauty throughout the book is his relationship with Zélia Gattai. Jorge and Zélia barely know each other after moving in together, regardless of the ties to their previous marriage. Jorge was the son of wealthy cocoa farmers, and his young life was certainly not guided by living in Christian virtues. As a communist, he was materialistic, but he always had a deep admiration and awe for Candomblé. He admired it as a religion conceived without guilt and sin—a "joyful and sinless" faith. The richness of living with Zélia is simply beautiful.
Sensational is the humor that accompanies the writer. Touched by deep feelings, he transfers them to his characters, who are profoundly Brazilian and famous personalities. And that is what made his literature great. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover much of his successes. Self-praise is not his strength. Humor and joy are omnipresent, both in his life and in his work. Much of Gilberto Freyre is in his characters.
That's a profoundly illustrative and pleasant book, which I recommend in a particular way to everyone. I have already expressed my sympathy for memoirs and biographies. But this one deserves perfect tenderness. Great Jorge and great Zélia. After reading this book, I learned a lot about admiring them and feeling, even that holy envy, which is nothing more than deep admiration.
Internally, he shows his enthusiasm for the Communist Party, its entire membership, and the suffering caused by his choice. Practically all Brazilian intelligentsia and the literary world were militant. Those who were not communists were integralists. In the external scenario, there was enthusiasm for the successes of the Soviet Union, especially those achieved during the Second World War.
A high point in the narratives of his book is the enormous advantages he derives from being a communist writer and the numerous international meetings of writers for peace, which gives him constant encounters with the world's intelligentsia. Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Picasso and Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel Garcia Marques were constant companions, and many others at the same level. His most tremendous success was to have won the Stalin Prize, the highest prize for literature in the Soviet world. This award even served him immunity against the purges that Stalinism promoted against its intellectuals. This prize was later renamed the Lenin Prize. Jorge did not accept the exchange as a matter of historical fidelity. The story does not change.
Another constant point of beauty throughout the book is his relationship with Zélia Gattai. Jorge and Zélia barely know each other after moving in together, regardless of the ties to their previous marriage. Jorge was the son of wealthy cocoa farmers, and his young life was certainly not guided by living in Christian virtues. As a communist, he was materialistic, but he always had a deep admiration and awe for Candomblé. He admired it as a religion conceived without guilt and sin—a "joyful and sinless" faith. The richness of living with Zélia is simply beautiful.
Sensational is the humor that accompanies the writer. Touched by deep feelings, he transfers them to his characters, who are profoundly Brazilian and famous personalities. And that is what made his literature great. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover much of his successes. Self-praise is not his strength. Humor and joy are omnipresent, both in his life and in his work. Much of Gilberto Freyre is in his characters.
That's a profoundly illustrative and pleasant book, which I recommend in a particular way to everyone. I have already expressed my sympathy for memoirs and biographies. But this one deserves perfect tenderness. Great Jorge and great Zélia. After reading this book, I learned a lot about admiring them and feeling, even that holy envy, which is nothing more than deep admiration.
May 9, 2017
Longo livro de pequenos episódios recordados por Jorge Amado, sem ordem temática ou cronológica, narrados na primeira pessoa. Lemos episódios dos mais diversos domínios da sua vida: a política, a família, as mulheres, a paixão por Zélia, os congressos de escritores, as viagens, a Academia Brasileira, a libertinagem, os netos, as cidades; escolham um tema, haverá um episódio da vida de Jorge Amado sobre isso neste livro. Lê-se com interesse, e pode ler-se aos poucos. Existem histórias de 4 páginas como de 4 linhas. Muito humor, muitas situações hilariantes, muita política muito aborrecida também, uma vez que já nos encontramos longe no tempo das ditaduras comunistas e guerra fria. Mas vale a pena espreitar este Amado num registo pessoal, por vezes desbocado e despudorado como só os velhos conseguem ser.
August 7, 2022
COMENTÁRIO
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Navegação de Cabotagem
Jorge Amado
Em algumas dezenas de pequenos textos Jorge Amado revisita momentos e lugares da sua história de vida e das pessoas com quem se cruzou. "Navegação de Cabotagem" não é uma autobiografia, nem umas memórias nos sentido clássico do termo. É sim um exercício de recordação e de construção da memória que o escritor baiano resolveu nos deixar.
Sendo uma leitura bastante fragmentada, foi maravilhosa a aprendizagem que fui fazendo ao longo destas páginas.
Jorge Amado não esconde nestes textos as sua filiações políticas, bem como as amizades que foi cultivando ao longo da vida. Interessante que entre os escritores portugueses mais próximos, e que mais referes sejam Ferreira de Castro e António Alçada Baptista, deixando de parte os membros do neo-realismo português (com a excepção no texto de uma referência a Fernando Namora).
"Navegação de Cabotagem" é por isso mesmo uma boa leitura que nos acompanha na vida e nas desventuras de um dos mais queridos autores brasileiros. Para mim enquanto leitor de Amado foi bom voltar a "escutar" a sua voz sábia.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Navegação de Cabotagem
Jorge Amado
Em algumas dezenas de pequenos textos Jorge Amado revisita momentos e lugares da sua história de vida e das pessoas com quem se cruzou. "Navegação de Cabotagem" não é uma autobiografia, nem umas memórias nos sentido clássico do termo. É sim um exercício de recordação e de construção da memória que o escritor baiano resolveu nos deixar.
Sendo uma leitura bastante fragmentada, foi maravilhosa a aprendizagem que fui fazendo ao longo destas páginas.
Jorge Amado não esconde nestes textos as sua filiações políticas, bem como as amizades que foi cultivando ao longo da vida. Interessante que entre os escritores portugueses mais próximos, e que mais referes sejam Ferreira de Castro e António Alçada Baptista, deixando de parte os membros do neo-realismo português (com a excepção no texto de uma referência a Fernando Namora).
"Navegação de Cabotagem" é por isso mesmo uma boa leitura que nos acompanha na vida e nas desventuras de um dos mais queridos autores brasileiros. Para mim enquanto leitor de Amado foi bom voltar a "escutar" a sua voz sábia.
September 26, 2017
This is definitely a book for you if you are among those who have already read at least a couple of Amado’s novels. This book is more of a memoir recollection in the most direct sense of a word. It consists of random notes not in chronological, geographical order, or in any other logical order. There are notes on the history of creation of some of his own works (including possible alternatives of the plots) as well as contemporary writers novel, reminiscence of childhood, accounts of occasional “rendezvous” with friends (famous ones and not so) and political companions, love affairs with women. Political notes occupy important part of the total number of reminiscence notes due to Amado’s avid inclination towards political games. Though Amado never strived for prizes or prestigious awards and accolades, nevertheless he had got a plethora of them, being the member of all possible literature organizations in Europe, North and South America and USSR. Honestly, impressing. It also contains random reflections on such various matters as curtesy, theft on airplanes, friendship, love in marriage, abundance of spicy details of his personal life (as well as of the lives of his companions), Brazilian art, good wine, practical jokes, Bahian pottery art and countless other important and not topics. What I love about it, it’s definitely a wonderful, luscious, sometimes naughty humor.
Recommended!
Recommended!
September 13, 2021
Um livro divertido e intimista que te aproxima do autor. Me diverti muito. Pequenos relatos envolvendo de Nerudo a Picasso! Gosto mais do Jorge Amdao depois de ler...
September 6, 2023
Đọc tàm tạm. Có cảm giác như tác giả không dành nhiều tâm huyết vào cuốn sách này
September 17, 2025
Um dos meus livros preferidos
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews