Jorge Amado

Jorge Amado (1912-2001), Brazilian novelist, noted for works based on life in his native state of Bahia. Starkly realistic, often ironic, and displaying deep psychological insight, his novels reflect a continuing sense of social injustice. Amado was imprisoned as early as 1935 for his left-wing activities. He was periodically exiled from Brazil, but he also maintained a career in radical politics, which included representing the Communist party of Brazil as a federal deputy in the Constituent Assembly in 1946. Terras do Sem-Fin (1944; The Violent Land, 1945), often considered his masterpiece, depicts the harsh life of workers on the cacao plantations. Other works include Gabriela, cravo e canela (1958; Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, 1962), about urban social and political transition; Os velhos marinheiros (1960; Home is the Sailor, 1964); Os pastores da noite (1964; Shepherds of the Night, 1967); and Dona Flor e seus dois maridos (1966; Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, 1969), which was later made into a film. Many of these mix Naturalistic themes and ribald humour.