Brazil through the eyes of a centenarian

• Book: Spilt Milk
• Location: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
• Author: Chico Buarque

Review Author: Isabella Orff

This is a fairly short novel (novella perhaps) that is written in short bursts through the eyes of a centenarian Eulálio D’Assumpção (I hope I have all the accents and cedillas in the right place). He talks to his daughter, he talks to the wall of his hospital/nursing home, he longs for Matilde his belle. He reminisces about the history of Brazil, certain interludes, he grapples with the relationship he had with his Mother. An undertow of malign and anger pepper the text. I enjoyed parts, I think that if I knew more about Brazil I would have got greater pleasure. It is quite difficult to not identify with being this old, and the future is scary (but cocaine might help as it did Eulálio!).

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