Erico Verissimo
Encyclopedia
Erico Verissimo was an important Brazilian writer, born in the State of Rio Grande do Sul
. His father, Sebastião Veríssimo da Fonseca, heir of a rich family in Cruz Alta
, Rio Grande do Sul
, met financial ruin during his son's youth. Veríssimo worked in a pharmacy before obtaining a job at Editora Globo
, a book publisher, where he translated and released works of writers like Aldous Huxley
. During the Second World War
, he went to the United States. This period of his life was recorded in some of his books, including: Gato Preto em Campo de Neve ("Black Cat in a Snow Field"), A Volta do Gato Preto ("The Return of the Black Cat"), and História da Literatura Brasileira ("History of Brazilian Literature"), which contains some of his lectures at UCLA
. His epic O Tempo e o Vento
("The Time and the Wind'") became one of the great masterpieces of the Brazilian novel, alongside Os Sertões
by Euclides da Cunha
, and Grande Sertão: Veredas by Guimarães Rosa.
Four of Veríssimo's works, Time and the Wind, Night, Mexico, and His Excellency, the Ambassador, were translated into the English language by Linton Lomas Barrett
.
He was the father of another famous writer of Rio Grande do Sul, Luis Fernando Veríssimo
.
because of the need to work.
Veríssimo settled in Cruz Alta
as the owner of a drugstore
, but was unsuccessful. He then moved to Porto Alegre
in 1930, willing to live solely by selling his writing. There he began to live around writers of renown, such as Mário Quintana
, Augusto Meyer
, Guilhermino César and others. In the following year, he was hired to occupy the position of secretary of edition of the Revista do Globo, of which he would become editor in 1933. He then undertook the whole editorial project at Editora Globo
, propelling its nationwide fame.
He published his first work, Fantoches ("Puppets"), in 1932, with a sequence of short stories
, mostly in the form of short plays
. The following year, he saw his first great success with the romance
Clarissa.
Veríssimo married in 1931 to Mafalda Volpe and had two children, Luis Fernando Veríssimo
, also a writer, and Clarissa.
In 1943 he moved with his family to the US, where he gave lessons on Brazilian Literature
in the University of Berkeley, until 1945. Between 1953 and 1956 he was director of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Organization of American States
, in Washington, D.C.
. From these trips and from the stay in the US, two books originated: Gato Preto em Campo de Neve ("Black Cat in a Snow Field") in 1941, and A Volta do Gato Preto ("The Return of the Black Cat") in 1947.
His historical trilogy
O Tempo e o Vento
("The Time and the Wind") is considered as his greatest work
, written in the period of 1949-1961, from which arose primordial characters such as Ana Terra and Capitão Rodrigo that went on to become popular amongst his readers.
In 1965 Veríssimo published the romance O Senhor Embaixador ("His Excellency, the Ambassador"), in which he reflected upon the deviations of Latin America
.
In the romance Incidente em Antares ("Incident in Antares"), written in 1971, he traces a parallel with Brazilian politics with the use of fantasy
, with the rebellion of corpses during a strike of the gravekeepers, in the fictitious city of Antares.
After suffering from a heart attack in 1975, Veríssimo was unable to complete the second volume of his autobiography
entitled Solo de Clarineta ("Clarinet Solo"), which was intended to be a trilogy, apart from a romance which would be entitled A Hora do Sétimo Anjo ("The Hour of the Seventh Angel").
Érico Veríssimo's books have been translated to German, Spanish, Finnish, French, Dutch, Hungarian, Indonesian, English, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian and Czech.
Short Stories
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
. His father, Sebastião Veríssimo da Fonseca, heir of a rich family in Cruz Alta
Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul
Cruz Alta is a municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cruz Alta.It is the birthplace of the writer Érico Veríssimo and of Júlio Prates de Castilhos, a journalist and politician....
, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, met financial ruin during his son's youth. Veríssimo worked in a pharmacy before obtaining a job at Editora Globo
Editora Globo
The Editora Globo is a respected Brazilian publishing house, property of Fundação Roberto Marinho. It began as a bookstore called Livraria do Globo, created in Porto Alegre, in December 1883, by Laudelino Pinheiro de Barcellos and Saturnino Alves Pinto.-History:The bookstore "Livraria do Globo"...
, a book publisher, where he translated and released works of writers like Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
. During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he went to the United States. This period of his life was recorded in some of his books, including: Gato Preto em Campo de Neve ("Black Cat in a Snow Field"), A Volta do Gato Preto ("The Return of the Black Cat"), and História da Literatura Brasileira ("History of Brazilian Literature"), which contains some of his lectures at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. His epic O Tempo e o Vento
O Tempo e o Vento
O Tempo e o Vento is a series of novels written by the Brazilian author Erico Verissimo. Confusingly, the first part of the series, O Continente, was translated as Time and the Wind, giving the impression that it is the whole work.-Plot introduction:The series tells the story of two families -...
("The Time and the Wind'") became one of the great masterpieces of the Brazilian novel, alongside Os Sertões
Os Sertões
Os Sertões is a book written by the Brazilian author Euclides da Cunha, widely considered one of the greatest achievements of Brazilian and even World literature...
by Euclides da Cunha
Euclides da Cunha
Euclides da Cunha was a Brazilian writer, sociologist and engineer. His most important work is Os Sertões , a non-fictional account of the military expeditions promoted by the Brazilian government against the rebellious village of Canudos, known as the War of Canudos...
, and Grande Sertão: Veredas by Guimarães Rosa.
Four of Veríssimo's works, Time and the Wind, Night, Mexico, and His Excellency, the Ambassador, were translated into the English language by Linton Lomas Barrett
Linton Lomas Barrett
Linton Lomas Barrett, Ph.D. was an influential educator, administrator, diplomat, editor, Hispanist and translator of Romance languages....
.
He was the father of another famous writer of Rio Grande do Sul, Luis Fernando Veríssimo
Luis Fernando Verissimo
Luís Fernando Veríssimo is a Brazilian writer.Verissimo is the son of Brazilian writer Erico Verissimo and lived with his father in the United States during his childhood....
.
Biography
Érico Veríssimo was the son of Sebastião Veríssimo da Fonseca and Abegahy Lopes Veríssimo. He was born into a wealthy family that went bankrupt, and consequentially didn't manage to complete secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
because of the need to work.
Veríssimo settled in Cruz Alta
Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul
Cruz Alta is a municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cruz Alta.It is the birthplace of the writer Érico Veríssimo and of Júlio Prates de Castilhos, a journalist and politician....
as the owner of a drugstore
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, but was unsuccessful. He then moved to Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
in 1930, willing to live solely by selling his writing. There he began to live around writers of renown, such as Mário Quintana
Mario Quintana
Mario de Miranda Quintana , was a Brazilian writer and translator. He became known as the poet of "simple things", and his style is marked by irony, profundity and technical perfection. The main themes of his poetry include death, the lost childhood and time...
, Augusto Meyer
Augusto Meyer
Augusto Meyer was a Brazilian poet, journalist, and folklorist...
, Guilhermino César and others. In the following year, he was hired to occupy the position of secretary of edition of the Revista do Globo, of which he would become editor in 1933. He then undertook the whole editorial project at Editora Globo
Editora Globo
The Editora Globo is a respected Brazilian publishing house, property of Fundação Roberto Marinho. It began as a bookstore called Livraria do Globo, created in Porto Alegre, in December 1883, by Laudelino Pinheiro de Barcellos and Saturnino Alves Pinto.-History:The bookstore "Livraria do Globo"...
, propelling its nationwide fame.
He published his first work, Fantoches ("Puppets"), in 1932, with a sequence of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, mostly in the form of short plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
. The following year, he saw his first great success with the romance
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
Clarissa.
Veríssimo married in 1931 to Mafalda Volpe and had two children, Luis Fernando Veríssimo
Luis Fernando Verissimo
Luís Fernando Veríssimo is a Brazilian writer.Verissimo is the son of Brazilian writer Erico Verissimo and lived with his father in the United States during his childhood....
, also a writer, and Clarissa.
In 1943 he moved with his family to the US, where he gave lessons on Brazilian Literature
Brazilian literature
Brazilian literature is written in the Portuguese language by Brazilians or in Brazil, even if prior to Brazil's independence from Portugal, in 1822...
in the University of Berkeley, until 1945. Between 1953 and 1956 he was director of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. From these trips and from the stay in the US, two books originated: Gato Preto em Campo de Neve ("Black Cat in a Snow Field") in 1941, and A Volta do Gato Preto ("The Return of the Black Cat") in 1947.
His historical trilogy
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
O Tempo e o Vento
O Tempo e o Vento
O Tempo e o Vento is a series of novels written by the Brazilian author Erico Verissimo. Confusingly, the first part of the series, O Continente, was translated as Time and the Wind, giving the impression that it is the whole work.-Plot introduction:The series tells the story of two families -...
("The Time and the Wind") is considered as his greatest work
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
, written in the period of 1949-1961, from which arose primordial characters such as Ana Terra and Capitão Rodrigo that went on to become popular amongst his readers.
In 1965 Veríssimo published the romance O Senhor Embaixador ("His Excellency, the Ambassador"), in which he reflected upon the deviations of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
In the romance Incidente em Antares ("Incident in Antares"), written in 1971, he traces a parallel with Brazilian politics with the use of fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, with the rebellion of corpses during a strike of the gravekeepers, in the fictitious city of Antares.
After suffering from a heart attack in 1975, Veríssimo was unable to complete the second volume of his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
entitled Solo de Clarineta ("Clarinet Solo"), which was intended to be a trilogy, apart from a romance which would be entitled A Hora do Sétimo Anjo ("The Hour of the Seventh Angel").
Works
His works have been compiled in three different occasions:- Obras de Erico Verissimo ("Works of Érico Veríssimo") – 1956 (17 volumes)
- Obras completas ("Complete Works") – 1961 (10 volumes)
- Ficção completa ("Complete Fiction")– 1966 (5 volumes)
Érico Veríssimo's books have been translated to German, Spanish, Finnish, French, Dutch, Hungarian, Indonesian, English, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Romanian, Russian and Czech.
Short stories
- Fantoches ("Puppets")
- As mãos de meu filho ("My Son's Hands")
- O ataque ("The Attack")
- Os devaneios do general ("The reveries of the general")
Novels
- Clarissa – 1933
- Caminhos Cruzados ("Crossed Paths") – 1935
- Música ao Longe ("Music From Afar") – 1936
- Um Lugar ao Sol ("A Place in the Sun")– 1936
- Olhai os Lírios do Campo ("Behold the Lilies of the Field")– 1938
- Saga – 1940
- O Resto É Silêncio| ("The Rest is Silence") – 1943
- O Tempo e o VentoO Tempo e o VentoO Tempo e o Vento is a series of novels written by the Brazilian author Erico Verissimo. Confusingly, the first part of the series, O Continente, was translated as Time and the Wind, giving the impression that it is the whole work.-Plot introduction:The series tells the story of two families -...
(The Time and the Wind"):- O continente ("The Continent") – 1949
- O Retrato ("The Portrait") – 1951
- O Arquipélago ("The Archipelago") – 1961
- Noite ("Night") - 1954 (the versions published in Portugal contain also "A Sonata" ("The Sonata"), a short story written by a solitary music teacher, that sees himself transported to the past, to the year of his birth, where he falls in love for a beautiful woman)
- O Senhor EmbaixadorO Senhor EmbaixadorO Senhor Embaixador is a novel by Erico Verissimo, about the history of the fictional Republic of Sacramento...
("His Majesty, the Ambassador") – 1965 - O Prisoneiro ("The Prisoner") – 1967
- Incidente em Antares ("Incident in Antares") – 1971
Children's literature
- A vida de Joana d'Arc – 1935
- As AVenturas do Avião Vermelho – 1936
- Os Três Porquinhos Pobres – 1936
- Rosa Maria no Castelo Encantado – 1936
- Meu ABC – 1936
- As Aventuras de Tibicuera – 1937
- O Urso com Música na Barriga – 1938
- A Vida do Elefante Basílio – 1939
- Outra vez os três porquinhos – 1939
- Viagem à aurora do mundo – 1939
- Aventuras no mundo da higiene – 1939
- Gente e bichos – 1956
Travel literature
- Gato Preto em Campo de Neve – 1941
- A Volta do Gato Preto – 1946
- México – 1957
- Israel em Abril – 1969
Autobiographies
- O escritor diante do espelho – 1966 (in "Ficção Completa")
- Solo de Clarineta – Memórias (Volume I) – 1973
- Solo de clarineta – Memórias (Volume II) – 1976 (posthumous edition, organized by Flávio L. Chaves)
Essays
- Brazilian Literature: an Outline – 1945
- Mundo velho sem porteira – 1973
- Breve história da literatura brasileira
Translations
Romances- The Ringer, by Edgar WallaceEdgar WallaceRichard Horatio Edgar Wallace was an English crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and numerous articles in newspapers and journals....
– 1931 - The Crimson Circle, by Edgar Wallace – 1931
- The Door with Seven Locks, by Edgar Wallace – 1931
- Jahrgang 1902, by Ernst Glaeser – 1933
- Point Counter PointPoint Counter PointPoint Counter Point is a novel by Aldous Huxley, first published in 1928. It is Huxley's longest novel, and was notably more complex and serious than his earlier fiction....
, by Aldous HuxleyAldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
– 1934 - Kleiner Mann, Was nun?, by Hans FalladaHans FalladaHans Fallada , born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen in Greifswald, Germany, was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include Little Man, What Now? and Every Man Dies Alone...
– 1937 - We Are Not AloneWe Are Not Alone (novel)We Are Not Alone is a novel by James Hilton, first published in 1937. It is one of his more somber works, portraying the tragic consequences of anti-foreign hysteria in England during World War I....
, by James HiltonJames HiltonJames Hilton was an English novelist who wrote several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.-Biography:...
– 1940 - Goodbye Mr. Chips, by James Hilton – 1940
- Of Mice and MenOf Mice and MenOf Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
, by John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
– 1940 - Portrait of JenniePortrait of JenniePortrait of Jennie is a 1948 fantasy film based on the novella by Robert Nathan. The film was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick. It stars Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten.-Plot:...
, by Robert NathanRobert NathanRobert Gruntal Nathan was an American novelist and poet.-Biography:Nathan was born into a prominent New York family. He was educated in the United States and Switzerland and attended Harvard University for several years beginning in 1912. It was there that he began writing short fiction and poetry...
– 1942 - They Shoot Horses, Don't They?They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (novel)They Shoot Horses, Don't They? is a novel written by Horace McCoy and first published in 1935. The story mainly concerns a dance marathon during the Great Depression...
, by Horace McCoyHorace McCoyHorace McCoy was an American writer whose hardboiled novels took place during the Great Depression. His best-known novel is They Shoot Horses, Don't They? , which was made into a movie of the same name in 1969, fourteen years after McCoy's death.-Early life:McCoy was born in Pegram, Tennessee...
– 1947 - Then and Now, by Somerset Maugham – 1948
- The Clue of the New Pin), by Edgar Wallace – 1956
Short Stories
- PsychologyPsychology (short story)Psychology is a 1920 short story by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published in Bliss and Other Stories.-Plot summary:A man visits a woman for tea. He tells her this is the only place he pays attention to in terms of its furniture and so on. He also loves her 'little boy'...
, by Katherine MansfieldKatherine MansfieldKathleen Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. Mansfield left for Great Britain in 1908 where she encountered Modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and...
– 1939 (Revista do Globo) - BlissBliss (short story)Bliss is a modernist short story by Katherine Mansfield, first published in 1920. It was first published in the English Review in August 1918 and later reprinted in Bliss and Other Stories.-Plot summary:...
, by Katherine Mansfield – 1940 - Her First BallHer First BallHer First Ball is a 1921 short story by Katherine Mansfield. It was first published in The Sphere on 28 November 1921, and later reprinted in The Garden Party and Other Stories.-Plot summary:Her First Ball – summary...
, by Katherine Mansfield – 1940 (Revista do Globo)