Rio de Janeiro, setting for the author's fiction
Winning the Game and Other Stories - outstanding collection of seventeen sizzling yarns penned by one of the giants of Brazilian literature - Rubem Fonseca.
There
are two stories featuring the great Mandrake, an offbeat, intellectual
lawyer who likes playing detective when he's not playing chess with
luscious, beautiful women who instantly fall in love with him. There's
also a intriguing novella with the provocative title, The Art of Walking in the Streets of Rio de Janeiro. Again, more than a dozen fictional gut-wrenchers. Here's a few words on several of their number -
MANDRAKE
"I
was white and had fianchettoed my bishop. Berta was mounting a strong
center pawn position." This is how the tale opens, with Mandrake's brief
yet tantalizing observation while lounging in his plush Rio penthouse.
The intrigue lies on two fronts: he employs the less common chess
vocabulary to depict the diagonal movement of his bishop and informs us
that his opponent is Berta — a woman we will quickly discover to be
gorgeous, curvaceous (imagine a perfectly sculpted yoga teacher), and,
oh, so possessive. Mandrake must swing into action when he learns of a
murder connected with one of the city's wealthiest and most influential
business and political leaders. And this old man has a alluring,
beautiful daughter, a blonde Mandrake meets and it's love at first
sight. Oh, Mandrake! You're such a romantic.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
The
main character, a man, is hired to protect a wealthy owner of a vast
estate, a woman so frightened she can't be left alone for more than a
few minutes. But he's also working for her sister who's out for her
blood. A memorable tale with a bundle of twists along with a corpse or
two.
MARTA
One of my favorites in the collection, a tale that
starts off with an exchange between a man who refers to himself as an
incorrigible romantic and a woman calling herself Louise Brooks since
she looks a bit like the famous film star by that name. They meet in his
apartment. And here's where the fun begins. Louise spikes the
incorrigible romantic's drink as a first step in cleaning him out.
However, since Rubem Fonseca spent time as a police officer and city
detective as a young man, he isn't about to let Louise work her
deviousness as planned. Wow! What an ending.
PASSION
The
narrator, a gent I'll call Afonso, is an unpublished writer who once has
the ambition to be one of the great Brazilian novelists. Although he
didn't love her, not even close, Afonso married Nelly for her money. And
Nelly was ugly - drooping breasts, flaccid ass, large belly. Afonso
suggested she submit to plastic surgery. Nelly replied bitingly, "You
think I'm some kind of Botoxed social butterfly? I'm a professional, a
famous lawyer, respected, who makes a living by working." Ouch! Afonso,
the unemployed failed writer feels the sting. But when Afonso meets
Michele, the girl of his dreams, one thing becomes clear: Nelly the
famous, flaccid ass must be done away with. Afonso consults his friend, a
doctor who devises a surefire plan. How will it turn out? Rubem Fonseca
must have had a blast inserting a number of dramatic twists.
WINNING THE GAME
The
tale begins: "When I'm not reading some book I get from the public
library I watch one of those TV programs that show the life of the rich,
their mansions, the cars, the horses, the yachts, the jewels, the
paintings, the rare furniture, the silverware, the wine cellar, the
servants. It's impressive how well served the rich are." Rubem Fonseca
incorporates much social and cultural commentary, including (no
surprise) the bitter resentment the poor have for those with gobs of
money.
Rubem Fonseca, 1925-2020
Comments
Post a Comment