The Devil to Pay in the Backlands: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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{{quote| ''“Do you know, sir, why I had gone to those places? You needn’t ask, I’ll tell you. How is it that you can like the true in the false? Friendship with the illusion of disillusionment? I had it easy, but with dreams that left me tired. The sort from which you wake up slowly. Love? A bird that lays iron eggs. It was worse when I started staying awake all night, not able to sleep. Diadorim was one of those inscrutable persons —he never revealed his inner thoughts, nor what he was surmising. I think I was that way too. Did I really want to know him? I did and I didn’t. Not even if you bury it in silence can a thing that doesn’t make sense be dealt with.”''}}
{{quote| ''“Do you know, sir, why I had gone to those places? You needn’t ask, I’ll tell you. How is it that you can like the true in the false? Friendship with the illusion of disillusionment? I had it easy, but with dreams that left me tired. The sort from which you wake up slowly. Love? A bird that lays iron eggs. It was worse when I started staying awake all night, not able to sleep. Diadorim was one of those inscrutable persons —he never revealed his inner thoughts, nor what he was surmising. I think I was that way too. Did I really want to know him? I did and I didn’t. Not even if you bury it in silence can a thing that doesn’t make sense be dealt with.”''}}


[[File:21_MHG_tonybrunca_7552.jpg|frame|Riobaldo and Diadorim, as they appear in the [[Miniseries|miniseries]].]]
[[File:21_MHG_tonybrunca_7552.jpg|frame|Riobaldo and Diadorim, as they appear in the [[miniseries]].]]


Acclaimed as one of the most important books ever written in Portuguese language -- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/may/08/books.booksnews maybe in the whole world] -- and compared to works like ''[[The Iliad (Literature)|The Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', ''The Devil To Pay In The Backlands'' (''Grande Sertão: Veredas'', or ''Big Backcountry: Tracks'' in English) had its first edition published in 1956, being the only novel written by the [[Useful Notes/Brazil|Brazilian]] author João Guimarães Rosa.
Acclaimed as one of the most important books ever written in Portuguese language -- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/may/08/books.booksnews maybe in the whole world] -- and compared to works like ''[[The Iliad]]'' and the ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', ''The Devil To Pay In The Backlands'' (''Grande Sertão: Veredas'', or ''Big Backcountry: Tracks'' in English) had its first edition published in 1956, being the only novel written by the [[Useful Notes/Brazil|Brazilian]] author João Guimarães Rosa.


The book is best know for mixing [[Neologism|Neologisms]] with orality in [[Anachronic Order|a non-linear narrative]], making it [[Mind Screw|very difficult to understand]] at first reading, and for [[Doorstopper|its more than 600 pages]]. It's also [[What Do You Mean It's Not Didactic?|studied in Brazilian schools]].
The book is best know for mixing [[Neologism|Neologisms]] with orality in [[Anachronic Order|a non-linear narrative]], making it [[Mind Screw|very difficult to understand]] at first reading, and for [[Doorstopper|its more than 600 pages]]. It's also [[What Do You Mean It's Not Didactic?|studied in Brazilian schools]].
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* [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroes]]: Mostly of the jagunços. They can kill you for money or for any other reason - but mostly for money - and do your ladies, but they can also give you food, protection and -- well -- money.
* [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroes]]: Mostly of the jagunços. They can kill you for money or for any other reason - but mostly for money - and do your ladies, but they can also give you food, protection and -- well -- money.
* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: All the jagunços's leaders are pretty awesome. The leader of the leaders is even compared to God.
* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: All the jagunços's leaders are pretty awesome. The leader of the leaders is even compared to God.
* [[Attractive Bent Gender]]: {{spoiler|Diadorim is a case of [[Sweet On Polly Oliver]] by herself, but when played by Bruna Lombardi, she's even more [http://www.redebrasilatual.com.br/revistas/44/imagens/GrandeSerto_VeredasBrunaLombardiI0003710.jpg attractive]}}.
* [[Attractive Bent Gender]]: {{spoiler|Diadorim is a case of [[Sweet on Polly Oliver]] by herself, but when played by Bruna Lombardi, she's even more [http://www.redebrasilatual.com.br/revistas/44/imagens/GrandeSerto_VeredasBrunaLombardiI0003710.jpg attractive]}}.
* [[Author Avatar]]: One can believe that the man listening to Riobaldo's narrative is João Guimarães Rosa.
* [[Author Avatar]]: One can believe that the man listening to Riobaldo's narrative is João Guimarães Rosa.
* [[Badass Adorable]]: Diadorim likes birds and is lovely with children, but don't try to fight him.
* [[Badass Adorable]]: Diadorim likes birds and is lovely with children, but don't try to fight him.
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* [[Crossing the Desert]]: Not quite a desert, but is a extremely dry and big land, {{spoiler|and a lot of characters die trying to cross the place}}.
* [[Crossing the Desert]]: Not quite a desert, but is a extremely dry and big land, {{spoiler|and a lot of characters die trying to cross the place}}.
* [[Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: Joca Ramiro had a good reason for abandoning Diadorim.
* [[Daddy Had a Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: Joca Ramiro had a good reason for abandoning Diadorim.
* [[Deal With the Devil]]: Did by Hermógenes and, later, {{spoiler|Riobaldo}}.
* [[Deal with the Devil]]: Did by Hermógenes and, later, {{spoiler|Riobaldo}}.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Riobaldo didn't know his father and really didn't care about it. When his mother died, he went to live with his godfather and discovered he was his father, in the end. Then he just runs away.
* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Riobaldo didn't know his father and really didn't care about it. When his mother died, he went to live with his godfather and discovered he was his father, in the end. Then he just runs away.
* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]: Hermógenes, maybe because [[Anachronic Order|we already know he is going to kill Joca Ramiro before his first appearance]].
* [[Devil in Plain Sight]]: Hermógenes, maybe because [[Anachronic Order|we already know he is going to kill Joca Ramiro before his first appearance]].
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* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Riobaldo sees himself and Diadorim as this trope for a long time.
* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Riobaldo sees himself and Diadorim as this trope for a long time.
* [[Holding Hands]]: You saw the image of this page .
* [[Holding Hands]]: You saw the image of this page .
* [[Hooker With a Heart of Gold]]: Nhorinhá.
* [[Hooker with a Heart of Gold]]: Nhorinhá.
* [[I Have Your Wife]]: Not in the usual way, because it's the [[Anti-Hero|heroes]] who kidnap Hermógenes's wife to use her as bait. Eventually, she [[Badass Adorable|becomes Diadorim's friend]].
* [[I Have Your Wife]]: Not in the usual way, because it's the [[Anti-Hero|heroes]] who kidnap Hermógenes's wife to use her as bait. Eventually, she [[Badass Adorable|becomes Diadorim's friend]].
* [[It's the Journey That Counts]]: {{spoiler|The very last word of the book}}.
* [[It's the Journey That Counts]]: {{spoiler|The very last word of the book}}.
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* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]
* [[Loads and Loads of Characters]]
* [[Love Triangle]]: Otacília loves Riobaldo, who likes her and could even love her back if he wasn't already in love with Diadorim - who seems to love him too - but he has his own reasons - besides they being both male - to stay quiet.
* [[Love Triangle]]: Otacília loves Riobaldo, who likes her and could even love her back if he wasn't already in love with Diadorim - who seems to love him too - but he has his own reasons - besides they being both male - to stay quiet.
* [[Meaningful Rename]]: After {{spoiler|the [[Deal With the Devil]]}}, Riobaldo claims to be "The White Rattler".
* [[Meaningful Rename]]: After {{spoiler|the [[Deal with the Devil]]}}, Riobaldo claims to be "The White Rattler".
* [[Neologism]]: João Guimarães Rosa's works in a whole are well known for including a lot of neologisms, mostly of them very hard to translate, since they are all made-up to work in Portuguese.
* [[Neologism]]: João Guimarães Rosa's works in a whole are well known for including a lot of neologisms, mostly of them very hard to translate, since they are all made-up to work in Portuguese.
* [[No Periods, Period]]: How {{spoiler|Diadorim}} hid it every month?.
* [[No Periods, Period]]: How {{spoiler|Diadorim}} hid it every month?.
* [[Not So Different]]: Hermógenes was a fucking killer and made a deal with the devil, but {{spoiler|Riobaldo}} was not so different.
* [[Not So Different]]: Hermógenes was a fucking killer and made a deal with the devil, but {{spoiler|Riobaldo}} was not so different.
* [[Once More With Endnotes]]: Sometimes; to explain that things like "dan''s''e" were on purpose.
* [[Once More with Endnotes]]: Sometimes; to explain that things like "dan''s''e" were on purpose.
* [[Only Known By Their Nickname]]: It would be difficult to find characters with real names.
* [[Only Known by Their Nickname]]: It would be difficult to find characters with real names.
* [[Properly Paranoid]]: Riobaldo and all his religious anguish, that makes him go to extremes such as pay two women to pray for him every day. It makes sense, {{spoiler|since he belives he has sold his soul to the devil}}.
* [[Properly Paranoid]]: Riobaldo and all his religious anguish, that makes him go to extremes such as pay two women to pray for him every day. It makes sense, {{spoiler|since he belives he has sold his soul to the devil}}.
* [[Pet the Dog]]: When the jagunços aren't [[Kick the Dog|kicking it]].
* [[Pet the Dog]]: When the jagunços aren't [[Kick the Dog|kicking it]].
* [[Real Name As an Alias]]: {{spoiler|Diadorim is Maria ''Diadorin''a}}
* [[Real Name as an Alias]]: {{spoiler|Diadorim is Maria ''Diadorin''a}}
* [[Retired Badass]]: Riobaldo was truly badass when young; now is just a [[Cool Old Guy]].
* [[Retired Badass]]: Riobaldo was truly badass when young; now is just a [[Cool Old Guy]].
* [[Revenge]]: The goal of all the jagunços.
* [[Revenge]]: The goal of all the jagunços.
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* [[Shoot the Dog]]: Riobaldo almost does it literally once. In the normal meaning, many times.
* [[Shoot the Dog]]: Riobaldo almost does it literally once. In the normal meaning, many times.
* [[Straight Gay]]: Riobaldo, although this is subject to never-ending discussion due to the way the plot resolves.
* [[Straight Gay]]: Riobaldo, although this is subject to never-ending discussion due to the way the plot resolves.
* {{spoiler|[[Sweet On Polly Oliver]]: Riobaldo over Diadorim, obviously}}.
* {{spoiler|[[Sweet on Polly Oliver]]: Riobaldo over Diadorim, obviously}}.
* [[Talking to The Dead]]: [[Tear Jerker|"My love!"]]
* [[Talking to the Dead]]: [[Tear Jerker|"My love!"]]
* [[Unusual Chapter Numbers]]: No chapter, or just one ''really'' big chapter.
* [[Unusual Chapter Numbers]]: No chapter, or just one ''really'' big chapter.
* [[Walking the Earth]]: Every jagunço, somehow, but [[Up to Eleven]] with Medeiro Vaz, who burned his own house before joining them, so he wouldn't have to come back.
* [[Walking the Earth]]: Every jagunço, somehow, but [[Up to Eleven]] with Medeiro Vaz, who burned his own house before joining them, so he wouldn't have to come back.

Revision as of 09:42, 9 April 2014

∞

 “Do you know, sir, why I had gone to those places? You needn’t ask, I’ll tell you. How is it that you can like the true in the false? Friendship with the illusion of disillusionment? I had it easy, but with dreams that left me tired. The sort from which you wake up slowly. Love? A bird that lays iron eggs. It was worse when I started staying awake all night, not able to sleep. Diadorim was one of those inscrutable persons —he never revealed his inner thoughts, nor what he was surmising. I think I was that way too. Did I really want to know him? I did and I didn’t. Not even if you bury it in silence can a thing that doesn’t make sense be dealt with.”

Riobaldo and Diadorim, as they appear in the miniseries.

Acclaimed as one of the most important books ever written in Portuguese language -- maybe in the whole world -- and compared to works like The Iliad and the Divine Comedy, The Devil To Pay In The Backlands (Grande Sertão: Veredas, or Big Backcountry: Tracks in English) had its first edition published in 1956, being the only novel written by the Brazilian author João Guimarães Rosa.

The book is best know for mixing Neologisms with orality in a non-linear narrative, making it very difficult to understand at first reading, and for its more than 600 pages. It's also studied in Brazilian schools.

Talking about the story, it consists of Riobaldo, an ex-jagunço (mercenary), telling his past to a man from the city. What follows is betrayal, war, secret identity, conflicts with religion, friendship, homosexuality, deal with the devil and journey of revenge. Everything set in the almost mystical space of the backlands.

The book had two adaptations, one to the big-screen in 1965 and another in a mineseries from 1985.

The Devil to Pay in the Backlands provides examples of:

∞

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