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My first Updike novel and by all accounts this is an atypical work. Starts simply as dirt poor hormonal black boy meets rebellious rich convent educated white girl on Rio beach. After falling in love, unlikely couple run from girl's elitist father to take up simple life together in Sao Paulo where father soon rediscovers daughter and seizes her back.

At this point Upton takes off and goes wild, his story escapes into gold mining jungle escape adventure. He conjures up some interesting sorcery, makes a foray into slavery, naturally, sexual encounters continue unabated, and always violence. Ahh life in Brazil.

Deeper meaning aside, Upton's writing is great, the story itself is unsatisfying. Unless you are very much into Brazil or Upton, don't bother. For some of that Latin magical realism, time might better by spent with Gabriel Garcia Marquez or another acclaimed Latin author.

Updike's piece is sexy and masterful. This story of two youths of diametrically different backgrounds is set in a fantastic setting which allows Updike to deal with issues of gender, race, and class. It was racier than I expected (I would probably not recommend for someone who is a young reader).