Soares’ engrossing 290-page account looks at Rio, warts and all. He readily acknowledges the existence of Carnaval and football, sensuality and white beaches, while reminding us that the underbelly of the Rio experience is riddled with violence. Much of that violence is perpetrated by the State against the poor, he argues, detailing his own experiences in the political arena and on various campaign trails.
What makes this book different from the more detached travelogue is that Soares has been a player himself, so we get an insider’s account. He is a carioca - Rio, born and bred - a political scientist and activist who was briefly national security chief.
As translated by Anthony Doyle, the story has something of the front-row, insider feel of Norman Mailer’s Armies of the Night or Miami and the Siege of Chicago. Recommended, perhaps for dipping into between watching beach volleyball.
Paddy Kehoe
