Amado, Jorge (1912-2001)

Brazilian novelist. His first novel, O país do carnaval/The Country of the Carnival (1932), follows a youthful member of the intelligentsia seeking political answers in the wake of the revolution of 1930. Amado's next few novels outlined his personal manifesto and highlighted the cause of various exploited groups in society. Gabriela, cravo e canela/Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1952) marked a change in style and emphasis and focused on sociopolitical change.

He was imprisoned for his leftist political beliefs in 1935 and spent several years in exile, though he briefly represented the Communist Party of Brazil as federal deputy of the Brazilian parliament 1946-47.

Subsequent books, such as Dona Flor e seus dois maridos: História moral e de amor/Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1966) and O gato malhado e a andorinha sinha/The Swallow and the Tom Cat (1976) show equal social awareness and compassion, but are more subtle, and use irony to good effect.