I had difficulty getting into this story of a mysterious beauty and the men in the gold mining camps of Brazil she torments and drives crazy with desire. Perhaps it is Sarney's style (translated by Gregory Rabassa), I'm not sure. I did enjoy the shifting points of view varying from chapter to chapter, and the descriptions of both the intensity of lust Saraminda drives the men around her to as well as the hard life in the mines, but ultimately the book felt too drawn out and left me cold. I may try another Sarney novel, Master of the Sea, but perhaps not right away. I was looking forward to this, and was disappointed. ( )

I recieved this book in an Early Reviewers copy. An interesting story, which evokes the time and place with some lovely descriptions. As other reviewers have said, the wiriting does feel a little flat at times, though I don't know if this is to do with the translation or not. ( )

This is the first translation by Gregory Rabassa that has left me flat. The story appears compelling enough, but the pace and the language were uninspired. I was not drawn in, and, ultimately, unable to finish.

See my published review at Serendipity:
http://www.magicalrealism.co.uk/view.php?story=54 ( )

Saraminda is the story of a group of men living in the jungles of Brazil at the end of the nineteenth century. These men crave two things more than anything else. They all hope to strike it rich in the mines and also to win the favor of the title character, Saraminda. They live in a dangerous environment where death is commonplace but are willing to risk everything to achieve these goals.

I can't decide whether or not to recommend this book to other LibraryThing readers. The descriptions of the mining camps and jungle are first rate, reminiscent of the best writing of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As I read this book, it was possible to smell the perspiration of the miners, feel the intensity of the sun on their backs, and to hear the rustling of wild animals in the underbrush. In sharp contrast to this beautiful descriptive prose, however , the dialogue between the characters felt stilted. I'm not sure whether it was a result of the translation or Sarney's writing style. ( )