The greatest Brazilian writer from the Romantic period

Biography

José Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian writer, born at Macejana, state of Ceará, 1829. He is the greatest expoent of the Brazilian Romantic period literature. Studied law between 1845 and 1850 at São Paulo and Olinda, Pernambuco. While studying, published his first writings on the "Ensaios Literários" magazine. In this mean time, José also has written a historical novel, "Os contrabandistas"("The Smugglers". This novel was accidentaly burned in a prank by a colleague of his, whom he shared a room with.

Alencar used to work as a lawyer and as a journalist. He wroted features/short stories at the Correio Mercantil newspaper and was a writer at Diário do Rio de Janeiro.

José de Alencar was the writer who most consciously registered, from a aesthetical/literal view, the popular/nacionalist ideals of the epoch.

The book which made José Martiniano famous was O guarani, published in 1857. José also entered the world of politics on 1861, being elected general representative four times for the state of Ceará. In 1868 he was designated Justice Minister which can be thought of an Imperial secretary of Justice. By the way the term minister is still used in Brasil for the president's secretaries as is deputy used when referring to the states' representatives, a term apparently borrowed from the French. In the year of 1877, he retired from social life and decided to dedicate himself to the literature. He wrote more than eight theatre parts and twenty novels.

Famous Works

Novels

Theatre parts