| Titre | O escaravelho do diabo : o livro dos mortos para ler a vida | |
|---|---|---|
| Auteur | Ana Beatriz Demarchi Barel | |
 |
Revue | Amerika |
| Numéro | no 29, 2024 Insectes, bichos et autres « petites bêtes » dans les Amériques (XIXe-XXIe siècles) | |
| Rubrique / Thématique | Opinions/Varia |
|
| Résumé anglais |
O Escaravelho do Diabo (The Devil's Beetle), by Lúcia Machado de Almeida, was published in chapters in the magazine Cruzeiro in 1956, reissued in 1974, in book form, reaching twenty-six editions, and adapted to the cinema in 2016, due to its enormous success. In the story, Alberto is confronted with several murders, the first of which is that of his brother, Hugo. Over time, he and Inspector Pimentel discover that the killer chooses people with red hair and sends them a beetle whose scientific name reveals the way in which the victim will be killed. The case ends with the death of the last redhead in the small village, as well as one of the suspects, the Swiss Jean Graz, a French teacher. The case is closed due to lack of evidence and, years later, during a trip to Europe, Alberto discovers by chance the identity of the killer and his motivations. The author's choice of the insect allows several messages to be developed in the text, linked to the symbolic value of the scarab in Western culture, particularly in ancient Egypt. Through the symbolism of the insect, the book offers a humanist interpretation of life and the exercise of empathy. Source : Éditeur (via OpenEdition Journals) |
|
| Article en ligne | https://journals.openedition.org/amerika/20823 |
