''Memoirs of a Police Sergeant'' () is a

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

novel written by the

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian author

Manuel Antônio de Almeida Manuel Antônio de Almeida (November 17, 1831 – November 28, 1861) was a Brazilian satirical writer, medician and teacher. He is famous for the book '' Memoirs of a Police Sergeant'', written under the pen name Um Brasileiro (). He is the patron ...

. It was first published in 1852. The book is full of picturesque descriptions of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

's life in the early 19th century, including popular feasts and holidays. The book is considered to be an outstanding work in the Brazilian Literature, because of its almost grotesque humor against some Brazilian institutions, like the Army, the Church and is considered, besides a literary masterpiece, an important source of Brazilian history.

Plot

The novel is set at around

1808 Events January–March * January 1 ** The importation of slaves into the United States is formally banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect. However Americans still continue the slave trade by transpor ...

(since the first line line is something like "It was in the Time of the King") and it tells the colourful story of a problem child (Leonardo), from when his parents first meet, until his childhood, in a hypocritical and corrupt society. Leonardo grows up into an amoral, reckless young man until he is arrested by the police and given the chance of becoming a police officer instead of serving his sentence.

Editions

An edition in Portuguese (New York, NY: Luso-Brazilian Books, 2005) has the . An English edition titled ''Memoirs of a militia sergeant: a novel'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) has the .

External links

*
Memórias de um Sargento de Milícias
' available at ''MetaLibri Digital Library''

References

1852 Brazilian novels Satirical novels Novels set in Rio de Janeiro (city) {{Brazil-lit-stub