''Memoirs of a Police Sergeant'' ( pt, Memórias de um sargento de milícias) is a satirical novel written by the

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian author Manuel Antônio de Almeida. It was first published in

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

. The book is full of picturesque descriptions of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

'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 banned, as the 1807 Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves takes effect; African slaves continue to be imported into Cuba, and until the island ab ...

(sinc
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

A recent edition in Portuguese (New York, NY: Luso-Brazilian Books, 2005) has the . A recent 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'' 1852 novels Brazilian novels Satirical novels Novels set in Rio de Janeiro (city) {{Brazil-lit-stub