{"product_id":"the-slum","title":"Le Taudis","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn a crowded Rio courtyard, one man's hunger for wealth feeds on the lives around him.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn The Slum, Aluísio Azevedo places a whole community at the heart of the story. João Romão, a Portuguese tavern keeper, builds a crowded block of cheap rooms and shacks. Bertoleza works and saves beside him, trusting him with her money. Next door, the wealthy merchant Miranda watches Romão's rise with envy and fear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAround their struggle, the courtyard wakes with washing, work, music and desire. Quarryman Jerônimo arrives with his wife and daughter, but Rita Baiana tests his steady habits. Young Pombinha faces the hopes attached to a good marriage. In Rio before slavery ends, money and surroundings shape lives, and one person's climb can come at another's expense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll discover\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA courtyard that breathes\u003c\/strong\u003e – Watch the slum wake at dawn as women gather at tubs and men wash.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe hunger to rise\u003c\/strong\u003e – Follow João Romão's drive for wealth and respect through the lives he uses.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesire unsettles a family\u003c\/strong\u003e – Meet Rita Baiana, whose singing and dancing draw Jerônimo away from familiar habits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe weight of respectability\u003c\/strong\u003e – See Pombinha's hopes for marriage meet the pressures of the people around her.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeople shaped by place\u003c\/strong\u003e – Explore Azevedo's naturalist vision, where climate, class and appetite press upon human choices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for readers of Zola, Dickens and Latin American fiction, and anyone curious about Brazil's history of slavery and class.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpen the first page and step into a courtyard alive with ambition, work and desire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Library of Alexandria Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59534673805660,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/11206_en_ebook-front_c16.jpg?v=1792175070","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/fr\/products\/le-taudis","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}