Vidal Porto’s Sodomite (“Sodomita”) takes us back to the 17th century, when homosexuality was a crime sometimes punished by penal transportation to Brazil. Mixing historical facts with wild fable, the author discusses current issues without ever losing his ironic verve.
The fourth novel by Alexandre Vidal Porto, who is known for his clear style in dealing with contemporary issues, goes back several centuries to tell the saga of Delgado, a guitar player from Évora in Portugal who arrived in Salvador in 1669, deported for the crime of sodomy – a code for homosexuality.
In Brazil, with his past erased, Delgado reinvents himself as a merchant, enters into a sham marriage and throws himself into carnal delights with the beautiful young men who cross his path.
Mixing a made-up archaic Portuguese with today’s spoken language, Sodomita explores current-day issues – from the secularisation of the state to the vestiges of slavery – in an unusual and amusing guise.

Up to what point is it possible to hide from oneself? In Chlorine (“Cloro”), a family tragedy undermines the life of an affluent homosexual in the closet. This is a small study on the irresistible force of sexuality. Constantino is a dead narrator. In the limbo where he finds himself, he revisits decisive facts of his life– up to his unexpected death at age fifty. A well-established lawyer in São Paulo, he learned in childhood that “being a faggot was no good.” From an early age, he concealed his desires and took on a heterosexual persona. He married his teenage sweetheart Debora and fathered two children. A tragic accident destroys the fragile balance which he maintained, and he is suddenly confronted with his homosexuality. He starts to lead a double life, has sexual encounters with men and falls for Emílio, a diplomat he meets in Brasília. Through the voices of Constantino and his family and friends, Alexandre Vidal Porto presents a clear narrative that is needed in times like ours—when to be oneself is often an act of courage.

Sergio Y. Goes to America (“Sergio Y. Vai à América”) Armando is one of the best therapists in São Paulo. After a trip to New York, his 17-year-old patient Sergio decides to quit therapy abruptly. His short explanation to Armando is that he has finally “found his way to happiness” and must pursue it. For years Armando is left with no clue of what happened to his patient, until he learns that he is living a fulfilled life in New York – as Sandra. Weeks later, however, he is shocked to read about Sergio’s unexpected death. Trying to get to the root of both Sergio and Sandra’s life, Armando starts investigating on his own.
A surprising and inspirational tale about the importance of seeking happiness.

In the second edition of his debut novel Matias in the City (“Matias na Cidade”), completely revised by the author, Alexandre Vidal Porto shows us a man trapped in the Kafkaesque nightmare of everyday life, and his desperate – albeit fruitless – attempt to free himself.
Matias Grappeggia is almost fifty years old. He’s married, but lonely; healthy, but a hypochondriac; a womaniser, but unable to connect. With such a predictable life, you would not expect this successful lawyer to run any risks.
However, when Matias finds himself on the verge of an amorous-religious revelation, he realises that he has to make a definitive choice. Travelling around the city of São Paulo for four days, the lawyer relives an important part of his memories, but also uncovers his innermost desires.
The search for connection, love and identification with the other is the theme of this first novel by Alexandre Vidal Porto, originally published in 2005 and now with a second edition completely revised by the author.