In the Cities and Jungles of Brazil

In Rio, we're told here, a hired gun will kill a child for $70; the price for an adult is $250. Between 1984 and 1989, nearly 1400 minors met violent deaths, most of them 14 to 18 years old, but 59 of them were under 10. Crime, poverty and corruption are integral parts of the appallingly poor, fabulously rich, gay, sad, innocent, decadent, magical and sensuous Brazil scene which Rambali ( French Blues: A Journey in Modern France ) depicts with affection, horror, intimacy and keen perception. As both a teller of tales and an incisive reporter, he covers the society across its many tiers, from the Indians of the denuded rain forests to the towers and slums of Rio, its sexual scene, intellectual and artistic life, festivals, history, politicians, media moguls, criminals and party-goers. Into this glittering fabric, Rambali weaves his love affair with a Sao Paulo university student and his perceptions of various friends and acquaintances. No conventional travelogue, this is a vivid profile of a vast, complex country. (Apr.)