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U.S. Writer Finds Happy Ending in Brazil As Translated 1998 Novel Tops Sales Lists
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The problem was the title, he said. Naming the book "The Servant" would have led people to think it was about a public servant, or a politician.
"They don't have very good reputations here, so we had to think of something different," Pereira said.
Some of the book's critics call it overly simplistic and dismiss its spiritual content as manipulative.
"You learn this stuff when you're 6 or 7 years old in Sunday school," said Gutemberg B. de Macedo, a business consultant who occasionally reviews business and religious books for Brazilian magazines. "This is the new trend in Brazil. They are using the name of Christ to make money."
Fans of the book don't see it that way. Even if the material isn't new, they say, the book simply underscores a truth that people need to be reminded of more than taught. Edson Grimello, who works behind the counter at Cultura bookstore in Sao Paulo, has seen a lot of copies of Hunter's book pass across his register. It is a light and quick read, he said, and one that buyers often recommend to friends.
"I think people read it for the same reason they read the Harry Potter books," said Grimello. "It's because everyone else is reading it. It's like a fashion trend."
Hunter, meanwhile, is making the most of it. He's planning another trip to Brazil next month to give a series of leadership seminars throughout the country.
"Every time I go down there, it's practically a life-changing experience," Hunter said. "I realize how much bigger the world really is. And I thought I was pretty worldly before."
