The Devil to Pay in the Backlands

The novel is set in the Brazilian backlands, the sertão, with a harsh and myth-rich regional landscape at the center of the plot. It follows a bandit, his family, and the social tensions of rural communities. The setting is essential because geography and violence shape the characters' choices.

The story centers on Riobaldo, whose memories and ethical struggles drive the narrative structure. The text explores violence, honor, faith, social injustice, and superstition in frontier life. The picaresque and oral-tone style are tied to the sertão world it portrays.

The novel is usually cited under the English title Grande Sertão: Veredas and was published in 1956. That date anchors its place in 20th century Latin American literature. It is commonly taught with mid-century modernist prose in Portuguese.

It is often grouped with Euclides da Cunha's Os Sertões for its focus on Sertão landscapes and social upheaval. Unlike Os Sertões, Guimarães Rosa uses a more mythic and linguistically inventive prose. This makes it a distinct picaresque route rather than a historical report.