Description
Book SynopsisA lively and accessible introduction to Machado de Assis and his work Machado de Assis (1839-1908) is a world-class writer and arguably the greatest of Brazilian literature. Susan Sontag deemed him "the greatest writer ever produced in Latin America," and Harold Bloom, "the supreme black literary artist to date." John Updike called him a "master," and Carlos Fuentes, a "miracle." This book guides the reader through Machado's biography, times, and critical reception and examines his various personas - the translator, poet, playwright, critic, cronista, short story writer, and novelist - paying particular attention to his fictional prose, which most clearly conveys his acerbic criticism of Brazilian society and his deft view of the human condition. The book closes with an updated list of Machado's works available in English translation and a selection of further critical studies.
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations A Note on Translations Acknowledgments Chapter One: "Better than Borges" Chapter Two: Machado de Assis: Life and Ethos Chapter Three: Translation, Poetry, and Drama: The Quest for Greatness Chapter Four: Criticism and Crônica: The Quest for Greatness Continues Chapter Five: Short Stories: The Dialectical Other Chapter Six: Novels: Lights! Camera! Digression! Chapter Seven: The World Keeps Changing to Remain the Same Chapter Eight: The Machado Dictionary Appendix One: Machado de Assis in English Appendix Two: On Machado de Assis in English Bibliography
