SKU: 26594637534

The Collected Stories of Machado de Assis

Sale price$26.78 Regular price$29.75
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 9 - Jul 14

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

The Collected Stories of Machado de AssisWidely acclaimed as the progenitor of twentieth century Latin American fiction, Machado de Assis (1839 1908) the son of a mulatto father and a washerwoman, and the grandson of freed slaves was hailed in his lifetime as Brazil's greatest writer. His prodigious output of novels, plays, and stories rivaled contemporaries like Chekhov, Flaubert, and Maupassant, but, shockingly, he was barely translated into English until 1963 and still lacks proper

Widely acclaimed as the progenitor of twentieth-century Latin American fiction, Machado de Assis (1839-1908)--the son of a mulatto father and a washerwoman, and the grandson of freed slaves--was hailed in his lifetime as Brazil's greatest writer. His prodigious output of novels, plays, and stories rivaled contemporaries like Chekhov, Flaubert, and Maupassant, but, shockingly, he was barely translated into English until 1963 and still lacks proper recognition today. Drawn to the master's psychologically probing tales of fin-de-siecle Rio de Janeiro, a world populated with dissolute plutocrats, grasping parvenus, and struggling spinsters, acclaimed translators Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Patterson have now combined Machado's seven short-story collections into one volume, featuring seventy-six stories, a dozen appearing in English for the first time.

Born in the outskirts of Rio, Machado displayed a precocious interest in books and languages and, despite his impoverished background, miraculously became a well-known intellectual figure in Brazil's capital by his early twenties. His daring narrative techniques and coolly ironic voice resemble those of Thomas Hardy and Henry James, but more than either of these writers, Machado engages in an open playfulness with his reader--as when his narrator toys with readers' expectations of what makes a female heroine in "Miss Dollar," or questions the sincerity of a slave's concern for his dying master in "The Tale of the Cabriolet."

Predominantly set in the late nineteenth-century aspiring world of Rio de Janeiro--a city in the midst of an intense transformation from colonial backwater to imperial metropolis--the postcolonial realism of Machado's stories anticipates a dominant theme of twentieth-century literature. Readers witness the bourgeoisie of Rio both at play, and, occasionally, attempting to be serious, as depicted by the chief character of "The Alienist," who makes naively grandiose claims for his Brazilian hometown at the expense of the cultural capitals of Europe. Signifiers of new wealth and social status abound through the landmarks that populate Machado's stories, enlivening a world in the throes of transformation: from the elegant gardens of Passeio P blico and the vibrant Rua do Ouvidor--the long, narrow street of fashionable shops, theaters and caf s, "the Via Dolorosa of long-suffering husbands"--to the port areas of Sa de and Gamboa, and the former Valongo slave market.

One of the greatest masters of the twentieth century, Machado reveals himself to be an obsessive collector of other people's lives, who writes: "There are no mysteries for an author who can scrutinize every nook and cranny of the human heart." Now, The Collected Stories of Machado de Assis brings together, for the first time in English, all of the stories contained in the seven collections published in his lifetime, from 1870 to 1906. A landmark literary event, this majestic translation reintroduces a literary giant who must finally be integrated into the world literary canon.



Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Published: 06/12/2018
ISBN: 9780871404961
Pages: 960
Weight: 2.90lbs
Size: 9.70h x 6.50w x 2.00d

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2018 pg. 23
Booklist 06/01/2018 pg. 35
Shelf Awareness 07/10/2018
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 26594637534

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 695 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
G
Verified Purchase
George F.
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Size a tad small
Size: Large, Color: Black
So many compliments so don’t buy this if you don’t like people to notice. I’d say fits a tad on the small side.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2025
C
Verified Purchase
Carla
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
Very stylish
Size: X-Large, Color: Black
Really nice… my husband received a lot of compliments on our cruise!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
Ronald Boast
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 3
Nice blazer
Size: X-Large, Color: Black, Size: X-Large, Color: Black
Product was as described, son wanted it for a dance. Had it taken in a little for more custom fit
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2025
V
Verified Purchase
VGood
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Really stylish
Size: Medium, Color: Black
Looks great. My son wore to a concert for Valentines day. His gf wore a copper dress...looked so good together.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
C
Verified Purchase
CRUZAN1
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 1
Sizing issues
Size: 3X-Large, Color: Blue-square Plaid
Sent it back. Runs super small
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2025

recommand products