Mario Higa - Böcker

Brazil has captivated global audiences through its vibrant multiculturalism, manifesting in music, football, and gastronomy. However, beyond figures such as Pelé, and cultural staples such as bossa nova and caipirinha, Brazilian culture boasts a distinguished literary tradition, exemplified by writers such as Machado de Assis, Clarice Lispector, and Guimarães Rosa. This volume provides readers with a comprehensive engagement with Brazilian literature, tracing its development in tandem with the nation's social history. The chapters emphasize literary analysis while critically incorporating the sociohistorical contexts that have shaped Brazil's rich cultural landscape. Covering the trajectory from the emergence of the Brazilian novel to contemporary works within the genre, this book guides readers through a broad spectrum of themes, including Blackness, Jorge Amado, Indigeneity, Macunaíma, political violence, feminism, and Graciliano Ramos. Each chapter balances scholarly depth with accessibility, catering both to newcomers to Brazilian studies and to seasoned academics.

A lively and accessible introduction to Machado de Assis and his workMachado 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.