Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory: Language, Imitation, Art, and Verisimilitude in the Last Six Novels by Earl E. Fitz (review)

Abstract

Several literary critics and readers— both in Brazil and elsewhere— have lamented Brazilian writer Machado de Assis’s limited presence in world lit er ature. Susan Sontag, for instance, in a widely known and debated statement, deems Machado “the greatest author ever produced in Latin Amer i ca” and goes on to regret the fact that he is largely ignored beyond the Lusophone world (102).1 The marginality of the Portuguese language, the peripheral position of Brazilian lit er a ture, and the scarcity of translations may have all been part of the prob lem. In recent years, however, new publications, mainly in En glish, are gradually offering a wider win dow into Machado’s oeuvre. It is only too predictable that, as Machado’s works progressively reach beyond national borders and gain the attention of a larger number of literary scholars outside Brazil, competing critical studies would appear. At least since the 1970s, literary studies in Brazil mostly agree that through his novels, short stories, and journalistic writings, Machado skillfully captured the ambiguities of Brazil’s historical experience. From that standpoint, Machado’s