Oxford Anthology of the Brazilian Short Story

by K. David Jackson (Editor)

The Oxford Anthology of the Brazilian Short Story contains a selection of short stories by the best-known authors in Brazilian literature from the late nineteenth century to the present. With few exceptions, these stories have appeared in English translation, although widely separated in time and often published in obscure journals. Here they are united in a coherent edition representing Brazil's modern, vibrant literature and culture. J.M. Machado de Assis, who first perfected the genre, wrote at least sixty stories considered to be masterpieces of world literature. Ten of his stories are included here, and are accompanied by strong and diverse representations of the contemporary story in Brazil, featuring nine stories by Clarice Lispector and seven by João Guimarães Rosa. The remaining 34 authors include Mário de Andrade, Graciliano Ramos, Osman Lins, Dalton Trevisan, and other major names whose stories in translation exhibit profound artistry.

The anthology is divided into four major periods, "Tropical Belle-Époque," "Modernism," "Modernism at Mid-Century," and "Contemporary Views." There is a general introduction to Brazilian literary culture and introductions to each of the four sections, with descriptions of the authors and a general bibliography on Brazil and Brazilian literature in English. It includes stories of innovation (Mário de Andrade), psychological suspense (Graciliano Ramos), satire and perversion (Dalton Trevisan), altered realities and perceptions (Murilo Rubião), repression and sexuality (Hilda Hilst, Autran Dourado), myth (Nélida Piñón), urban life (Lygia Fagundes Telles, Rubem Fonescal), the oral tale (Jorge Amado, Rachel de Queiroz) and other overarching themes and issues of Brazilian culture. The anthology concludes with a haunting story set in the opera theater in Manaus by one of Brazil's most recently successful writers, Milton Hatoum.

Genres: Short Stories

542 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not read this book from cover to cover. I think the best thing about short story collections is you can pick through different authors/stories and read what you like. I like the Oxford anthologies but as a casual reader it's too academic. I got this book because I went to Brazil and wanted to learn a little bit more, but this wasn't a good idea. There are a few stories that directly relate to Brazil such as carnival, but many focus on psychological aspects. If you are reading this and thinking about this, you won't learn much about Brazil. If I have time I'll read Brazil by Uys (historical fiction).

The Oxford Anthology of the Brazilian Short Story starts with an introduction describing the development of literature in Brazil, and the anthology progresses with each time period and there is an introduction about each author before the short story. I think this is a nice touch but it gets repetitive. It is nice if you really like an author and can see what else they've published.

Favorite authors in this collection: Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Jose Bento Monteiro Lobato, Anibal Machado, Antonio de Alcantara Machado, Joao Alphonsus (extremely disturbing story, don't read if you can't deal with reading about violence towards animals), Graciliano Ramos, Jorge Amado, Rachel de Queiroz, Marques Rebelo, Erico Verissimo, Osman Lins, Dalton Trevisan


Authors I could not really give the time to because the story seemed repetitive or the writing style (translation, I guess?) was too agitating: Jose Verissimo, Paulo Barreto, Mario de Andrade, Breno Accioly, Clarice Lispector, Joao Guimaraes Rosa, Paulo Emilio Salles Gomes, Carlos Drummond de Andrade

I didn't finish this book, maybe I'll get back to it another it another time. Like I wrote before, it got repetitive and it is 500 pages. Overall I nice collection of short stories, especially if you are interested in South American literature.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covering more than a century of Brazilian literature, the editor has done an admirable job of gathering a broad representation of authors. Divided into several eras, the collection provides an introduction the period, as well as a page or two about each author. Each reader will find a favorite story here--I certainly found mine.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm leaving Goodreads. This review is now available on LibraryThing, user name CSRodgers.