"Terpsícore" pode ter demorado a constar nas antologias de contos machadianos, mas é hoje sem dúvida um dos mais conhecidos contos do mestre do realismo brasileiro. A relação ambígua entre miséria e ostentação é abordada de forma graciosamente irônica através da temática da dança e pelos meandros imprevisíveis dos jogos de azar. Esta edição traz o texto atualizado para a nova ortografia e posfácio de Edimara Lisboa.
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, often known as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho, (June 21, 1839, Rio de Janeiro—September 29, 1908, Rio de Janeiro) was a Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer. He is widely regarded as the most important writer of Brazilian literature. However, he did not gain widespread popularity outside Brazil in his own lifetime. Machado's works had a great influence on Brazilian literary schools of the late 19th century and 20th century. José Saramago, Carlos Fuentes, Susan Sontag and Harold Bloom are among his admirers and Bloom calls him "the supreme black literary artist to date."