" A very great novel indeed."--The Nation "In superbly funny books, [Machado] described the abnormalities of alienation, perversion, domination, cruelty and madness. He deconstructed empire with a thoroughness and an esthetic equilibrium that place him in a class by himself."--The New York Times Book Review "Machado de Assis wrote some of the most deliriously adventurous fiction of the last century."--Lingua Franca "A tour de force of surprising modernity compared with the grim realism of the time. The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas displays a distinct voice--quiet, friendly, even cozy, yet full of wit and inventiveness. Cervantes comes to mind as a comparison,though the voice of Laurence Sterne (whom Machado acknowledges) can also be heard.... This is the language of visions spoken by a rogue who is trying to bedazzle and deceive the reader."--The Wall Street Journal "A 19th-century classic of Brazilian literature."--Library Journal