Quincas Borba (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780195106824)

Along with The Posthumous Memoirs of Br疽 Cubas and Dom Casmurro, Quincas Borba is one of Machado de Assis' major works and indeed one of the major works of nineteenth century fiction. With his uncannily postmodern sensibility, his delicious wit, and his keen insight into the political and social complexities of the Brazilian Empire, Machado opens a fascinating world to English speaking readers.
When the mad philosopher Quincas Borba dies, he leaves to his friend Rubi縊 the entirety of his wealth and property, with a single stipulation: Rubi縊 must take care of Quincas Borba's dog, who is also named Quincas Borba, and who may indeed have assumed the soul of the dead philosopher. Flush with his newfound wealth, Rubi縊 heads for Rio de Janeiro and plunges headlong into a world where fantasy and reality become increasingly difficult to keep separate. Brilliantly translated by Gregory Rabassa, Quincas Borba is a masterful satire not only on life in Imperial Brazil but the human condition itself.

Author: Joaquim Machado De Assis, Gregory Rabassa
ISBN-10: 0195106822
ISBN-13: 9780195106824
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Language: English
Published: 04/29/1999
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.93lbs
Size: 8.36h x 5.54w x 0.79d

Review Citation(s):
New York Review of Books 07/18/2002 pg. 47