3 ms·

Would you say it is deserving of this article? I plan to read it but fear I may be disappointed due to the articles hype. A counterbalance would be appreciated.

Ftuuky 6y ago
never read it but Machado de Assis is considered one of the greatest Brazilian writers of all times and it's somewhat required reading if studying literature in any Brazilian university
claudiojulio 6y ago
I am Brazilian and I consider Machado de Assis the greatest Brazilian writer of all time. Posthumous Memories is the first book of Realism, so it is highly regarded. In fact, his stories are sometimes boring, but because of Assisi's style it is worth reading. If you want to read a better example of the author's work, I recommend reading Dom Casmurro. This book is a supreme masterpiece with a captivating story and unique style.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 6y ago
  Is there a lot of Portuguese specific wordplay that is lost in translation? For instance, I loved Don Quixote but have read that the best English translation, masterpiece as it is, pales in comparison to the Spanish equivalent because of the loss in translation of language-specific jokes.
quidsentio 6y ago
I do think it is deserving, but that doesn't guarantee you won't be disappointed. It has a lot of qualities, but it might be the case that none of those qualities matter much for you or impact you in the same way. The only way to guarantee you won't be disappointed is if you are interested in some meta-learning about how the literature is developed by people from a different culture and from a different time. Machado de Assis is definitely a great writer, and a unique one, especially for people who are used to literature from Western Europe and North America. So, if you want to expand your literature horizons, it is a sure win. But even so, you might not like his writing, for any legitimate reason. There is just one way to find out.
- ghostbrainalpha 6y ago
  You have more eloquently expressed my feelings that I ever could. If you ever have aspirations about becoming a writer yourself, there are certain authors you should absolutely read. This is one, Gene Wolfe Cormac McCarthy, Hemingway and Gabriel García Márquez are others I put in this category. You may not get as much pure enjoyment out of any of their books, but you will marvel at their craftsmanship.

Ftuuky 6y ago

never read it but Machado de Assis is considered one of the greatest Brazilian writers of all times and it's somewhat required reading if studying literature in any Brazilian university

claudiojulio 6y ago

I am Brazilian and I consider Machado de Assis the greatest Brazilian writer of all time. Posthumous Memories is the first book of Realism, so it is highly regarded. In fact, his stories are sometimes boring, but because of Assisi's style it is worth reading. If you want to read a better example of the author's work, I recommend reading Dom Casmurro. This book is a supreme masterpiece with a captivating story and unique style.

SOLAR_FIELDS 6y ago
Is there a lot of Portuguese specific wordplay that is lost in translation? For instance, I loved Don Quixote but have read that the best English translation, masterpiece as it is, pales in comparison to the Spanish equivalent because of the loss in translation of language-specific jokes.

quidsentio 6y ago

I do think it is deserving, but that doesn't guarantee you won't be disappointed. It has a lot of qualities, but it might be the case that none of those qualities matter much for you or impact you in the same way. The only way to guarantee you won't be disappointed is if you are interested in some meta-learning about how the literature is developed by people from a different culture and from a different time. Machado de Assis is definitely a great writer, and a unique one, especially for people who are used to literature from Western Europe and North America. So, if you want to expand your literature horizons, it is a sure win. But even so, you might not like his writing, for any legitimate reason. There is just one way to find out.

ghostbrainalpha 6y ago
You have more eloquently expressed my feelings that I ever could. If you ever have aspirations about becoming a writer yourself, there are certain authors you should absolutely read. This is one, Gene Wolfe Cormac McCarthy, Hemingway and Gabriel García Márquez are others I put in this category. You may not get as much pure enjoyment out of any of their books, but you will marvel at their craftsmanship.