Synopses & Reviews
Machado de Assis's first novel visits themes the author developed exquisitely throughout his career including marriage, memory, and perspective. In this insightful translation by Karen Sherwood Sotelino, and with an introduction by José Luiz Passos, the novel reveals the author’s early experiment in drawing out psychological and sociological issues of his times. Readers familiar with his mature works will recognize the progression from infatuation, through passion, doubt, and toxic jealousy, as experienced by protagonists Félix and Lívia in 19th century Rio de Janeiro.
Review
“Long relegated to the shelf of ‘immature works, Resurrection resurfaces, in English version, as what it has always been: a sophisticated comment on the green-eyed monster’s roamings in a tropical Europeanized society, whose denizens, like Ingmar Bergman’s characters, will reappear in later novels, under different names, always intently turned upon their own feelings, fears, and foibles.” Milton M. Azevedo, scholar, Hispanic linguistics and translation theory
Review
“In many aspects, Machado de Assis’s debut novel foretells the genius found in his later works. Within the restricted limits of the reigning decorum, the daring of the moral analysis is substantial and highly unconventional. It is a novel for sophisticated readers.” Roberto Schwarz, author, Misplaced Ideas: Essays on Brazilian Culture
Review
"The publication of Resurrection in English is not only timely, but also necessary for a thorough appreciation of Machado de Assis’s place in world literature." Luciana Namorato, Hispania
About the Author
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839-1908) is widely considered one of the most innovative Latin American authors and is best known for his two masterpiece novels, Memórias Póstumas de Bras Cubas and Dom Casmurro. He was also the founding president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (1896), a position he held throughout the rest of his life.
Karen C. Sherwood Sotelino has translated novels and short stories from Portuguese into English. Recently, she has taught at Stanford University, where she is a visiting scholar in the department of Iberian and Latin American cultures.