Review
`The atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro in the late 1800s is evoked with allusions to press gangs, slavery and the glimmer of gaslight in the evenings.' --Daily Telegraph Daily Telegraph
`Slyly comic, full of surprises, always hinting at more than they quite say, these twenty bewitching stories from Brazil's 19th century master will bring new admirers to a writer who - despite his European links - has a voice all his own. Doubles and disguises fill deftly witty yarns' --Boyd Tonkin
`Machado de Assis is generally considered the greatest ever Brazilian writer ... Machado demonstrates an eye for the clinching detail, a mastery of the short-story form, and the sensitivity and comprehension of a genuine artist'
--Daily Telegraph
Review
`That his stories continue to surprise, amuse and disturb 100 years after his death is a tribute to his enduring genius.'