Contos, volume 1

Artur de Azevedo was the undisputed master of Brazilian humor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and this collection showcases his gifts in their most concentrated form. These aren't the refined, precious tales of literary salons; they're sharp, satirical portraits of Rio de Janeiro society, populated by vain socialites, pretentious intellectuals, hapless husbands, and the occasional unscrupulous journalist. Azevedo had the journalist's eye for absurdity and the playwright's instinct for timing, and each story lands its joke with the precision of a well-timed curtain line. Drawing primarily from his 1908 collection 'Contos Possíveis,' these tales reveal a writer who understood that comedy is never frivolous: it exposes the contradictions and hypocrisies that drama sometimes glosses over. Whether he's skewering the Brazilian elite's obsession with European fashions or chronicling the small disasters of everyday life, Azevedo writes with a vitality that feels remarkably fresh a century later. For readers who believe humor doesn't travel well across languages and eras, this collection offers delightful proof to the contrary.