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The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas

Machado de Assis,

Enylton de Sá Rego (Foreword)

Start date: December 1, 2017

Finish date: December 31, 2017

Discussion: Lesser Know Classics

Discussion leader: Rafael da Silva

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What Members Thought

Sep 04, 2023 Chrissie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brazil, legimus, politics, humor, life-stages, classics, hf, 2023-read, arts, religion

A brilliant Brazilian classic and author considered one of the very best.

Thank you, Laura and Rosemarie.

The telling sparkles. It's chockful of wordplays. In this sense it reminds me of Nabokov's manner of writing. The plot is subsidiary; it is not this that draws, but instead clever expressions, allusions, references and puzzles that leave the reader smiling, questioning and reflecting upon alternate meanings. Don't miss this; it's special. It's a book you are not soon to forget!

I strongly recom ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2016 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gutenberg, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, realism, e-books, fiction-19th-century, read-2017, read-2016, brazilian-literature, proofreading, free-literature

Title: Memorias Postumas de Braz Cubas

Author: Machado de Assis

Release Date: June 2, 2017 [EBook #54829]

Language: Portuguese

Produced by Laura N.R. & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational materials,...)

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be published by Project Gutenberg.

Original files are provided by Biblioteca Nacio Title: Memorias Postumas de Braz Cubas

Author: Machado de Assis

Release Date: June 2, 2017 [EBook #54829]

Language: Portuguese

Produced by Laura N.R. & Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (online soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational materials,...)

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be published by Project Gutenberg.

Original files are provided by Biblioteca Nacional

Page 203:
Começo a arrepender-me deste livro. Não que elle me cance; eu não tenho que fazer; e, realmente, expedir alguns magros capitulos para esse mundo sempre é tarefa que distráe um pouco da eternidade. Mas o livro é enfadonho, cheira a sepulchro, traz certa contracção cadaverica; vicio grave, e aliás infimo, porque o maior defeito deste livro és tu, leitor. Tu tens pressa de envelhecer, e o livro anda devagar; tu amas a narração direita e nutrida, o estylo regular e fluente, e este livro e o meu estylo são como os ebrios, guinam á direita e á esquerda, andam e param, resmungam, urram, gargalham, ameaçam o céu, escorregam e cáem...

Page 253:
Dito isto, peço licença para ir um dia destes expor-lhe um trabalho, fructo de longo estudo, um novo
systema de philosophia, que não só explica e descreve a origem e a consummação das cousas, como faz dar um grande passo adeante de Zenon e Seneca, cujo stoicismo era um verdadeiro brinco de crianças ao pé da minha receita moral. É singularmente espantoso este meu systema; rectifica. o espirito humano, supprime a dor, assegura a felicidade, e enche de immensa gloria o nosso paiz. Chamo-lhe humanitismo, de Humanitas, principio das cousas.

Page 301:
Não se irrite o leitor com esta confissão. Eu bem sei que, para titillar-lhe os nervos da fantasia, devia padecer um grande desespero, derramar algumas lagrimas, e não almoçar. Seria romanesco; mas não seria biographico. A realidade pura é que eu almocei, como nos demais dias, acudindo ao coração com as lembranças da minha aventura, e ao estomago com os acepipes de Mr. Pruddon...

Page 304:
Leitor ignaro, se não guardas as cartas da juventude, não conhecerás um dia a philosophia das folhas velhas, não gostarás o prazer de ver-te, ao longe, na penumbra, com um chapéu de tres bicos, botas de sete leguas e longas barbas assyrias, a bailar ao som de uma gaita anacreontica. Guarda as tuas cartas da juventude! ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2019 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, gutenberg, fiction-20th-century, brazilian-literature, proofreading, free-literature, read-2019

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be published by Project Gutenberg. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2018 Karen rated it liked it

Shelves: 1001

So Bras Cubas decided to write his memoirs after he died. Certainly an interesting premise. I found this book to be really amusing, particularly how he describes his childhood and the religion that he creates: Humanitism: "the principle of the things, the same man equally distributed in all men".

I liked the short quirky chapters (one near the end just had a title).

...more

3 likes · Like · see review