In "The Mirror", Machado de Assis shows, through Jacobina's experience, that each person has two souls: one intimate and the other shaped by social perception. Upon losing the...

In this collection originally published in 1873, Machado de Assis presents us with six short stories that explore, with sharp irony and keen insight, the dilemmas of human nature,...

Trapped in a love triangle between his childhood best friend and his friend's wife, Camilo, a young man in love, but skeptical, decides to consult a mysterious fortune teller...

In "A Visit from Alcibiades", Machado de Assis narrates the curious invocation of the famous Athenian, who appears in the author's office for a witty dialogue. Between ironies and...

In an ingenious narrative set in the East, a Portuguese traveler encounters a mysterious bonze—a local sage—who is the guardian of an ancient secret. Intrigued, he embarks on...

Nicolau B. grows up marked by a strange condition: an almost physical revulsion at any sign of superiority in others. He lives in constant discomfort, seeking only the company of...

Emília, a charming and experienced widow, tries to seduce Tito, a cold young man incapable of love, who remains indifferent to her amorous advances. Used to exerting fascination...

After finding a mysterious watch at home, Luís Negreiros tries to get an answer for the question from his wife, Clarinha. Would it be a lovely birthday present or the property of...

The story presents a scene set in Noah's Ark, where human passengers and animals live together amid the flood. In a satirical tone full of subtleties, Machado de Assis constructs...

"The Most Serene Republic" is narrated in the form of a letter, in which the author describes the curious political organization of a republic of talking spiders. Inspired by the...