Publisher's Synopsis
The anthology Tales of Rio de Janeiro (or Contos Fluminenses) was first published in 1869 and contained seven short stories, six of which had originally appeared in Jornal das Famílias, a moralizing periodical aimed at female readers, edited by Baptiste Louis Garnier. Despite favorable reviews, this initial edition did not establish Machado's reputation as a short story writer. However, in 1899, thirty years later, a second edition was released, achieving commercial success, and earning widespread acclaim from the press for advancing the short story genre.
Although Machado, then in his romantic phase, had not yet reached the literary heights of his later years, he already demonstrated remarkable talent. The stories, centered around love-often difficult, impossible, or frustrated-are written with elegance and keep the reader engaged with their unexpected turns. Far from banal, they reveal the early mastery of a writer who would later become a towering figure in Brazilian literature. The collection also includes the unpublished story Miss Dollar, further enriching the anthology.
