Memoirs of Bras Cubas written after death, by: Machado de Assis

He begins his memoirs with the facts of his death, then narrates his eventful life, the life of a Brazilian bourgeois in the nineteenth century, passing through his inspiring travels, wild romances, successes and failures, and interesting conversations with his crazy philosopher friend. This novel rebels against romantic clichés on one hand, and foresees pioneering literary techniques on the other, as it is flavored with thought, philosophy, and sharp criticism directed at a society the author describes as "in the infancy stage." This work still tops the list of Brazilian classics to this day, after nearly a century and a half since its first publication. Number of pages: 349