Papeis Avulsos

by Machado de Assis

"Papeis Avulsos" by Machado de Assis is a short story collection published in 1882. This landmark work showcases the Brazilian master's satirical genius through tales that blur the lines between sanity and madness, wisdom and folly. From a tyrannical psychiatrist who questions who is truly insane, to a father teaching his son the art of hollow respectability, these stories dissect society with sharp wit and irony. Machado challenges scientific absolutism, social pretension, and human vanity through inventive narratives that evoke Swift and Erasmo while pioneering distinctly modern literary techniques.