Machado de Assis is almost certainly the greatest of all Portuguese-language novelists. He is also a novelist far ahead of his time. There is little in the twentieth-century novel that his subtle, ingenious and sardonic technical procedures do not anticipate. His style - elegant, cool, always restrained - is unsurpassed in the Portuguese language.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He is likely the greatest Portuguese-language novelist, ahead of his time with innovative techniques and a restrained style.
- In plain terms
- He may be the top Portuguese novelist, innovative and restrained.
- What can you take from it?
- His forward‑thinking style set him apart in Portuguese literature.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a novelist 'great'?
- How does innovation affect lasting impact?
Another view
Greatness is subjective and other writers may contest the claim.
More from Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
Machado de Assis is a kind of miracle, another demonstration of the autonomy of literary genius in regard to time and place, politics and religion.
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Permalink to quote #18 The supreme black literary artist to date.
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