"Predominantly set in the late nineteenth-century aspiring world of Rio de Janeiroa city in the midst of an intense transformation from colonial backwater to imperial metropolisthe postcolonial realism of Machados stories anticipates a dominant theme of twentieth-century literature. Readers witness the bourgeoisie of Rio both at play, and, occasionally, attempting to be serious, as depicted by the chief character of zThe Alienist,y who makes naively grandiose claims for his Brazilian hometown at the expense of the cultural capitals of Europe. Signifiers of new wealth and social status abound through the landmarks that populate Machados stories, enlivening a world in the throes of transformation: from the elegant gardens of Passeio Público and the vibrant Rua do Ouvidorthe long, narrow street of fashionable shops, theaters and cafés, zthe Via Dolorosa of long-suffering husbandsyto the port areas of Saúde and Gamboa, and the former Valongo slave market."--Dust jacket.