Alfarrábios Explained

Alfarrábios
Author:José de Alencar
Country:Brazil
Language:Portuguese
Genre:historical novel
Release Date:1873

Alfarrábios is a historical novel by the Brazilian writer José de Alencar, first published in 1873.[1] It is composed of three minor narratives: "O Garatuja", "O Ermitão da Glória" and "Alma de Lázaro".[2] Critics consider Alfarrábios an example of Gothic fiction due to its expolration of mystic themes, its virtuous characters and righteous punishment for villains.

"O Garatuja" is a comedic retelling of a love story from 1699 that incited a riot; it is mentioned by .[3] "O Ermitão da Glória" is a story about a pirate who built the (written in a solemn manner), and "Alma de Lázaro" is about a diary of a person affected with leprosy who is describing their thoughts and the inner conflict between their appearance and soul.

Alfarrábios was published in two volumes; Alencar indicated that he will publish the third volume later but it never happened. Alencar claimed that all three stories were drafted in his youth. The book gives some insight into the life of Rio de Janeiro during the colonial era.

"O Garatuja" was adapted into an opera by Ernst Mahle.

Notes and References

  1. Book: the Scarecrow press. 978-0-8108-7498-5. Young. Richard A.. Cisneros. Odile. Historical dictionary of Latin American literature and theater. Alencar, José de (Brazil, 1829−1877). Lanham (Md.). Historical dictionaries of literature and the arts. 2011.
  2. Book: Rocha . João Cezar de Castro . Machado de Assis: Toward a Poetics of Emulation . 1 October 2015 . MSU Press . 978-1-62895-240-7 . 162 . 15 February 2024 . en.
  3. Book: Daher, Andrea. Gramma. 978-85-5968-264-9. Passado presente: usos contemporâneos do “passado colonial” brasileiro. 23-26. 2017-08-10.