Books found

DE ANDRADE, MARIO (TRANSLATED BY MARGARET RICHARDSON HOLLINGSWORTH)

Fräulein [Fraulein]

New York: The Macaulay Company, (c.1933). 1st (U.S.) edition. Hardcover. Illustrated by (dj) Alec Redmond. [solid copy, but with considerable light staining/mottling to covers, soiling to top edge (quite OK internally, however, apart from some minor discoloration to the endpapers); jacket is edgeworn and slightly faded at spine, but still bright and attractive]. The first appearance in English of any work by this major Brazilian modernist poet/novelist/critic. His first novel, published in 1927, it was largely conceived as a formal experiment, an attempt to adapt the same speech-patterned technique he had developed in his poetry to the writing of prose; the technique found full flower in his next novel, "Macunaima," regarded as a groundbreaking work in Brazilian literature. The original Portuguese title of this book was "Amar, Verbo Intranzitivo" ("Love, Intransitive Verb") -- but before you go trying to figure out what "fräulein" means in Portuguese, let me point out that the novel's plot concerns "the blonde-haired German governess in a wealthy Brazilian family [who] ostensibly teaches language and music to the children," but has actually been hired by the father to initiate his son into "the beauties of love" in order to protect him from the "disease and sordidness of brothels." And fess up, now -- you thought it was just another trashy Macaulay novel, didn't ya?. Good in Very Good dj .

-- ReadInk

Book number: 16472

USD 350.00 [Appr.: EURO 278.75 | £UK 223.25 | JP¥ 27803]

Catalogue: Fiction: Vintage

Keywords: Governesses Sexual Initiation Brazilian Literature