Macunaima

A brilliant new translation of the Brazilian modernist epic that aims to capture the countrys complex identityHere at last is an exciting new edition of the Brazilian modernist epic Macunama: The Hero with No Character, by Mrio de Andrade. This landmark 1928 novel follows the adventures of the shapeshifting Macunama and his brothers as they leave their Amazon home for a whirlwind tour of Brazil, cramming four centuries and a continental expanse into a single mythic plane. Having lost a magic amulet, the hero and his brothers journey to So Paulo to retrieve the talisman that has fallen into the hands of an Italo-Peruvian captain of industry (who is also a cannibal giant). Written over six delirious daysthe fruit of years of studyMacunama magically synthesizes dialect, folklore, anthropology, mythology, flora, fauna, and pop culture to examine Brazilian identity. This brilliant translation by Katrina Dodson has been many years in the making and includes an extensive section of notes, providing essential context for this magnificent work.