What Is Sanity?
What is sanity?
“Were they all really insane? Did I really cure them? Or is not mental imbalance so natural and inherent that it was bound to assert itself with or without my help?”
About the Book
Title: The Alienist Author: Machado de Assis Published: 1882 Original Title: O Alienista
Summary
Dr. Simão Bacamarte is a brilliant but obsessive physician that made his life mission the study of mental illnesses in the small town of Itaguaí. Convinced he know how to determine who is sane and who is insane, the doctor begins commiting patients based on a rigid and weird criteria. Too emotional? Locked up. Too rational? also locked up.
This book is a mix of satire, irony, and existential dread. Who gets to decide what is insane? What is sanity? Machado de Assis challenges the reader to question everything about reason, while also critiquing the medicalization of traits that, in his time, were considered mental illness (like hysteria).
Key Themes
Science vs Humanity
Satire
Power
Madness vs Reason
More Posts from Carnivalofstories and Others
Three Girls, Three Fates
"Perhaps love for death is like love for a man, and she is satisfied, is consoled, and is cured only after being possessed and exhausted."
About the Book
Title: The Three Marias Author: Rachel de Queiroz Published: 1963 Original Title: As Três Marias
Summary
This novel follows the lives of three friends—Maria Augusta, Maria da Glória, and Maria José—who meet at a Catholic boarding school. Life takes them in different directions, shaped by societal expectations, love, and family. The narrator, Maria Augusta, struggles to fit into the role that society imposes on her.
Key Themes
Coming of age
Religion
Love
Gender Roles
Expectations
Friendship
Is he a dead writer or a writer who is dead?
"To the worm who first gnawed on the cold flesh of my corpse, I dedicate with fond remembrance these Posthumous Memoirs."
About the Book
Title: The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas Author: Machado de Assis Published: 1881 Original Title: Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas
Summary
The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas is a satirical novel, in which the narrator, Brás Cubas, tells his life story from beyond the grave. From this unusual point of view, Brás Cubas criticizes the 19th-century Brazilian society.
Brás Cubas narrates with an ironic and humorous tone, mocking the world and himself. He even begins his memoirs not with his birth, but with his own death. This weird man spends his life in failed romances, half-hearted political ambitions, and existential boredom, only to realize (too late) that he achieved absolutely nothing.
P.S. There is a chapter with only exclamation points.
Key Themes
mortality and death
irony and satire
social commentary
existentialism
Finding Your Destiny
"The boy could see in his father’s gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world—a desire that was still alive, despite his father’s having had to bury it, over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the same place to sleep every night of his life."
About the Book
Title: The Alchemist Author: Paulo Coelho Published: 1988 Original Title: O Alquimista
Summary
The Alchemist follows the journey of Santiago, a shepherd from Spain who dreams of finding a hidden treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. His quest takes him to many places, where he encounters wise mentors and people who help him along the way.
Santiago learns about the importance of following his heart and pursuing his personal legend. The story is very spiritual and talks a lot about philosophy.
Key Themes
Destiny
Dreams
Self-discovery
Spiritual enlightenment
The saddest book
"The dog wanted to sleep. She would wake up happy, in a world full of cavies, and would lick the hands of Fabiano—a Fabiano grown to enormous proportions. The boys would roll on the ground with her in an enormous yard, would wallow with her in an enormous goat pen. The world would be full of cavies, fat and huge."
About the Book
Title: Barren Lives Author: Graciliano Ramos Published: 1938 Original Title: Vidas Secas
Summary
Everything about this book is pure sadness. I’ll just tell you now: it doesn’t have a happy ending. The story follows a family living in Brazil’s Northeast, struggling to survive due to the relentless drought. There are many characters (some of whom aren’t even named), but the most iconic is the dog Baleia (Whale in Portuguese), who is nothing but skin and bones.
P.S. The dog chapter is absolutely heartbreaking.
Key Themes
Poverty
Drought
Survival
Northeast Region
Cicle
Hour of the Star
"This story takes place during a state of emergency and a public calamity. It's an unfinished book because it’s still waiting for an answer. An answer I hope someone in the world can give me. You? It’s a story in Technicolor to add a little luxury which, by God, I need too. Amen for all of us."
About the Book
Title: Hour of the Star Author: Clarice Lispector Published: 1977 Original Title: A Hora da Estrela
Summary
Macabéa is a typist living in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. She is ugly and unloved. She loves movies and her horrible boyfriend. Her story is told by Rodrigo S.M., a narrator who spirals into philosophical musings about fate, poverty, and the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life as he unravels Macabéa’s existence.
This book will disturb you. It might make you feel horrible. And yet, you won’t be able to look away.
P.S.: The cockroach scene. You will never forget it. No matter how much you try.
Key Themes
social commentary
disturbing
identity
poverty
The Art of Getting Away with Everything
"The boy, while he was new in his godfather’s house, comported himself with the utmost circumspection and gravity. As soon as he started feeling at home, however, the gloves came back off."
About the Book
Title: Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant Author: Manuel Antônio De Almeida Published: 1852 Original Title: Memórias de um Sargento de Milícias
Summary
This is the only book written by Manuel Antônio de Almeida.
The novel tells the story of a troublesome child named Leonardo, who grows into a reckless young man and a trickster, constantly finding himself in trouble. It’s a very funny story, full of twists as Leonardo tries to dodge his responsibilities. Nothing in Memoirs of a Militia Sergeant is idealized or tragic. Seriously, the ending is amazing.
Key Themes
Comedy
Antihero
Social mobility
Love
Two Husbands, One Ghost
"BRIEF REPORT (APPARENTLY UNCALLED FOR) OF THE CONTROVERSY THAT SPRANG UP CONCERNING THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE ANONYMOUS POEM THAT CIRCULATED FROM TAVERN TO TAVERN, IN WHICH THE POET LAMENTED THE DEATH OF V ADINHO, WITH THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE UNKNOWN BARD, FINALLY REVEALED ON THE BASIS OF CONCRETE PROOFS"
About the Book
Title: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Author: Jorge Amado Published: 1966 Original Title: Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos
Summary
Dona Flor becomes a widow after the death of her reckless and charming husband, Vadinho. Later, she remarries Dr. Teodoro, a respectable and stable man. However, things take an unexpected turn when Vadinho returns as a ghost, forcing her to navigate between her two very different husbands. The novel is a satirical and playful exploration of passion, reason, and desire.
P.S. There’s a famous movie adaptation from 1976, and it was also adapted into a novela!
Key Themes
Desire
Morality vs. Passion
Supernatural elements
Female Independence
Racial Inequality and love
"On a sultry and oppressive day, the decadent city of Sao Luis Maranhao lay sprawled in the tropical heat."
About the Book
Title: Mulatto Author: Aluísio Azevedo Published: 1881 Original Title: O Mulato
Summary
The book addresses racial inequality in 19th-century Brazil. It was one of the first novels to discuss miscegenation and its cultural and social effects.
Mulatto follows the story of Raimundo, a young mulatto man who seeks to rise in society. Things get complicated when he falls in love with Rosa, a white aristocratic woman. Their forbidden love faces intense social opposition, leading to a tragic conflict where race, class, and desire collide.
Key Themes
Racial inequality
Social class
Colonial Brazil
Journey Through the Backlands
"Did that make sense? But he was neither crazy nor worried, nor ready for hanging. Even when a capybara sits, it does so to think, not to lose heart."
About the Book
Title: The Devil to Pay in the Backlands Author: João Guimarães Rosa Published: 1956 Original Title: Grande Sertão: Veredas
Summary
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands blends mysticism, philosophy, and the reality of Brazilian life in the arid Northeast. The narrator, Riobaldo, is a former jagunço who recounts his journey through the backlands.
Key Themes
Good vs. Evil
Destiny
Violence
Searching for meaning
America
"Who has taught you, white warrior, my brothers' tongue? From where have you come to these woods, which have never seen another warrior like you?"
About the Book
Title: Iracema Author: José de Alencar Published: 1865 Original Title: Iracema
Summary
The story follows the romance between Iracema, an indigenous woman, and Martim, a Portuguese colonizer. Iracema's name is an anagram of America. There is a lot of critique of colonialism in this story, as Martim represents the colonizers (the Portuguese).
Key Themes
Colonialism
Heritage
Cultural clash
National Identity
Celebrating Brazilian stories through book recommendations
22 posts