A night in the tavern
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A Night at the Tavern (Uma Noite na Taverna) is a groundbreaking work of Gothic and fantastic fiction by Álvares de Azevedo (1831–1852), one of the most enigmatic voices of Brazilian Romanticism. Presented here for the first time in English, this literary landmark showcases Azevedo’s daring fusion of horror, melancholic lyricism, and philosophical provocation. Written when the author was still in his teens, the book is structured as a decadent frame narrative in which five friends—gathered in a shadowy tavern—recount macabre and transgressive tales of love, violence, and existential despair.
Azevedo’s prose pushes the boundaries of 19th-century literature in Brazil, blending Romantic excess with Gothic imagination and an irreverent tone that shocked his contemporaries. Once dismissed by critics, A Night at the Tavern is now recognized as a precursor to Modernism in Latin America and a foundational work in the development of dark fiction in the region. Its stylistic hybridity, psychological complexity, and rejection of moral convention mark it as one of the most audacious works of its time.
This scholarly edition includes a critical introduction, timeline, translator’s notes, and contextual essays that illuminate the literary, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of the text. Rich in editorial material and illustrated with archival images, it provides essential support for academic study.
Ideal for courses in: 19th-century Brazilian and Latin American literature. Gothic and Romantic fiction, Comparative literature, World literature surveys, Translation studies, Horror and dark fiction seminars, Gender and decadence in literature.
Translated by Maurício Búrigo this edition offers students, scholars, and general readers a compelling entry point into Brazil’s literary past—and one of its most intriguing and haunting voices.