Ten short stories by the Brazilian master, most from his early, formative years. Most have never been translated to Engilsh before. Presented in Portuguese and English. The stories reflect the social values of Rio de Janeiro as the country makes a gradual shift from Portuguese social mores to Brazilian mores. At the same time, the country is shifting from a monarchy toward a republican government, though at the time these stories were written, the change had not come and slavery was still legal. Foreword and Introduction provide a lot of insight into the writings of Machado de Assis.