The Slum (Library of Latin America)

by Aluisio Azevedo

  1888 His mother, Emilia Amália Pinto de Magalhães, dies.

  1890 O cortiço (The Slum), published by Garnier, is a great success.

  1891 While producing various plays with Emílio Rouede he is also named chief officer of the Business Bureau of the government of the state of Rio de Janeiro, a position he holds for a few months.

  1895 Publishes “O livro de uma sogra” (The book of a mother-in-law) and is named vice-consul in Vigo, Spain.

  1897 Is inducted into the Brazilian Academy of Letters (seat number 4), so recently established by Machado de Assis.

  Sells the rights to his literary works to Gamier.

  Takes up his duties in Yokohama, Japan.

  1898 The journey between San Francisco and Japan on the ship “Coptic” almost ends in tragedy due to storms.

  1899 Named consul in La Plata, Argentina.

  1903 Consul in Salto Oriental, Uruguay.

  1906 Consul in Naples, Italy.

  1908 His brother Artur Azevedo dies.

  1910 Consul in Asunción, Paraguay.

  1913 He dies of myocarditis on January 21 in La Plata, Argentina, where he was commercial attaché.

  1919 Aluísio Azevedo’s mortal remains are transferred to Brazil.

  Bibliography

  Of particular interest among the hundreds of books and essays on Aluísio Azevedo’s work are the following works:

  Coutinho, Afrânio. A literatura no Brasil. Vol. IV. Rio de Janeiro: EDUFF, 1986.

  Bosi, Alfredo. História concisa da literatura brasileira. São Paulo: Cultrix 1970.

  Martins, Wilson. História da inteligência brasileira. Vols. IV and V. São Paulo: T. A. Queiroz, 1966.

  Pereira, Lúcia Miguel. História da literatura brasileira: Prosa de ficção (1870–1920). Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, 1950.

  Fowler, Donald. “Azevedo’s Naturalistic Version of Ganteirs.” Hispanic Review 13 (July 1945).

  ———. “Naturalistic Version of Genesis: Zola and Aluísio Azevedo.” Hispanic Review 12 (Fall 1944).

  On the author’s life and the polemics to which his work gave rise, see the following:

  Menezes, Raimundo de. Aluísio Azevedo, uma vida de romance. São Paulo: Martins, 1956.

  Montelo, Josué. Aluísio Azevedo e a polêmica d’ “O mulato.” Rio de Janeiro: José Olympio, 1975.

  Sant’Anna, Affonso Romano de. Análise estrutural de romances brasileiros. Rio de Janeiro: Vozes, 1976.

  ———. “Curtição: o Cortiço do mestre Cândido e o meu.” In Por um novo conceito de literatura brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: Eldorado, 1977.