# The best books by Machado de Assis

The novels and stories by the 'Wizard of Cosme Velho' that top critics' and readers' lists (Literatour, BookNet, Scup), from Dom Casmurro to Counselor Ayres' Memorial.

- 3 votes · 11 items
- Feb 20, 2025 · o_serieviciada
- https://even.best/en/l/634/the-best-books-by-machado-de-assis

## Top 10

1. **Quincas Borba** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — 1891. Rubião inherits the fortune and the dog of a mad philosopher: 'To the victor, the potatoes!'
2. **Esau and Jacob** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — 1904. Rival twins, one monarchist and one republican, in love with the same woman.
3. **The Fortune-Teller** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — 1884. A love triangle and a fortune-teller in Rio de Janeiro.
4. **Dom Casmurro** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1899. Bentinho and the eternal doubt about Capitu; the starting point almost everyone recommends.
5. **The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1881. A dead author tells his life story; it shares the top of the lists with Dom Casmurro.
6. **The Alienist** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1882. Dr. Simão Bacamarte locks the whole town of Itaguaí in his asylum.
7. **Counselor Ayres' Memorial** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1908. His last novel, a diary about old age and love.
8. **The Mirror** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1882. A story about the 'exterior soul' of an ensign who can't recognise himself without his uniform.
9. **Midnight Mass** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1893. A young man and a married woman talk on Christmas Eve; one of the most perfect stories in the language.
10. **Helena** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — 1876. A novel from his early phase, recommended for beginners.
11. **Iaiá Garcia** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Novel from 1878, the last of the so-called romantic phase of Machado de Assis.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.