Abstract
This article analyzes the prefaces written for the first translations of Machado de Assis’ works into English, published between 1952 and 1984 in the United States. It highlights a recurrent subject in these paratexts: the writer's biography. The aim of this analysis is to show how the treatment of Machado de Assis' life reflects different moments of 20th century literary criticism, as well as illustrates the circulation of ideas between Brazilian and American literary criticism. The resulting interpretations are diverse and present contrasting understandings of Machado de Assis' work to the American reading public.
Keywords:
Machado de Assis; translation; preface; paratext