LIKE A COMPASS. COUNSELOR AIRES AND THE BOOK FORM IN MACHADO DE ASSIS

Abstract

The last two novels by Machado de Assis have the same fictional author, Counselor Aires. The form of these two books is, however, different: in Esau and Jacob, the narration is attributed to an omnipresent narrator, in the third person; Counselor Ayres' Memorial, on its side, takes the form of a diary, a narrative in the author's own name, a book in the process of writing.

Despite the different narrative form of the books, it is possible to identify, in these two books, a common style that characterizes Counselor Aires. In this text, I will discuss how the book form is considered by Machado de Assis, arguing that Counselor Aires has a proper literary project, autonomous from the others Machado fictional authors and from Machado de Assis himself.

Keywords: Counselor Aires; book; novel; diary; readability