"To Machado, your identity and the contours of your world are formed not just by your circumstances but by what you think about habitually. You are what you contemplate, so choose wisely. These stories are a spectacular place to start."

- The New York Times,

"These are ambitious stories, serious and unflinching, willing to court discomfort—not least in their author. Machado, after all, was the child who made it. While some critics have seen these late stories in isolation, the hurt they express—so clearly born of experience—radiates out through all the work here."

- Times Literary Supplement,

"This gorgeously-produced landmark English-language edition of the complete stories of the great Brazilian miniaturist brings together all of the author's short fiction, including some never before translated into English. The translating duo here wonderfully convey the author's dry, deadpan wit and dogged low-key happiness – it's the English version this author has always deserved."

- The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation! - Open Books Review,