Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas was published in the periodical Revista Brasileira between March and December 1880. The novel was published in book form the following year in January 1881. Considered to be a masterpiece of world literature, the novel signals a radical shift in Machado’s narrative style by adopting meta-literary and self-referential techniques while exploring a variety of themes: misanthropy, duplicity, selfishness, slavery, the role of women, superstition, skepticism, and others. The narrative tone is satirical, parodic and characterized by an acute sense of irony.