Ariel Investigation

The Machado de Assis Prize from the National Library – Best Novel of 2005. A culmination of the career of Sílvio Fiorani, one of the most important writers to emerge in Brazilian literature in the 1970s, "Investigação sobre Ariel" (Investigation on Ariel) builds on a well-constructed and thought-provoking plot to weave a sophisticated mosaic of viewpoints and literary references. The narrative's central theme is Francisco Rovelli's investigation into the 1896 suicide of Ariel Alvarenga, an obscure writer. Ariel's death bears disturbing coincidences with that of Raul Pompeia, author of "O Ateneu," which occurred a year earlier. While investigating this and other mysteries, Francisco discovers two of Ariel's unpublished original works: a novel and a diary containing events from his final years. Giving voice to his characters, whom we get to know in depth, Sílvio Fiorani transformed "Investigação sobre Ariel" (Investigation on Ariel) into a deep dive into the complex relationships within the literary world.