Macunaíma

Macunaíma – The Hero Without Any Character is a landmark in the history of Brazilian literature. Reproducing the work's second publication by José Olympio, this updated edition maintains Mário de Andrade's signature writing style and adapts the classic 1937 graphic design.

Mário de Andrade utilized many perspectives in constructing this singular language, drawing on his broad understanding of popular culture to create the title character. Macunaíma was forged from indigenous and folk legends, collages of stories, myths, and ways of life that, combined, created an ideal Brazilian character. A magical, mocking, and derisive being, he travels the country—from Roraima to São Paulo, down the Araguaia River, from Paraná to the Pampas, and finally to Rio de Janeiro—accompanied by his brothers, Jiguê and Maanape, on an adventure to recover his lost amulet: the muiraquitã.

First published in 1928 and financed by the author, Macunaíma had its second edition released by Livraria José Olympio Editora, in 1937. It is this text that the reader now has in their hands, with updated spelling, preservation of the prose style and an editorial project that reproduces the graphic art of Thomaz Santa Rosa, the iconic visual artist responsible for the publisher's books in the 1930s and 1940s.

The importance of Macunaíma to Brazilian culture is immeasurable. In 1969, the film of the same name directed by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade featured two protagonists: Grande Otelo, the black Macunaíma; and Paulo José, the white Macunaíma. During the 1975 Carnival, Portela brought the samba theme song " Macunaíma – Hero of Our People " to the streets, led by Silvinho da Portela, Clara Nunes, and Candeia. In 2019, "Macunaíma – A Musical Rhapsody" was one of the most acclaimed plays of the theater season. The adaptation was directed by Bia Lessa, with a script by writer and art critic Veronica Stigger, who wrote the foreword for this edition.

" Macunaíma is the greatest national work. You must read it." - Oswald De Andrade

“Together with his companion José, by Carlos Drummond, Mário's anti-hero became a figure of obligatory mention, acquiring a popular prestige that previously only characters by José de Alencar or Machado de Assis had achieved.” - Silviano Santiago

“Wild and highly civilized. Only Mário.” - Darcy Ribeiro

"Works and authors that capture truths remain; they become poles of comparison, even in the small reflections of everyday life. Macunaíma the work and Macunaíma a possible hero are like that." - Telê Porto Ancona Lopez

"To understand Macunaíma is to explore both motivations: that of narration, which is playful and aesthetic; that of interpretation, which is historical and ideological. These are two projects that call to and interpenetrate each other. [...] And their combination will be responsible for a wealth of forms and meanings that still defy criticism today." - Alfredo Bosi

“Macunaíma is, at the same time, singular (there is no other like him) and multiple (he is always unfolding into others). Nothing is static in his world. Nothing is given once and for all. Everything is fun and diverse.” - From the Foreword by Veronica Stigger