Why read The Alienist?

Book cover of The Alienist

Book description

A classic work of literature by “the greatest author ever produced in Latin America.” (Susan Sontag)

Brilliant physician Simão Bacamarte sacrifices a prestigious career to return home and dedicate himself to the budding field of psychology. Bacamarte opens the first asylum in Brazil hoping to crown himself and his hometown…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Alienist as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

R.H. Emmers

Author

If you need inspiration to write strange stories, then read the Brazilian Machado de Assis. In his photos he looks like a prim and proper gentleman, giving no hint he wrote some of the whackiest fiction you’ll ever encounter—for example, one story is told from the perspective of a needle. The Alienist is a favorite. Bacamarte, a man devoted to science, opens an insane asylum in the town of Itaguaí, taking in the mentally ill. But his scientific mind leads him to the inevitable conclusion that he must also include healthy people who, according to his diagnosis, are about to…

From R.H.'s list on stories you should read (but probably haven’t).