©2025 Fable Group Inc.

The Hand and the Glove

By Machado de Assis & Albert I. BagbyJr.
The Hand and the Glove by Machado de Assis & Albert I. BagbyJr. digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The later novels of Machado de Assis—notably Dom Casmurro and Esau and Jacob—are well known in this country, but the earlier novels have never been translated. Here, in The Hand and the Glove (the Brazilian master's second novel), rendered in English for the first time by Albert I. Bagby, Jr., readers will find a younger, gentler Assis, writing a romantic comedy that is yet permeated with the lively wit characteristic of his later works.

The story is a simple one-of love lost and love found. Of love lost by Estêvão, amiable but vacillating, who is bemused by his own romantic posturing, and by Jorge, superficial and calculating. Of love found by Luis Alves, whose self-possession and determination seem destined to carry him far. The love of all three men is the proud and beautiful Guiomar, sure of her own heart but unsure, until faced by rival claims, of where to bestow it—a foreshadowing of Capitú, the intriguing heroine of Dom Casmurro.

"English-speaking readers," says Helen Caldwell in the Foreword, "who are already acquainted with Machado de Assis will welcome this latest addition to the translated novels. True, it is a period piece; but its quaintness is a charm to carry us back to the Rio de Janeiro of the 1850s—to vanished courtly elegance arid attitudes.... Now, we too can know what drew [Assis] back to this early tale, for The Hand and the Glove recreates in English the elegant background, the charming heroine, the comedy, and the light-hearted ebullience of the Portuguese original."

Download the free Fable app

app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities
app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

No Reviews

About Machado de Assis

Albert I. Bagby Jr. grew up speaking both Portuguese and English. After eighteen years in Brazil, he came to the United States and entered Baylor University. Following graduation from Baylor, he continued his studies at the universities of Missouri, where he received his M.A., at North Carolina, and at Vanderbilt University; in 1968 he received a doctoral degree in Spanish literature from the University of Kentucky. Presently Mr. Bagby is chairman of the Romance Languages Department at the University of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Albert I. BagbyJr.

Albert I. Bagby Jr. grew up speaking both Portuguese and English. After eighteen years in Brazil, he came to the United States and entered Baylor University. Following graduation from Baylor, he continued his studies at the universities of Missouri, where he received his M.A., at North Carolina, and at Vanderbilt University; in 1968 he received a doctoral degree in Spanish literature from the University of Kentucky. Presently Mr. Bagby is chairman of the Romance Languages Department at the University of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Start a Book Club

Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!

FAQ

Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?

Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?

How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?

Do you sell physical books too?

Are book clubs free to join on Fable?

How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?

Error Icon
Save to a list
0
/
30
0
/
100
Private List
Private lists are not visible to other Fable users on your public profile.
Notification Icon
Fable uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB