author
Júlio César Machado
A lively 19th-century Portuguese voice, he moved easily between journalism, fiction, theater, and travel writing. His work is especially remembered for its wit, clear style, and sharp eye for everyday life in Lisbon.
1 Audiobook
Da Loucura e das Manias em Portugal
by Júlio César Machado
About the author
Born in Lisbon in 1835, Júlio César Machado was a Portuguese writer, journalist, translator, and playwright who became one of the standout literary figures of his time. He grew up close to Lisbon’s literary and theatrical world and published very young, later building a career that ranged across novels, short fiction, chronicles, and stage writing.
He was especially admired as a folhetinista and chronicler, writing in a light, conversational style that mixed humor with close attention to daily life. His books and newspaper pieces often captured the atmosphere of 19th-century Lisbon, and works such as A Vida em Lisboa and Os Teatros de Lisboa show his interest in the city’s habits, culture, and public life.
Machado died in Lisbon in 1890. Even so, his writing continues to stand out for its readability and charm, offering modern readers a vivid window into Portuguese urban life and literary journalism in the nineteenth century.