Before the Green Ball
Brazilian novel by Lygia Fagundes Telles / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antes do Baile Verde (Before the Green Ball) is a Brazilian short story written by Lygia Fagundes Telles and originally published by Editora Bloch in 1970. It is considered one of the most important publications by the author, who began her career in the 1970s. The book brings together contemporary realist short stories of an intimate nature, reflecting characteristics of the third modernist generation and Concretism.
Author | Lygia Fagundes Telles |
---|---|
Language | Portuguese |
Publisher | Bloch |
Publication date | 1970 |
Publication place | Brazil |
ISBN | 9788532508805 |
Composed of eighteen short stories, written between 1949 and 1969, the book deals with themes such as adultery, marital dissatisfaction, madness, and the demystification of family roles, with characters from middle-class urban Brazilian families who hide dramas and conflicts. Before the Green Ball was distributed under Emílio Garrastazu Médici, during the military dictatorship, and soon after it was published it won the International Women's Grand Prize for Foreign Short Stories.
Her short story work consolidated her career, earning her the Guimarães Rosa Prize in 1972 and the Coelho Neto Prize in 1973. In addition to this, other short stories by Lygia enabled her to be chosen for chair number sixteen of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, founded by Machado de Assis. In 1993, O Moço do Saxofone, one of the stories in Antes do Baile Verde, was adapted for television in an episode of the series Retrato de Mulher.