‘Reading Hilst, you’ll feel drunk, ungodly and fantastically free’ Holly Pester, author of The Lodgers
‘A joyfully wicked writer’ TLS
A wickedly funny work of depraved genius by one of Brazil's most radical twentieth-century writers - part Clarice Lispector, part Marquis de Sade
At sixty, Hillé retreats to a recess under the stairs, abandoning social life for spiritual contemplation. There, she is haunted by her perplexed, recently deceased husband, who desperately advocates for simple common sense and tries to coax her into bed – but from her space of dereliction, Hillé seeks only transcendence.
The Obscene Madame D is an electrifying masterpiece by one of Brazilian literature's most important writers. In subversive, riotously funny prose, Hilst slices to the core of sex, death and madness.
Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe
Translated by Nathanaël and Rachel Gontijo Araujo
Hilda Hilst (1930-2004) was born in Jaú, a small town in the state of São Paulo. She studied law at the University of São Paulo before dedicating herself to writing from 1954. She published novels, poetry and plays and won many prestigious literary prizes, gaining recognition as one of the most significant and controversial figures in Brazilian literature. Letters from a Seducer is also available from Pushkin Press.
