About this book
Diva by José de Alencar pulls listeners into a passionate, epistolary portrait of 19th-century Rio de Janeiro through the intimate letters of Augusto Amaral. Written in 1864, this classic of Brazilian fiction unfolds as a sequence of confessions about Emília, a wealthy heiress accustomed to having every whim obeyed, and the social theatre of the imperial court’s salons.
The novel blends romance and social critique, exposing the hypocrisies and fripperies of elite society while probing themes of desire, reputation, and the constrained roles available to women. As an epistolary fiction, Diva gives a direct, personal voice to its narrator and creates a layered connection with Alencar’s other “women’s profiles”: it echoes Lucíola and anticipates Senhora, even addressing characters from those works. The setting—urban, ornate, and morally ambivalent—frames a story less about plot twists and more about character, perception, and the cost of passion in a judgmental society.
Ideal for listeners who love classic literature, historical fiction, and psychologically rich narratives, this audiobook offers an intimate, letter-by-letter immersion into Brazilian literary history and the timeless tensions between love and social expectation.
