With an unflinching, unsentimental eye and a soupcon of black humor, Fonseca chronicles the foibles, manias, and obsessions of the people of Brazil's metropolises

In these seventeen stories by one of Brazil's foremost living authors, Fonseca introduces readers with unsurpassed candor and keenness of observation to a kaleidoscopic, often disturbing world. A hunchback sets his lascivious sights on seducing a beautiful woman. A wealthy businessman hires a ghost writer, with unexpected results. A family of modern-day urban cannibals celebrates a bizarre rite of passage. A man roams the nocturnal streets of Rio de Janeiro in search of meaning. A male ex-police reporter writes an advice column under a female pseudonym. A prosperous entrepreneur picks up a beautiful girl in his Mercedes only to discover his costly mistake. A loser elaborates a lethal plan to become, in his mind, a winner.