Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas, often subtitled as the Epitaph of a Small Winner, is a novel by the Brazilian writer Machado de Assis. Published in 1881, the novel is narrated by the dead protagonist Brás Cubas, a wealthy nineteenth-century Brazilian who examines—in 160 short chapters—his own life story from beyond the grave, noting his mistakes and failed romances filled with philosophical digressions and exuberant insights.

Susan Sontag wrote this novel is “probably one of those thrillingly original, radically skeptical books that will always impress readers with the force of private discovery.” It is considered the first romance of the realist movement in Brazil.

The process of designing this book began in April 2017 paying a visit to two different cemeteries in São Paulo. I remember during that same week I read an interesting article by Paul Barnes about English vernacular type [several photos of gravestones in the Southwest of England] on the occasion of Chiswick release.

The illustrations were made using Heloisa Etelvina’s collection of type ornaments. Since her Fine Art studies in Belo Horizonte (BR), Heloisa collects typographic ornaments and combines it with different print techniques: woodcut, linocut, etc.

The titles are set in several typefaces from amazing Ellmer Stefan’s The Pyte Foundry. The rest of the text is set with Chiswick Text from Commercial Type.

On the spine: TPF Dosage, Houdini, Errata, Plumb A, Cuneiform, Nihilist.

The half-title combines Dosage, Houdini, and Errata.

Title page featuring Plumb A, Dosage, Cuneiform, Nihilist, and Errata. In the first two lines, Pyte’s confident accents were tamed down.

Chiswick and TPF Routine B.

Chapter heading in TPF Moloch.

Moloch and Mortar for headings. The swashy numerals are included in Chiswick as titling alternates.

TPF Nihilist.

TPF Flounce and Moloch.

Moloch and Nihilist.

TPF Plumb A.

TPF Overdose.