Paper short abstract:

The analysis of a novel of the Brazilian author Aluísio Azevedo considering the relations between the diffusion, circulation and appropriation of Gaboriau's novels in Brazil in the end of 19th century.

Paper long abstract:

Aluísio Azevedo, besides being a Brazilian naturalism reference, wrote a variety of feuilleton in the Brazilian newspapers of that time. One of them, Mattos, Malta ou Matta?, was published in the newspaper A Semana in the beginning of 1885. The story was inspired in the news about a case of disappearance occurred in the end of 1884.

Émile Gaboriau, French writer of detective novels, obtained success in the world of that time during the decades of 1870 and 1880, including in Brazil. Considering a case-studies about the novel Mattos, Malta ou Matta?, this paper will take the concepts of circulation, diffusion and appropriation of novels in a specific historical context to provide greater complexity to the analysis of this novel. It is intend to take into account a "social history of interpretations", considering the meanings provided to the texts are consequence of certain practices. In this case, it is relevant the practice of reading of Gaboriau's novels in Brazil of that time, the success of this "case" of crime in that society and the meanings provided by Aluísio Azevedo and the readers to the novel Mattos, Mattos ou Matta?. The following questions could be done: Is it possible that Mattos, Malta ou Matta? was it a novel inspired by the Gaboriau's novels? Did Aluísio Azevedo do an appropriation of the way of writing of Gaboriau? Referring to the concept of appropriation, it will be useful for this analysis?