The author of Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, Monteiro Lobato, writes about books and business for Bastos Tigre, one of his friends-enemies.

• Handwritten letter from Monteiro Lobato to Bastos Tigre.
• One page.
• In Portuguese.
• 13.5 cm x 20 cm.
• São Paulo, no information about the date.
• Good condition of conservation.
• Unique piece.

Send the books. As I told you, we receive them with a 40% discount, because we do not have direct sales and we have to put them up for resale with a 25 to 30% discount 10% for shipping costs on books? from the house

Save the ? Rio press: a Tiger with ? on its chest. Chic!

Lobato.

It is difficult to understand this letter from Monteiro Lobato, except for the fact that he is talking about books with Bastos Tigre, probably in the context of his publishing activity, having founded the first Brazilian publisher of children's books, Companhia Editora Nacional, in 1925. The last sentence is interesting: a quote from the Rio press about Bastos Tigre, with a play on words with his surname. However, I am missing a word to understand what it is about! Lobato ends with a “Chic!! (chic), which may be ironic?

Never mind, Monteiro Lobato and Bastos Tigre were two important Brazilian writers from the beginning of the 20th century, who had a controversial relationship.

On the one hand, the two authors shared some similarities in their literary approach. Both were modernist writers who sought to innovate and renew Brazilian literature of the time, using humor and irony in their works. In addition, both were staunch critics of Brazilian society of their time, denouncing corruption, injustice and social inequality.

However, Monteiro Lobato and Bastos Tigre had ideological and political differences. Monteiro Lobato was a defender of nationalism and the valorization of Brazilian culture, while Bastos Tigre was a sympathizer of the Tenentista movement, which sought political and social reform in the country.

Furthermore, in 1928, Monteiro Lobato published an article in the magazine "Cidade do Livro", in which he harshly criticized Bastos Tigre, accusing him of plagiarizing his works and of having questionable moral conduct. This episode generated great controversy at the time, and marked the end of the friendship and relationship between the two writers.

There is no date on the letter, but we can assume that it was written before 1928. One clue would be Gusmões Street, in the letter's header. However, there is no information indicating that Gusmões Street, in São Paulo, had any importance or direct relationship with the life and work of Monteiro Lobato. Over the years, the street was home to important institutions and establishments, such as Brazil's first radio station, Rádio Educadora, and the headquarters of the Brazilian Communist Party. Today, the street is an important commercial and service route in the central region of São Paulo.

Monteiro Lobato is one of the most important authors in Brazilian literature. He was responsible for popularizing children's literature in Brazil and contributing to the education of several generations of readers. He was also one of the main writers of the Brazilian modernist movement, which sought to renew the country's literature and culture in the first decades of the 20th century.

This letter, in good condition, is interesting because it is entirely handwritten with a beautiful signature, because it talks about books, and because its recipient is Lobato's best enemy.