The last novel by Brazil's most important writer, Memorial de Aires doesn't have a strict plot. It is structured as a kind of diarly of Counselor Aires, a retired diplomat. His notes tell several stories including that of Tristão, who falls in love with and marries a young widow, Fidália. After their marriage, the couple go to Europe, leaving their friends with only sadness and memories. Known as the novel that best reflects the personality and life of Machado de Assis, Memorial de Aires substitutes the irony and sarcasm of his earlier novels with a compassionate and melancholy tone. Some critics count the novel as a literary and human testament from the master of Brazilian letters.