The translator's sleight of hand: Robert L. Scott-Buccleuch as unreliable reader of Dom Casmurro

Abstract Robert L. Scott-Buccleuch's translation of Dom Casmurro has gained notoriety for excluding nine of the original's 148 chapters. Once this editorial imposition came to light, critics have reacted strongly against him for abridging one of the most celebrated novels of Brazil's most revered writer. The excision of nine chapters, however, cannot be disregarded as a mere error of interpretation; it was a deliberate and calculated decision on the part of a highly engaged reader. In fact, one could argue that Scott-Buccleuch's deletion imitates many of the narrative techniques of the novel's narrator-protagonist. Studying this controversial translation enhances our understanding of the underlying metanarrative structure of Dom Casmurro, especially in regards to the relationships between author, narrator, and reader.