"Macunaíma, the Hero with No Character" is the culmination of many years of research by writer, poet, critic, and one of the founders of Brazilian modernism, Mário Raul de Morais Andrade (1893–1945). He dedicated his entire life to the renewal of Brazilian art and thought.

The main character of the novel, Macunaíma, a member of the Amazonian Tapanyuma tribe, wanders the world in search of the muiraquitã, an amulet given to him by Ci, the Mother of the Forests. These quests are frequently interrupted by various events reflecting the myths and legends of Brazil.

The book combines different dialects, folklore, anthropology, and mythology, synthesizing Brazilian identity. However, it also contains a biting critique of "Brazilian-ness." Macunaíma is a lazy character, concerned only with sensual pleasures. He is simultaneously Indigenous, Black, and White, serving as a metaphor for a nation that is just beginning to form and therefore "has no character."

Nevertheless, the character of Macunaíma allowed Andrade to achieve what Brazilian modernism so eagerly sought: to establish an understanding and attentive dialogue between "high" and popular culture. This edition includes a detailed glossary and the "Manifesto of Anthropophagy" by Oswald de Andrade.