It's difficult, while reading "The Madman," not to recall the story of the gentle boy Zéza in "My Sweet Orange Tree" and "Let's Wake the Sun," and not to empathize with him, his attitudes, and his decisions as he grew into a young man of twenty. Zéza, or "Zay," never relinquished the glow of his personal dreams, never ceasing his search for meaning in life, carving out his own adventures in a world that was hostile to him, until he became known as a vagabond.
Zay confronted his family, his teachers, and the priests, insisting on following his dream and seeking his happiness. It is a moving story, one of José Mauro's finest works, rarely equaled in its captivating effect on readers and the critical fascination with its artistic brilliance, because, quite simply, it touches upon the universal human experience: love and dreams.
