Following the Brazilian writing style called "Tragédia Carioca", originally created by the great playwright Nelson Rodrigues, O AMANTE (THE LOVER) tells the story of Lucio, a man who lived a Bohemian life until he met and married Ritinha, the maiden daughter of Colonel Aurélio and the pious Marília. Conflicted by the new and so different experience, Lucio slowly starts to lose his mind, become paranoid and in the process involve his best friend Bolo in an attempt to arrange a lover to his own wife. Augusto, Ritinha's brother, tries to intervene in favor of the family, its honor and reputation, but he has motivations of his own. The plot thickens as a fortuneteller with real clairvoyance is consulted. She foresees the tragical consequences of everyone's actions but despite the warnings, the characters cannot avoid their inner urges that lead them all to a path of self-destruction.
The original work of O AMANTE was written in Brazilian Portuguese, but the book contains an English translation (THE LOVER) that encompass the plot and gives a glimpse of the renown Brazilian writing style called "Tragédia Carioca".