Book Description
Lázaro es un muchacho desarrapado a quien la miseria obliga a emplearse como sirviente. Las inocentes y a veces justificadas burlas con las que Lázaro se defiende de sus amos son castigadas con una crueldad brutal. Así, garrotazo a garrotazo, la simpleza y credulidad del Lázaro de las primeras páginas ceden paso a la sagacidad y a la astucia propias del más clásico y típico de los pícaros. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Pleasure To Read In Espanol!
When i first started reading Lazarillo de Tormes on my own, i immediately was amazed with how quick the language and style of the novel caught onto me. I am in a Spanish 3 class, and while reading this, it made me wonder why we NEVER read spanish literature like this! We always read very pointless short stories that are poorly written, and just have a poor cheap plot in general. So it was very refreshing to read a real piece of Spanish literature for the first time in my life. I believe Lazarillo will have a special place in my bookshelf just like that of Don Quixote and other famous works of world literature. If you like Huckleberry Finn, and a story that is full of brutality yet wit and satire, this novel will give u that and more! I didn't realize until now that this is one of the first picturesque novels of Spain, and the story itself became a canvas for other contemporary characters and novels that somewhat has similar characeristics to Lazarillo. Any determined intermediate level Spanish student could read this novel just fine, you may have to have your Spanish dictionary beside you, but all in all it's not an extremely difficult or tedious novel to read in its native language. I highly recommend this book! I believe that Lazarillo de Tormes is highly underrated, and should get just as much hype, respect, and attention as Don Quixote.

better than it seems
Had to read this book for class. It was not as bad as some other old Spanish texts from this period. An interesting and often funny look at the simple life of a picaro and the tricks of the trade. The reader follows Lazarillo from his childhood as the son of a thief and his simple struggle to survive and make his life moderately bearable. The author is very critical of his contemporary Spanish society, and especially the church (this book was banned by the Inquisition). Fear not students, this book is worth the read.

Classical literature is NOT boring
Nobody knows for sure who wrote this early novel. But we should be glad he did. This book takes the form of an autobiographical tale, where Lazaro de Tormes tells his misadventures. He is a street-boy, an orphan in constant risk of starvation in a poor Spain, where the richess of the New World never trickled down to the poor inhabitants not connected to the Conquest.

Lazarillo, then, makes a living -if you can call that to make a living- as servant to different miserable characters who exploit and abuse him. But he is anything but a fool. Lazaro is always on the move to cheat and deceive his masters, if only to be able to put something into his stomach and avoid starvation. His adventures are not nice, but brutal. Be it with a blind master, or an avaricious and poor priest, Lazaro is always having funny and hysterical adventures. The best thing about the book is Lazaro's attitude: deep inside, the guy is a winner, not a loser, and he is willing to do anything to go up in life, as far as he can, which is not much: he ends up marrying a priest's mistress (check the mock at the Church) and landing a job which required him to accompany prisoners to their execution (not the nicest of jobs, but at least he got a salary). The adventures are hilarious, the character unforgettable by any means. Besides, you can get a good glimpse at the state of Spanish society at the time, but never forget that, even in rich societies, miserable people abound, and the Lazarillos are still out there, in the streets, living day by day, having adventures not funny at all. Good literature with a great social landscape.

La vida de un huerfano
Esta novela es un ejemplo perfecto de la tradicion de la novela picaresca.Lazarillo es un huerfano que trata de servir diferentes amos, pero todos son coruptos y no le tratan bien.Muestra una critica fuerte de la sociedad espanola durante el siglo 16.Toma lugar en Espana por supuesto, y en la ciudad de Toledo tambien.Es cerca de Madrid y es una ciudad hermosa pero aqui muestra la corrupcion de la sociedad.Esta novela es muy importante en la historia de literatura de Espana y si quieres entender la historia de Espana, esta novela es necesario. This novel is a perfect example of the picaresque tradition in literature.Lazarillo is an orphan who tries to serves his masters, but they are corrupt and don't treat him very well.It shows a strong criticism of spanish society in the 16th century.It takes place in Spain of course, and also more specifically, in the city of Toledo.It is close to Madrid and is a beautiful city but here it shows the corruption of society.This novel is very important in the history of literature in Spain, and if you want to understand the history of Spain, this novel is neccesary.

gives really old stuff a good name
As a Spanish student, I used to get scared off ot the "old stuff."You know, the stuff you may not be interested in but are forced to read in college, anyways.This book changed it all for me,though.You don't often think of Neo-classic literature as"laugh-out-loud-funny," but that's what I found myself doingwhile reading Lazarillo.If you're one of the rare people who really gotthe physical comedy of Don Quixote while still appreciating the pathos,please please read try this book, too! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Lazarillo de Tormes: sátira y ansias de vivir en medio del sufrimiento.
El Lazarillo de Tormes es la primera o una de las novelas que comenzaron este género en el Siglo de Oro. Impresa en 1554, se piensa que pueda haber sido escrita en 1553. Traducida a varios idiomas: francés, ingles, holandés, alemán e italiano, es sin dudas una especie de autobiografía que atrajo la lectura de muchos por su realismo en medio de fantasías caballerescas. El niño Lazarillo sufre, victima de una sociedad pesimista y fría, pero no pierde sus ansias de vivir y poder narrar esa vida.

Aún cuando en ella no vemos toda la realidad de la sociedad, esta novela nos deja ver un realismo vivo de un mundo bajo que había sido olvidado en las idealizadas páginas caballerescas y pastoriles. Lazarillo de Tormes nos anuncia con su narración una nueva forma de novela y escritura que llega hasta nuestros días. Crítica la sociedad en que vive en la forma de tres personajes: el mendigo por herencia, el clérigo hipócrita, y el hidalgo fantasma. Esta novela picaresca esta llena de valor también puesto que nos hace pensar, comparar, y asimilar un mundo bajo que existe, triste y doloroso, pero real, sin la magia turbia de la mentira, sino la verdad de nuestra pequeñez.

El Lazarillo es de baja extracción social, nace en un hogar sin amor ideal, fruto de orfandad tiene que, siendo aún niño, enfrentarse a un mundo duro como el Peñón de Gibraltar, sin mas Dios que el deseo de sobrevivir, de seguir adelante hasta ver a dónde nos lleva esta aventura viviente; hasta ver cuánto aguanta nuestro estómago vacío al tocar fondo con su hiriente hambre; hasta ver si la tristeza no nos consume. Así estaba España: triste, luchando contra un pesimismo aceptándolo.

Este pesimismo no quitó a Lazarillo sus ansias de seguir: ¡Cuántos debe de haber en el mundo que huyen de otros, porque no se ven a sí mismos! (Tratado 1ro). El no desea su muerte en cada instante de desfortunio, sino que con una sátira fina pero directa, lucha por seguir sin quedar callado. Un mundo que huye porque no se quiere ver a sí mismo. ¡Tan difícil es vernos en nuestro propio espejo! que Lazarillo siendo un muchacho ya lo ve y es capaz de denunciarlo; contrario a España, quizás aún nación-muchacha, pero incapaz de mirarse en su propio espejo para resurgir una vez más conociéndose a sí misma.

Hay una crítica a la supuesta clase académica, pero no sin dejarla huérfana de la Iglesia y su hipocresía, no ya en el personaje del clérigo, avariento y cobarde, sino que en el mismísimo prólogo ya lo implica con finísima sátira: "Y así en las artes y letras es lo mismo. Predica muy bién el presentado, y es hombre que desea mucho el provecho de las ánimas. Mas pregunten a su merced si le pesa cuando le dicen: ¡Oh qué maravillosamente lo ha hecho vuestra reverencia!". Nos pareciera que el Lazarillo esta envidioso, pero no, simplemente cansado de tanto brillo falso.

Aún los ciegos tienen algo que aportarle a Lazarillo: "Y fue así; que después de Dios éste me dio la vida y, siendo ciego, me alumbró y adiestró en la carrera de vivir". España, ciega, pero sigue en la carrera de vivir como nación, de no dejarse olvidar, de arrimar orgullo para hacerse escuchar. "Huelgo de contar a vuestra merced estas niñerías, para mostrar cuánta virtud sea saber los hombres subir siendo bajos, y dejarse bajar siendo altos, cuánto vicio" (Tratado 1ro). La nación sufre en su tristeza pero no pierde su sagacidad y astucia.

El corazón de una nación, como el de un humano, como el de un Lazarillo, a veces parece enterrarse en la desesperanza, y es allí donde la muerte siempre se ofrece gratuitamente. ¿Mataréis una nación con pesimismo? ¿Enterraréis a ella o a un hombre aún respirando en vida? Nos preguntamos al ver a este muchachillo viendo oscuridad, y solo oscuridad en su entorno: "De manera que en nada hallaba descanso, salvo en la muerte, que yo también para mí, como para los otros, deseaba algunas veces. mas no la vía, aunque estaba siempre en mí" (Tratado 2do). Un mundo mezquino que nos quiere atar por un lado con sus prebendas, y por otro nos quiere exprimir hasta las lágrimas.

El Lazarillo, entre tanta tristeza no pierde su sincero humor. ¿Podríamos hablar de algo sincero en una novela picaresca como esta? Creemos que si; no pierde el hombre el humor de ridiculizarse y así como antídoto alimentarse de la esperanza de la risa. En el Tratado 3ro podemos reír a carcajadas cuando el orgulloso hidalgo le repite casi a diario al niño que su casa era lóbrega y oscura, triste y desdichada, sin comida ni bebida. Un dia el Lazarillo, camino a comprar algo de comer, ve el procesamiento de un muerto que traían y asustado vuelve a toda prisa a su pasajera casa porque había escuchado, según su entender, que llevaban al muerto al mismo lugar de su aposento y el tenía que impedirlo cerrando la puerta con todo lo disponible: "...y venía diciendo (refiriéndose al muerto quienes lo llevaban)... ¿a dónde os llevan? ¡A la casa lóbrega y oscura, a la casa triste y desdichada, a la casa donde nunca comen y beben! Acá, señor, nos le traen" (Le dice asustado Lazarillo a su amo).

Y aquí llegamos a nuestra conclusión: ¿Era España esa casa lóbrega y oscura, desdichada, triste, llena de hambre y orgullo? Si es así, el Lazarillo no es tal pícaro que rechacemos. Ha sufrido, ha conocido solo desventuras y desamor: ¿Qué más podemos pedirle a este miserable humano? Al menos lleva el humor en sus infortunios y el deseo de vivir con lo poco que la vida le ha deparado. El y España aún ríen, con lágrimas en los ojos.

Alejandro Roque.


... Read more

Book Description
The two short novels in this volume follow the adventures of two unlikely heroes-delinquent pícaros living by their wits among corrupt priests and prostitutes, beggars and idle gentlemen, thieves, tricksters, and murderers. Lazarillo de Tormes (1554), published anonymously, provided a literary model for Cervantes' Don Quixote and describes the ingenious ruses employed by a boy from Salamanca to outwit a succession of disreputable masters. Francisco de Quevedo's The Swindler (1626) is a comic yet brutal and sordid account of a servant who wants to become a gentleman but ends up a cardsharp and common criminal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wonderful translation, brilliantintroduction
I find it simply miraculous being able to render into a foreign language such as English both the richness and flavour of the world of El Lazarillo de Tormes. Congratulations.

Lazarillo de Tormes
All I can say is that I never would have believed that this story (short and not so sweet) was written in the 1500s! Truthfully, not much has changed as far as "the church" and "the nobility" are concerned. There is a reason this little story has endured and it is because the world's problems, like the world's fashions, instead of petering out and dying, seem to recycle themselves for the sake of posterity (lest we forget).
Like Voltaire's "Candide," this short story offers a scathing social commentary paired with an expert knack for dark comedy. I literally laughed outloud all the way through. The abuses ofyoung "Lazaro" are unfortunate but irresistable...and not without truth.
This is a two to three hour read at most. You have absolutely nothing to lose. If you have a good sense of humor and do not take the "powers that be" too seriously, you would be a fool not to give it a try.

Great examples of an old literary tradition
I picked this book up on a whim, having a certain fondness for literary tales of thieves and con-men, and I was not disappointed.The forward of the book would give you the impression that the Spanish invented the picaresque novel, a point on which I would differ, given that Petronius' The Satyricon, which while not a novel per se, is still the very spirit of the picaresque literary theme and is older by far. Nonetheless, I found these two short novels both entertaining and surprisingly educational, showing us if nothing else that human motivations and susceptibility to temptation and trickery really never change. The cons and tricks employed by the "heroes" of both novels are easy to identify with, being as many are the Renaissance era equivalents of modern day identity theft and business fraud.And as smaller examples of the literary style of the time, they also fit well alongside the much more famous work of the period, Cervantes' Don Quixote, in both the feel of the culture of that time and place and of the universal traits of human nature that transcend time and place. The translation is well done and reads quite smoothly, even though as it notes in the foward that some jokes, puns and other comic references were so tied to the language and the time that only lengthy footnotes could attempt to explain them in context, which would have marred the readability considerably.

My only disappointment, and it is a minor one, is that The Swindler ends referring to a second volume which apparently was never written. This may have been intentional, a literary device of sorts.Or, since DeQuevedo never intended The Swindler to be published in the first place, and when it did appear, never claimed authorship, it may simply be that he never got around to writing the alluded-to second volume.Still, that aside, both short novels are worth reading for anyone who has a fondness for the picaresque or for pieces of that period of Spanish literature.

An Entertaining Read
I tend to take more chances with my purchases on shorter
works and was rewarded in my impulse buy in this one.

These two novellas of scraggly characters trying to connive
their way to the top (or merely survive) are a pleasure to read,
fast-paced, full of wit, and a wonderful portrait of Spanish society in the 1600s.

profound, edifying and more entertaining than televison
"Picaresque." "Bildungsroman." "Beginning of the novel."
Literary historians (some of them, anyway) tell us that these works mark the transition from pamphlet and chapbook to the protonovel, picked up by Cervantes, later by the French & English novelists. I'll take their word for it.
These books are a lot of fun to read, if you enjoy fast comic action with flashes of pathos, and can stand some coarseness and brutality mixed in. Welcome to Spain in the 1500's. Welcome to Planet Earth.
The translation is excellent standard English, not quite the colloquial, which would be an affectation, under the circumstances.
Students of Spanish might well want to try "Lazarillo" in Spanish. It's surprisingly un-difficult for the motivated intermediate student. There have been several annotated editions for English speakers over the years.
What a wonderful country Spain has been, ever since the Romans incited war against Carthage by drawing a line in it. And still is. Thanks, Spaniards, for throwing out your stupid government that kow-towed to the American warmongerers. ... Read more

Book Description
Spain has produced two books that changed world literature: Don Quixote and Lazarillo de Tormes, the first picaresque novel ever written and the inspired precursor to works as various as Vanity Fair and Huckleberry Finn. Banned by the Spanish Inquisition after publication in 1554, Lazarillo was soon translated throughout Europe, where it was widely copied. The book is a favorite to this day for its vigorous colloquial style and the earthy realism with which it exposes human hypocrisy.

The bastard son of a prostitute, Lazarillo goes to work for a blind beggar, who beats and starves him, while teaching him some very useful dirty tricks. The boy then drifts in and out of the service of a succession of masters, each vividly sketched and together revealing the corrupt world of imperial Spain. Its miseries are made all the more apparent by the candor and surprising good cheer with which young Lazarillo recounts his ever more curious fate.

This version of Lazarillo, by the prizewinning poet and translator W.S. Merwin, brings out the wonderful vitality and humor of this universal masterwork.

The author of Lazarillo de Tormes is unknown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An historical curiosity
This brief book is something of an historical curiosity by virtue of being (supposedly) "the first picaresque novel ever written."But from the standpoint of contemporary literary interest or reward, it is not particularly noteworthy.Because it satirized the nobility and the Roman Catholic Church -- two powerful institutions of the day (it was published in 1554) -- its author chose to remain anonymous and to this day there is no consensus as to his identity.The chapter on the seller of indulgences, who in league with a constable operates an elaborate charade to con the initially skeptical masses into purchasing indulgences by the fistful, is rather scathing and moderately entertaining.But among modern novels there are countless more cutting and uproarious works that I, with the sensibilities of a literate middle-aged American, would rather read.So, my recommendation is to give this a pass unless you are interested in the history of the novel or the social milieu of Sixteenth-Century Spain and its Inquisition.

Inspiring English translation
One of the finest renditions into the English language of the Spanish novel "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes", the fountainhead of the Picaresque in modern European narration. ... Read more

Product Description
A wily scoundrel named Lázaro shares life's difficult lessons with the reader as he serves under different masters in sixteenth-century Castile. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Considered the first of the picaresque novels, Lazarillo de Tormes follows the adventures of a young rogue (picaro) who struggles with the social and religious hypocrisy of 16th century Spain -- and with his own survival.

·Full Spanish text of the novel on the right-hand pages

·More than 700 challenging Spanish vocabulary words highlighted throughout the text

·Definitions in English for each highlighted word on the left-hand pages

Lazarillo de Tormes: A Kaplan Spanish-Language Vocabulary-Building Novel is ideal for individuals who are trying to build their Spanish vocabulary, and for students preparing for SAT II and AP Spanish exams -- as well as for readers who want extra help reading this classic story. ... Read more

Book Description
A reader for intermediate Spanish students

Lazarillo de Tormes is a classic picaresque novel that introduces students to a panorama of Spanish history, customs, and traditions of the 1500s. An audiocassette helps students enjoy one of the masterpieces of Spanish literature. The reader is softcover, 6” × 9”, and 64 pages in length. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Picaresque classic
Along with Guzman del Alfarache, this is the novel that began a rich tradition of rogue literature, everything from Simplicissimus and Felix Krull in Germany, to Moll Flanders and Roderick Random in England, andeventually Huck Finn in the U.S.The plot will seem a bit disjointed tocontemporary readers: the picaresque genre is characterized by aquick-moving, episodic style, a series of disconnected adventures, andsudden eruptions of extreme violence.But the story's charm is stillundeniable, and there's something inherently pleasant about following theearly life of a character who flouts conventions and lives entirely by hiswits."Lazarillo" is a forgotten gem, and one of the mostinfluencial pieces of the Spanish Golden Age. ... Read more

Book Description
Una de las grandes creaciones artísticas en el decurso de las letras españolas, tanto por su propia entidad como por su transcendencia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lazaro o el antiheroe
Situemonos en la Espana antigua, donde los valores, la pobreza, las aventuras, la decadencia son el vivir latente de sus habitantes... Lazaro, apenas un muchacho, sale de hogar a enfrentarse al mundo con el fin de buscar el pan de cada dia; sin embargo, lo que encuentra a su paso es la habilidad para mentir y robar. Con cada uno de sus amos, desde el mas letrado hasta el mas ignorante, comienza su escuela de la vida convirtiendose poco a poco en un maestro del engano y de la astucia. Cruel, cruda y literal, esta novela anonima( pues nadie se atrevio a darle autoria debido a que iba contra todas las reglasde su epoca o porque estaba escrita por alguien perteneciente a alguna institucion de poder que se atrevio a exponer la hipocresia de la sociedad de ese entonces...), lleva al lector en un viaje de agonia en cada una de las aventuras de Lazaro, hasta que este llega a su mayoria de edad. No obstante, todos los sufrimientos, traiciones y tristezas vividos por nuestro protagonista, nos devuelven un producto sencillo, incorrupto y con capacidad de amar con elfin de mostrarnos que, por mas sentimientos negativos que se hayan experimentado, todavia existe una experanza para el hombre....Lazaro nos da la mejor leccion de vida: la reivindicacion del ser humano en todo sentido ... Read more

Product Description
The beginning of the golden age of Spanish literature and the particular socio-political circumstances of early 16th century Spain made fertile ground for the emergence of the picaresque novel, an early form of the first-person narrative novel relating the adventures of a rogue or lowborn traveler (Spanish pícaro) as he drifts through the Spanish countryside from one social milieu to another in an effort to survive. Influenced largely by the medieval tradition of the fabliaux and by the early Italian Renaissance, and structured upon a foundation of anecdotes, proverbs, popular beliefs, and folk tales, the pícaro's discourse becomes a satirical survey of the hypocrisies and corruptions of society. The picaresque novel is exemplified by the prototypical and anonymously written Lazarillo de Tormes, published in 1554, in which the poor boy Lázaro describes his services under seven successive lay and clerical masters, each of whom hides a dubious character beneath a mask of hypocrisy. So piercing are its deliberate social criticisms, irreverent wit, anticlerical attitude and string of mischievous misadventures that Lazarillo was an entry in the 1559 Index of Prohibited Books. For the modern reader, the choice of characters and the backdrop for Lazarillo de Tormes reveal the heart of Spain’s national dilemma after the crucial events of the 1520s. This dual-language, annotated critical edition of Lazarillo de Tormes presents the complete text of the novel in both English and Spanish. The translation attempts to capture in modern English not only the meaning of the historical text, but also the qualities of its original style. ... Read more

Book Description
First published in 1554 and banned by the Inquisition, the anonymous Lazarillo de Tormes begat a whole new genre—the picaresque novel. This classic has had enduring popularity as a literary expression of Spanish identity and emotion. Through its daring autobiographical form the reader observes the magnificent, conquering Spain of Charles the Fifth through the inner consciousness of the humble Lazarillo.
This editon includes the annotated Spanish-language text and prologue (with modernized and regularized spelling) , a full vocabulary, and concise footnotes explaining allusions and translating phrases of varying difficulty.

Spanish-language with introductions in English

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Still out there? Amazing.
This edition, stemming from the time when learning a modern foreign language was still modeled after the traditional procedures employed by dons and thwackum-style masters in beating Latin or Greek into their charges' heads, presents a full and fair text of Lazaro, modernizing and regularizing the spelling, but changing the original in no other way that I can detect. The editors added a FULL vocabulary of the work, including even the most basic words, so that a beginner with a basic knowledge of the grammar could conceivably get through it, though it seems to me that any student should become reasonably comfortable with modern standard Spanish before they tackle something like Lazaro, direct as the Castillian literary style may have been in those days.
My criticism of this edition relates to confusion of the function of notes and vocabulary. There are lines and lines of notes at the bottom of each page, but the student will find that a very large part of this material is nothing more than the schoolmaster's instructions to the little brigands, who would really rather be carving up the desks, as to the elegant phraseology they should employ in manufacturing a finished translation: "translate as pluperfect", " 'since he had gotten a cold deal on a cold turnip'" etc etc etc. Explanations of historical and cultural information, giving the student something of the background the Spanish contemporary would have brought to the text would have been more helpful. And in fact, the editors do include some of this sort of stuff, but it's back in the vocabulary, along with entries such as "cumplir - to obey, comply with, behoove etc", and extremely limited.
So if you're looking for a mass of annotations that will explain what went into each episode and line of Lazaro, this isn't it. But at least it's an unadulterated text of a book that was terribly important in Spain, and, by some extension, the world. And people still read it. Both scholars and schoolchildren, when they aren't carving on desks (or whatever they do these days).

La gran Novela Picaresca
Esta gran novela que inicio la litaratura picaresca es un excelente libro el cual pienso que todos los jovenes deberian leerlo, trata de un muchacho llamado Lazaro el cual fue criado cerca al rio Tormes (DE alli su nombre) y que durante sus aventuras con diferentes amos aprende nuevas e importantes enseñanzas, es muy interesante ver como lazaro reflexiona sobre sus actos. Recomiendo muchisimo este libro ... Read more

Book Description
Since its publication in 1554, Lazarillo de Tormes has continued to fascinate and confuse its readers: is it an autobiography or the product of a creative mind, thus, a work of fiction?Is the author really anonymous?Was a new genre created with Lazarillo, or is it a mere precursor?This novella is read, studied, and taught as a canonic work of the picaresque although some scholars ascertain that the genre was born five years later with Mateo Alemán's Guzmán de Alfarache.By using a postmodern looking glass it may become possible to calibrate much of what has been said about Lazarillo de Tormes.The awareness of the historical moment can make the reader come to the realization that Lazarillo speaks openly about an unfortunate if not despicable reality fraught with famine and abandonment in a society ruled by prejudice and persecution in the name of God, the Monarch, and the Church.Four editions were published in 1554 (Alcalá, Amberes, Burgos y Medina del Campo), yet the Spanish Inquisition prohibited the book in 1559; it was not until the 1800s that it was brought back to light, even though it was translated and reprinted continuously throughout Europe.For over four and a half centuries, Lazarillo has provoked polemics having to do with realities that are not removed from our present-day world.This new edition seeks to present the so-called picardías of the young lad that sets forth the title of this timeless text while discovering the connection that it continues to have with the outcasts, in particular the abandoned and abused children of all times. This edition by prof. Asima F. X. Saad Maura includes a clear foreword, an exhaustive set of notes and a detailed chronology that allows the modern reader understand in depth the text and fully enjoy reading this cornerstone of the hispanic literature. ... Read more

Book Description
Tracing the beginnings of a bourgeois literature in Golden Age Spain, Francisco Sanchez examines works by Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658), major picaresque texts--particularly Lazarillo de Tormes (1554) and Mateo Aleman's Guzman de Alfarache (1599-1604)--and contemporary writings in which political economists and jurists look at new economic and political circumstances. Using the term rep£blica to describe an economic sphere of social life under the constrictions of both the monarchy and the privileges of the seignorial system, Sanchez investigates notions of person, culture, and life in these texts. He also analyzes the formation of a private sphere of social action and the emergence of a literary sphere to represent early bourgeois values and sensibilities. Sanchez argues that this literature represents culture as intellectual and verbal skills for the social and economic advancement (life) of a Christian but secularized person. ... Read more

Book Description
Published anonymously in 1554, Lazarillo de Tormes upset all the strict hierarchies that governed art and society during the Renaissance. It traces the adventures, not of a nobleman or ancient hero, but rather of an ordinary man who struggles for survival in a cruel, corrupt society after growing up under the care of a blind beggar. Giancarlo Maiorino treats this picaresque narrative as a prism for exploring econopoetics, a term he uses to foreground the ways in which literary and economic modes of production feed off one another. His approach introduces readers to the turbulent world of common people of Renaissance Spain even as it affords abundant insights into the historical significance of this literary classic.

Although literary historians generally connect the rise of the novel to the needs of the middle classes of England, Maiorino demonstrates that its deepest roots are in the culture of indigence that developed at the peripheries of Renaissance society and challenged-even parodied-its authoritarian ambitions. Seen in this light, Lazarillo de Tormes emerges as a key text in understanding the novel's purchase on visions of escape from authority into alternative modes of existence.

Maiorino grounds his far-reaching arguments in recent theories of textuality and the practices of everyday life. His book will be important reading for all those concerned with the Renaissance, Spanish history and culture, and, more generally, theories of the novel. ... Read more