The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes

Description

The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes is a Spanish novel from the 16th century, often considered the first picaresque novel. The book is an anonymous work and was published in 1554 in Spain. It tells the story of a young boy named Lázaro who grows up in poverty and becomes a servant to a series of masters, each of whom is corrupt or abusive in some way, leading the young boy to hone his wit and cunning to survive. The novel is written in the form of an autobiography, with Lázaro narrating his own story. The book is divided into seven chapters, each detailing a different period in his life and his experiences with a different master. Throughout the book, Lázaro's experiences reveal the harsh realities of life for the lower classes in 16th century Spain. Considered a masterpiece of Spanish literature, The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes was included in the Index of Forbidden Books of the Spanish Inquisition.

This book has 23,312 words, 39 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1554. This translation by Clements R. Markham was first published in 1908.

Production notes: This ebook of The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes was published by Global Grey on the 27th March 2023. The artwork used for the cover is 'Lazarillo de Tormes and his Blind Master' by Théodule Ribot.