Customer Reviews

Lazarillo de Tormes and The Swindler: Two Spanish Picaresque Novels (Penguin Classics)

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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.

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 of young "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.

These two picaro novels are one of the earliest examples of a novel written in confessional form. Lazarillo de Tormes tells of a poor boy's rise to success, while The Swindler details the fall into a life of crime. Both are well-translated, fast reads that keep the reader amused and entertained even while learning of the terrible hardships facing someone at the bottom of society in the 16th century.

book arrived in a great condition. i couldnt tell if it was new or used beacuse it hardly had marks and or signs of wearing.

This book was mandatory reading in 7th grade back home along with Jules Verne. It was also mandatory to read García Lorca, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Calderón de la Barca, Moliere, Dostoyevsky and Flaubert, to name a few. The only issue I have is that these works lose a lot in the translations. I am thankful that school system back then made it mandatory to learn English and French.

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.

I would advise anyone who would accidentally fall upon this book to pick it up or buy it. It is that much fun! The idea of the spanish picaresque novel is that there is always a character less than desirable in the eyes of others, usually he is the main character and a young thief, and the book follows this character as he begins to grow up and learn life-lessons... sometimes in very comical ways.

Please, if you get the chance, read this book.

"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.

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.