Anonymous, Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes [Life of Lazarillo de Tormes]

J. A. G. Ardila (University of Edinburgh)
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The oldest extant editions of

Lazarillo de Tormes

are dated 1554, but there are no copies of the editio princeps; critics do not agree on which genre

Lazarillo de Tormes

belongs to, who the author was and what intentions this authorial figure may have had in its composition. This leaves us with a text with no date, no author, and open to countless interpretations, which, by virtue of its innovative nature and artistic excellence occupies a preeminent place in the Spanish literary canon. It is Europe's first picaresque novel and arguably its first modern novel. For all the above reasons,

Lazarillo de Tormes

is also perhaps the most critically problematic text in Spanish literature.

Lazarillo de Tormes is a short narrative that tells, in the first person, the life of the eponymous

2850 words

Citation: Ardila, J. A. G.. "Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 December 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14722, accessed 19 March 2024.]

14722 Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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