The Life of Lazarillo de TormesSpain 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. |
Contents
Lazaro Recounts his Life | 7 |
How Lazaro was Employed by | 33 |
How Lazaro was Employed by | 55 |
How Lazaro Entered the Service | 89 |
How Lazaro was Employed by | 111 |
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Common terms and phrases
alms altar Archpriest asked begged better blessed blind man's brought CAROLINE BLACKWOOD CESARE PAVESE church cloak constable count cross damned devil door eaten ELIZABETH DAVID Escalona everything Excellency eyes finished gave GEORGES SIMENON give hands happened head heard hole holy hunger indulgences inside IVY COMPTON-BURNETT J.R. ACKERLEY JOYCE CARY JUAN GOYTISOLO keep L.P. HARTLEY laughed Lazarillo de Tormes Lazaro was Employed LEONARDO SCIASCIA live loaves looked Lord luck master mice miracle miserable mother mouse mouth neighbors never night pardons penny pick poor prayed prayers priest pulpit RAYMOND QUENEAU sausage servant shut sinner snake squire started story street swear SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER tell there's things thought three days told took town tricks truth W. S. MERWIN W.H. AUDEN What's whole wine wretched