Lazarillo de Tormes (English and Spanish) torrent

Lazarillo de Tormes (English and Spanish)


Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article, to which I would add - this is a short, pleasant read, in English or Spanish (this edition contains both languages). It is a shame that it is not better known outside of Spanish.

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The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities (La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades) is a Spanish novella, published anonymously, because of its heretical content.

Besides its importance in the Spanish literature of the Golden Age, Lazarillo de Tormes is credited with founding a literary genre, the picaresque novel, so called from Spanish pícaro meaning "rogue" or "rascal". In these novels, the adventures of the pícaro expose injustice while amusing the reader. This extensive genre includes Don Quixote, by Cervantes, Tom Jones by Henry Fielding and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and shows its influence in twentieth century novels, dramas, and films featuring the "anti-hero".


Banned for heresy -
Lazarillo de Tormes was banned by the Spanish Crown and included in the Index of Forbidden Books of the Spanish Inquisition; this was at least in part due to the book's anti-clerical flavor. In 1573, the Crown allowed circulation of a version which omitted Chapters 4 and 5 and assorted paragraphs from other parts of the book. (A complete version did not appear in Spain until the Nineteenth century.)

Read the whole article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarillo

Find more information at: http://www.4olin.com/index2.html

Enjoy, and seed, please!