Estebanillo González
La vida y hechos de Estebanillo González, hombre de buen humor, Life and facts of Estebanillo González, man of good humour, (Antwerp, 1646 and Madrid, 1652) is a Spanish picaresque novel, written as a genuine autobiography of a rogue (well documented in other sources), but for some scholars, it is a work of fiction.[1] Against the background of the Thirty Years War, the main character writes about his life being a servant of distinguished masters, in a personal narrative all Europe around as a soldier, messenger, etc, witnessing important historic events. It is one of the last great achievements of Spanish Baroque literature during the seventeenth century.[2]
It was translated into English by Captain John Stevens (London, 1707), The Spanish Libertines: or the lives of Justina, the Country Jilt, Celestina, the bawd of Madrid and Estevanillo Gonzales, the most arch and comical of scoundrels. To which is added, a play call'd An Evening's Adventures. All four written by eminent Spanish authors, and now first made English by Captain John Stevens. He said about Estebanillo González: "...in the opinion of many...seems to have outdone Lazarillo de Tormes, Guzman de Alfarache, and all other rogues that have hitherto appear'd in print...".
References
- ^ http://www.jstor.org/pss/1770823 Estebanillo González and the Nature of the Picaresque Lives by Nicholas Spadaccini, Comparative Literature, 1978, University of Oregon.
- ^ http://www.jstor.org/pss/340004 The clown's other face, by Richard Bjornson, Hispania, vol. 60.