The oldest extant editions of

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

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,

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 21 November 2024.]

• View recommended reading for this article