E. A. “Tony” Mares

This is a discussion course (in Spanish) I am directing from January 14 through March 17, 2010 at the Cervantes Institute in Albuquerque. Although the course is in Spanish, there are translations into English of some of these works and you, as writers or persons interested in literature, might enjoy reading them. So, for your reading pleasure, I recommend the anonymous 16th century "Lazarillo de Tormes,""Rinconete and Cortadillo," from Miguel Cervantes's "Exemplary Novels," the 1938 Mexican picaresque novel by José Rubén Romero, "The Worthless Life of Pito Pérez," and Isabel Allende's novel, "Eva Luna."

Spain gave the word "pícaro," to the world and the term "picaresque" to the English Language. A "pícaro" is an affable, even admirable, rogue who survives in a hostile world by his wits. Not a bad idea for today's world, huh?

There are, of course, many picaresque novels. A friend of mine, Margaret Cannon, who lives and writes in Toronto, Canada, recommends the novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte who, in her words, "bases his books on the chase for a rare object," and she thinks his best work is "The Club Dumas." Pérez-Reverte also has a picaresque series set in 17th century Madrid with a protagonist by the name of Alatriste. Not a bad name for a pícaro. Thank you, Margaret.

Right here in New Mexico we have a fascinating picaresque novel, "Inocencio," by the northern New Mexican writer Juan Estevan Arellano. While a new edition is in preparation, Estevan has given me permission to share his novel with this class.