This novella is considered the founding work of the picaresque genre that flourished first in Spain before spreading to other parts of Europe.
This novella is considered the founding work of the picaresque genre that flourished first in Spain before spreading to other parts of Europe. In these novels, an impoverished hero or heroine recounts his or her adventures in an episodic, first-person narrative that takes them through a succession of employers, sometimes leading to a rise in social status, as is the case in the Lazarillo. It was an instant success but ran afoul of the Holy Inquisition and was banned in 1559.