Description

Picaresque

Hardcover

Paperblanks Journals Format Guide

The archetype of the appealing anti-hero is encapsulated in Gil Blas, the star of Alain-Ren Lesages 18th-century picaresque novel. Lesages work was influenced by the storyLazarillo de Tormes,a Spanish novella published anonymously in 1554. The cover of an 1846 double publication of those works is reproduced here.

About This Design

• Original Art:Book binding containingGil BlasandLazarillo de Tormes
• Era:1846 binding, 16th- and 18th-century stories
• Region:France

Don Quixote, Samuel Pickwick, Sebastian Dangerfield, Huckleberry Finn… the archetype of the rascally yet endearing rogue is one with which we are all familiar, though we may not know its origins. And perhaps no character encapsulates what it means to be an appealing anti-hero more than Gil Blas, the star of Alain-Ren Lesages picaresque novel by the same name.

Picaresque novels blend elements of comedy and satire in their depictions of a lovable charlatan. Published in the early 1700s, Gil Blas has been described by Edgar Allan Poe as being among the finest narratives in the world and was a key item on Thomas Jeffersons reading list. And though it has come to define the genre, Lesages work itself was influenced by the story Lazarillo de Tormes, a novella published anonymously in 1554. This Spanish work is what gives us the term picaresque, stemming from picaresca, meaning rascal, and it established the key features of a picaro character a lower-class person surviving by their own wits in what is seen as a corrupt or unjust society.

These two foundational works of the picaresque genre were published together in 1846, and our cover design recreates that publications binding. May the spirits of the charming rapscallions Gil Blas and Lzaro inspire you to go rogue and ramble on in your own quixotic adventures.

Features :

• Smyth Sewn Binding
• Decorative printed cover paper
• FSC-certified text paper
• Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
• Acid-free sustainable forest paper
• Hardcover
• 100% recycled binder boards
• Custom-Designed Laid Paper