Guzmán de Alfarache

A novel by the Spanish writer Mateo Alemán, published 1599-1604. One of the first picaresque novels, it became extremely popular, was widely translated, and established the fashion for the genre during the first half of the 17th century. The hero recounts his life of crime, his thefts, deceits, his desertion of his rich wife, and other escapades, until he is finally apprehended, condemned to the galleys, and repents.

The novel is much longer than its predecessor, Lazarillo de Tormes, and has none of its light humour and witty satire. Moral commentaries on each episode outweigh the narrative element and reflect a pessimistic loathing of the nastiness of life and of man's evil nature when unredeemed by grace.

It was translated into English by James Mabbe under the title of The Rogue in 1622.