Spanish Sharper

A classic picaresque novel, Francisco de Quevedo's "e;The Spanish Sharper"e; chronicles the adventures of Don Pablos, a buscon or swindler, who aims in life to learn virtue and to become a caballero, or gentleman, both of which he fails miserably at. The work is a notable piece of satire that criticizes not only Spanish society but the protagonist Pablos himself. His ambition to elevate his status to that of a gentleman is, in Quevedo's opinion, unobtainable; as such aspirations from the lower classes would only destabilize the social order. Written around 1604 and first published in Spanish as "e;El Buscon"e; in 1626, "e;The Spanish Sharper"e; stands as one of the earliest and premier examples of the popular genre of Spanish literature known as the picaresque novel.