The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, or the Spanish Rogue, vol. 1/3

by Mateo Alemán

"The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, or the Spanish Rogue, vol. 1/3" by Mateo Alemán is a picaresque novel published in two parts in 1599 and 1604. The work follows a young street urchin through his first-person adventures as he matures into adulthood. Blending engaging storytelling with moralizing discourse, it recounts the exploits and excesses of its antihero protagonist—born in infamy and navigating a world of delinquency and roguish misadventures. This hybrid of adventure tale and doctrinal sermon became wildly popular across Europe.