Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper, (Paperback)

<p><strong>Francisco de Quevedo</strong> holds the status of a man-of-letters in the same pantheon as Cervantes; but despite that, <strong>Pablo de Segovia</strong> is his only novel. Quevedo had circulated the manuscript privately for several years before it was published in <strong>1626</strong> without his permission. The novel is partly a satire of contemporary Spanish life, and a caricature of the various social strata <strong>Pablo</strong> encounters and emulates.<strong>Pablo</strong> himself is a low-born person who aspires to become a gentleman, but despite his best efforts he repeatedly fails and is eventually forced to become a "sharper," or rogue. His failures give Quevedo an avenue to expound on his belief that attempting to break past your social class can only lead to disorder; and that despite one's best efforts, bettering oneself is largely impossible. <strong>Pablo</strong>'s stumbling from misfortune to misfortune is a farce that helped cement Quevedo's reputation as a literary giant.</p>

• Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper, (Paperback)
• Author: Francisco de Quevedo
• ISBN: 9791043135859
• Format: Paperback
• Publication Date: 2026-03-01
• Page Count: 206