THE PROTOTYPE OF THE PICARESQUE NOVEL - Lot 74

THE PROTOTYPE OF THE PICARESQUE NOVEL ALEMAN (Mateo). PRIMERA PARTE DE LA VIDA DEL PICARO GUZMAN DE ALFARACHE (followed by) SEGUNDA PARTE. Compuesto por Matheo Luxan de SAYAVEDRA... dirigido a Don Gaspar Mercader y Carroz... Brucellas, Juan Monmarte / Roger Velpius, 1604. Two parts in two volumes in-12, full cherry calf, spine ribbed and decorated with gilded boxes, "Biblioteca de Salva" (VPS) on the boards, and fillets on the boards and edges, gilded edges (19th century bindings). A good copy, despite numerous uniformly foxed leaves (as is often the case), especially in the first volume. Last edition published with the second part of Luxan de Sayavedra. In the same year (1604), Mateo Aleman published his own second part, which will henceforth accompany subsequent editions. The first edition of the first part dates from 1599, and that of the second from 1602. Such was its success that 26 editions (of 2,000 copies each) were published between 1599 and 1604. Only the publication of Le Quichotte in 1605 eclipsed Guzman d'Alfarache, which, along with Lazarillo de Tormés, is considered the prototype of the picaresque novel from which Cervantes drew his inspiration. Collation conforms to Palau, 6692, which notes a pagination error in the first volume, with page 167 skipped to page 178 with no missing text. It therefore comprises 198 mispaginated ff. 215. A copy from Salva's library, although not listed in his catalog published in 1872. It must have been acquired after the publication of his collection. Super-libris (Salva) on the boards.