Play and the Picaresque: Lazarillo de Tormes, Libro de Manuel and Match Ball (University of Toronto Romance Series)

This study takes a fresh look at the picaresque genre as seen in two important contemporary Latin American novels, Cort-zar's Libro de Manuel and Sk-rmeta's Match Ball, the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes. Gordana Yovanovich considers the genre in relation to the concept of play and shows how the traditional picaresque genre has been replaced by a distinctly modern version. Play and the Picaresque contends that within Latin American culture humour and play serve as forms of empowerment and means of survival for those who are marginalized in society. Like the p caros of sixteenth-century Spanish novels, the proletarian characters in the Latin American fiction known as Magical Realism embody a playful and spontaneous approach to life and literature. The relationship of the magical to the real in Latin American fiction is, the book argues, comparable to the 'let's pretend' world and toys in play. The act of playing and living in these novels is a re-creative experience - a concept which has not been adequately explored in contemporary criticism." This Study Takes a Fresh Look At The Picaresque Genre As Seen In Three important Latin American novels: Lazarillo de Tormes, Libro de Manuel and Match Ball. Gordana Yovanovich considers how the genre lends itself to play and, in turn, how play and the picaresque are characteristically Latin American ways of addressing Modernist concerns.Beginning with a thorough discussion of the theory of the picaresque, Yovanovich then turns to a reading of the three novels. She views spontaneous play as the organizing principle of Lazarillo de Tormes and shows how, in Cortazar's theoretical novel, Libro de Manuel, the picaresque mode of seeing the world strengthens the self and captures the dynamic relationship between self and other. Finally, she explores Skarmeta's Match Ball as a intellectual concepts. Cortazar's fictional depiction of Cortazar's theoretical and Skarmeta's novels, says Yovanovich, develop the picaresque by incorporating love themes, which are usually absent from this genre.This insightful study presents new and convincing perspectives on an intriguing literary form, showing that, 'in the picaresque world, humour, laughter and play meet and open a door to a complex human and social reality.'

This study takes a fresh look at the picaresque genre as seen in three important contemporary Latin American novels, Cortázar's Libro de Manuel, Skármeta's Match Ball, and the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes. Gordana Yovanovich considers the genre in relation to the concept of play and shows how the traditional picaresque genre has been replaced by a distinctly modern version.

Play and the Picaresque contends that within Latin American culture humour and play serve as forms of empowerment and means of survival for those who are marginalized in society. Like the pícaros of sixteenth-century Spanish novels, the proletarian characters in the Latin American fiction known as Magical Realism embody a playful and spontaneous approach to life and literature. The relationship of the magical to the real in Latin American fiction is, the book argues, comparable to the 'let's pretend' world and toys in play. The act of playing and living in these novels is a re-creative experience - a concept which has not been adequately explored in contemporary criticism.

This study takes a fresh look at the picaresque genre as seen in three important contemporary Latin American novels, Cortázar's Libro de Manuel, Skármeta's Match Ball, and the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes. Gordana Yovanovich considers the genre in relation to the concept of play and shows how the traditional picaresque genre has been replaced by a distinctly modern version.

Play and the Picaresque contends that within Latin American culture humour and play serve as forms of empowerment and means of survival for those who are marginalized in society. Like the pícaros of sixteenth-century Spanish novels, the proletarian characters in the Latin American fiction known as Magical Realism embody a playful and spontaneous approach to life and literature. The relationship of the magical to the real in Latin American fiction is, the book argues, comparable to the 'let's pretend' world and toys in play. The act of playing and living in these novels is a re-creative experience - a concept which has not been adequately explored in contemporary criticism.

This study takes a fresh look at the picaresque genre as seen in three important contemporary Latin American novels, Cortázar's Libro de Manuel, Skármeta's Match Ball, and the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes. Gordana Yovanovich considers the genre in relation to the concept of play and shows how the traditional picaresque genre has been replaced by a distinctly modern version.Play and the Picaresque contends that within Latin American culture humour and play serve as forms of empowerment and means of survival for those who are marginalized in society. Like the pícaros of sixteenth-century Spanish novels, the proletarian characters in the Latin American fiction known as Magical Realism embody a playful and spontaneous approach to life and literature. The relationship of the magical to the real in Latin American fiction is, the book argues, comparable to the'let's pretend'world and toys in play. The act of playing and living in these novels is a re-creative experience - a concept which has not been adequately explored in contemporary criticism. "This study takes a fresh look at the picaresque genre as seen in two important contemporary Latin American novels, Cortazar's Libro de Manuel and Skarmeta's Match Ball, and the first picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes. Gordana Yovanovich considers the genre in relation to the concept of play and shows how the traditional picaresque genre has been replaced by a distinctly modern version."--BOOK JACKET. Analyses three important Latin American novels in an attempt to redefine the nature of the picaresque, especially in regard to the roles of spontaneous play and carnivalesque laughter