Exemplary Novels

First published in 1992, this prestigious collection of all twelve Novelas ejemplares is now available in a single volume edition, with updated introductions, translations and a new bibliography. Each story has an individual introduction, the original Spanish text with facing English translation and notes. Barry Ife's authoritative General Introduction highlighting the characteristics of Cervantes's fiction, specific issues raised by the Exemplary Novels as a collection, Cervantes's...
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First published in 1992, this prestigious collection of all twelve Novelas ejemplares is now available in a single volume edition, with updated introductions, translations and a new bibliography. Each story has an individual introduction, the original Spanish text with facing English translation and notes. Barry Ife's authoritative General Introduction highlighting the characteristics of Cervantes's fiction, specific issues raised by the Exemplary Novels as a collection, Cervantes's interest in the mixing of genre and in the virtuoso aspects of storytelling is re-written and expanded for this new edition, which remains the only complete edition of the Novelas available in English. 'Hidden among the many pages of preliminary matter which prefaced the first edition of Cervantes's Exemplary Novels is a short, enigmatic prologue addressed to the reader. It is the most eloquent of all the introductions with which Cervantes customarily prefaced his works, and its witty and self-confident tone make it a fitting introduction to one of the most original, entertaining, and provocative collections of short novels in any language. He gives four main reasons why his readers should take them seriously, though not too seriously: they are harmless entertainment, contain profitable examples, each of them is Cervantes's own work, and they all contain a hidden mystery. These four claims have formed the basis of most subsequent criticism of the collection, and they continue to fascinate readers and critics to this day. ' - Barry Ife, from the General Introduction, 1992 edition.