788 Results in the "Literary Fiction" category


    • Chapter II: How Lazaro Took up with a Priest and the Things That Happened to Him with That Man Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II follows Lazarillo as he escapes one hardship only to enter another, leaving behind a blind master and soon finding himself under the care of a miserly priest in Maqueda. What begins with cautious hope quickly descends into another form of torment, cloaked in the false piety of his new employer. The priest, outwardly devout and respected by his community, treats Lazarillo not as a servant to be cared for, but as a burden to be rationed. Meals are rare and portions absurdly small—little more…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter III: How Lazaro Took up with a Squire and What Happened to Him Then Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter III follows Lazarillo as he enters one of the most ironic and revealing stages of his early life, marked by both illusion and deprivation. Arriving in Toledo alone and hungry, he meets a gentlemanly figure dressed in fine clothes, whose appearance promises stability and decency. This man, a squire, welcomes him kindly and brings him into his home. At first, Lazarillo believes he has finally found a master who can provide shelter and regular meals. Yet as the days unfold, the truth begins to show:…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter V: How Lazaro Went to Work for a Pardoner and the Things That Happened to Him Then Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter V unfolds as Lazaro recounts his time under the employment of a pardoner—a man skilled in the art of spiritual persuasion and even more adept at deceit. This pardoner makes his living selling papal indulgences, documents claiming to absolve sins in exchange for a fee, and he crafts every word and gesture to sell them convincingly. He begins his efforts with small bribes to the local clergy, giving wine, fruit, or small coins to secure their support in urging parishioners to buy. The pardoner…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter VII: How Lazaro Went to Work for a Constable and Then What Happened to Him Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VII begins with Lazarillo reaping the fruits of a lifetime spent dodging misfortune and adapting with wit. No longer the boy scrambling for crusts or running from cruel masters, he now walks through the streets in respectable clothes purchased with money he earned. His role as a chaplain’s water carrier behind him, he tries his hand briefly at being a bailiff. That job, however, quickly reveals its dangers when faced with outlaws and desperate criminals. Realizing that courage without a sword is…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter I: Where Lazaro Tells about How He Left Toledo to Go to the War of Algiers Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I: Where Lazaro Tells about How He Left Toledo to Go to the War of Algiers opens with Lazaro in an enviable position. In Toledo, he had a job that brought stability, fine clothes, and the appearance of respectability. Yet the call of adventure stirred something deeper in him—a wish to follow the legacy of his father and prove his worth in a more daring way. That desire, mixed with ambition, pushed him to volunteer for the fleet bound for Algiers. Before setting off, he ensured his family was…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter II: How Lazaro Embarked at Cartagena Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II: How Lazaro Embarked at Cartagena begins with a quiet sense of desperation masked by hope as Lazaro leaves behind yet another chapter of suffering. Mocked for his ragged clothes and treated as little more than a vagrant, he faces ridicule with an inward resolve. He believes that endurance, no matter how bitter, might yet bring him closer to dignity. With nowhere else to turn, he boards a ship docked at Cartagena, lured by the thought of escape and renewal. The harbor, loud and bustling, gives…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter III: How Lazaro Escaped from the Sea Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter III: How Lazaro Escaped from the Sea begins with a chaotic, breathless effort to grasp at both survival and wealth. Trapped between terror and hope, Lazaro pushes his body into the waves, clawing toward a chest of treasure floating just out of reach. He cannot swim, yet necessity compels him forward. The sea, cruel and cold, batters his limbs while fish snap at his skin as if mocking his desperation. Every gulp of seawater feels like punishment, reminding him of the bitter concoction his wife once…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter IV: How They Took Lazaro through Spain Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter IV: How They Took Lazaro through Spain begins with Lazaro reflecting on a strange twist of fate that turned him from a man into an attraction. After miraculously surviving an ordeal at sea—one he compares to Jonah’s tale—he finds himself rescued not by kindness but by opportunists. The fishermen, eager to profit from the unusual event, decide to put him on display across the country. With the blessing of the Inquisition’s ministers, they transform him into a living exhibit. Moss is…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter V: How They Took Lazaro to the Capital Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter V: How They Took Lazaro to the Capital begins during one of the most dehumanizing periods of Lazaro’s life, where survival became its own kind of imprisonment. Encased in a wooden tank that mimicked a coffin more than a home, he was paraded through towns not as a person but as a spectacle—a man who, they claimed, had turned into a fish. His captors crafted this illusion with precision, and the crowds were eager to believe. For six long months, Lazaro existed on nothing but the dirty water in…
      Novel • Satire
    • Chapter VI: How They Took Lazaro to Toledo Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VI: How They Took Lazaro to Toledo begins not with a journey but with a night of utter confusion that spiraled far beyond control. In a crowded inn brimming with suspicion, noise, and shadows, neighbors and constables alike rushed in, responding to cries of theft. Sailors claimed their fish had been stolen, prompting a frantic search for culprits no one had seen. Amid the madness, Lazarillo was not merely a bystander. He was returned to the very vat where he had suffered once before, wedged into…
      Novel • Satire
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