The Picaresque Novel: What It is and Why You Should Try Reading One

You may not have heard the term picaresque novel, but there’s a good chance you’ve already read one.

For example, if you’ve ever read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, you may have enjoyed reading about the young boy’s antics and how he managed to come out on top despite his poor social background. 

Like Huck Finn, a picaresque novel follows a rough hero, usually from the lower social classes, going through episodes of adventure. It usually includes comedic or satiric elements.

What Is a Picaresque Novel? 

Traditionally, the hero (known as the picaro in Spanish) in a picaresque novel is a male who has to overcome his struggles in society using his wits. As such, the plot usually doesn’t have to be neatly tied together, and instead can feature different scrapes that the protagonist gets into, detailing his efforts to get out of them. 

The term “picaresque novel” came into use around the 1800s, but the rise of the writing style can be traced to the 1500s, originating in Spain. This was a time when Spain was swamped with turmoil, in the midst of medieval beliefs and social stability getting shaken by the rise of the Renaissance. 

This is perhaps why most of these novels started off depicting a low-life protagonist moving from master to master in a quest for a way out of his poverty—giving the author the perfect stage to portray the disintegrating values during that time. 

Although it was well known for the next two centuries, the picaresque novel started to decline in popularity in the mid-1700s. This was partly due to the rise of more realistic novels that relied heavily on well-organized plots.

The general population started to favor the more plot-based books over the episodic nature of picaresque novels. 

Common Elements of a Picaresque Novel

Here are the elements that can help you identify a picaresque novel: The story is usually narrated in the first person, possibly even as an autobiographical account; 

• The protagonist comes from the lower social classes, or is an outsider in some other way, and rarely holds a real job;

• The setting usually includes societal breakdown, which leads to the rise of the hero;

• The story comes with facets of realism, often mixed with satire;

• The protagonist usually goes against social norms, perhaps with a view that society holds immoral;

• The overall story is actually a series of smaller stories or episodes, with an unclear plot or story arc—in fact, the hero usually remains unchanged by the end of the book;

• The story talks mainly about the adventures that the hero experiences on his journey.  

10 Popular Examples of Picaresque Novels 

The picaresque novel has also evolved over the decades. In this list, we include the more traditional types as well as the different ways that the genre has morphed, particularly as we move toward more modern times: 

1. Lazarillo de Tormes (Anonymous)

In this novel, published in 1554 by an anonymous author, the first person narrator is victimized by tricksters and soon develops the skills to become a trickster himself.

Some speculate that the author was a Jew or converted Jew, who were considered outsiders in Spain during that time, compounding the common view that the picaresque novel portrays the point of view of outsiders to society. 

2. The Unfortunate Traveller by Thomas Nashe 

This is considered the first picaresque novel published in England back in 1594. The story follows Jack Wilton as he travels across Europe during the reign of Henry VIII.

As is the nature of the genre, Jack ends up getting into trouble again and again, and his story doesn’t follow a logical plot.

Instead, you will hear Jack telling about his military encampments, stories of massacre and betrayal, and even renaissance academia! 

3. Guzman de Alfarache by Mateo Alemán

In this story, the hero is a repentant criminal, who takes us into his psychological struggles instead of literal, physical adventures.

This confirms the idea that the picaresque novel can actually tackle serious questions of life, morality, integrity, and social stability. 

4. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe 

This episodic story is the fictional autobiography of a female protagonist, who, true to the nature of picaresque novels, is an outcast, but in a different way.

She is a capitalist, and thus can be considered a bourgeois picara, enslaved by a greed for profit, using prostitution and thievery in order to acquire the money she needs to invest in the New World. 

5. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding 

Through the years, the hero in the picaresque novel has also evolved; in this novel, Tom Jones starts off as an outsider, being a foundling.

But as he goes through his adventures, by the end of the book, he manages to be integrated into society. 

6. Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

In this book, Dickens mixes up the elements a bit by giving us the rogue in the person of Jingle, but the protagonist is Mr. Pickwick, a respectable gentleman who also experiences episodes of comic adventures.

Like Tom Jones, by the end of the book, despite his foray into prison, Mr. Pickwick is embraced back by society. 

7. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

Huckleberry Finn, a boy from the lowest social class, encounters one adventure after another as he travels down the Mississippi River.

But Twain also tackles important issues, such as that of conscience, race, and questions about morality and faith. 

8. Baudolino by Umberto Eco 

This contemporary novel shows elements of the picaresque novel, particularly in its episodic structure.

Set during the 1300s in Constantinople, the story is about Baudolino, a peasant who saves the lives of a high court official and a historian. Baudolino proceeds to tell snippets from his life, albeit with some embellishments along the way! 

9. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow 

Augie March is the son of Jewish immigrants, which makes him an outsider in the Chicago ghetto where he lives.

Augie turns down many chances of being adopted and chooses to remain as he is, trying to stay true to himself and to find his true identity. 

10. Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon 

This semi-biographical account of the adventures of British surveryors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon takes on a picaresque feel, as Pynchon tells their story as a pair of adventurers encountering many real and fictional characters, in an unpredictable series of events that do not follow any clear story arc. 

The Flexibility of the Picaresque Novel 

Perhaps one reason why this genre continues to be widely used is its flexibility; writers can use the form in any culture, literary tradition, or even alongisde magical realism and fantasy elements.

Although they are usually autobiographical, they can also be philosophical, confessional, and cynically satirical.

The protagonists can be any form of outcast. This makes picaresque novels relatable, which is one reason that these novels often become timeless classics.

Do you have a favorite picaresque novel? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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