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What are the Exemplary Stories by Miguel de Cervantes?
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Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes, engraving by E. Mackenzie after Gregorio Ferro and Fernando Selma; from The Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography (1863).
The Exemplary Stories (Novelas exemplares), published by Miguel de Cervantes in 1613, is a collection of 12 short stories written in the Italian manner. Cervantes claimed to be the first to write such novelas in the Spanish language.12
The collection features a variety of narratives, which are generally categorized into two types: romantic stories and realistic stories. While the romantic tales were more popular in the 17th century, modern readers and critics have often favored the realistic ones.2
Notable works within the collection include:
- El coloquio de los perros ("Colloquy of the Dogs"): A quasi-picaresque novella that is considered one of Cervantes's most profound and original creations, second only to Don Quixote.2
- El casamiento engaƱoso ("The Deceitful Marriage"): A story that serves as a frame tale for El coloquio de los perros.2
Although the exact dates of composition for these stories remain uncertain, they represent a significant part of Cervantes's experimental approach to fiction.2