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What is a picaresque novel?
Picaresque derives from Spanish picaresco, which means "of or relating to a picaro," the picaro being the rogue or bohemian usually at the center of picaresque fiction. The typical picaro is a wandering individual of low social standing who happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, and often relies on wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known novel in this style is Lazarillo de Tormes (circa 1554), an irreverent work about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is disputable.
Examples of picaresque in a Sentence
Michael Tedder, SPIN, 18 Feb. 2025
The journey to get there is appealingly plotless, following Dag and pals on a picaresque trip through subcultural SoCal in search of the killer.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 21 June 2024
Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 2 May 2025
The ländler dance in the second was robust and bumptious, with an undercurrent of darkness, and there was just the right amount of winking in the trio; the whole thing was a country fair picaresque.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Picaresque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picaresque. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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