"Don Catrín de la Fachenda," by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, edited by Sara L. Lehman
The outspoken 19th-century Mexican newspaperman, novelist, and poet Fernández de Lizardi’s late work, Don Catrin de la Fachenda (1820) has been popular with critics and fans alike, displaying a concise, satirical prose with ironic humor and a love-to-hate protagonist.
The narrative centers around the bold misadventures of its title character as he attempts to live a life of luxury while doing little work. Along the way, he continually reinvents himself, each time to worse effect; he tries his hand at being a student, military cadet, swindler, gambler, thief, and beggar. The author uses a picaresque style in a uniquely Mexican realistic social context to convey his ironic, dark tale.
ISBN 978-1-58977-106-2 (PB) $20