Novelas y cuentos by Serafín Estébanez Calderón

Description

Novelas y cuentos by Serafín Estébanez Calderón is a collection of short stories likely written in the early 19th century. The work consists of various narratives that reveal the historical and societal intricacies of post-Reconquista Spain, particularly exploring themes surrounding the interactions between Christians and Moriscos. The opening portion hints at a cast of characters, including a crippled soldier and a beautiful Morisca named María, navigating their lives amidst societal tension and romantic intrigue. At the start of Novelas y cuentos, the protagonist is introduced through a picturesque autumn day in a rustic Andalusian village. We meet a character, Cigarral, a lame soldier who engages in lively banter with a boy named Mercado as they take stock of their surroundings and discuss the comings and goings of village residents. Cigarral’s humorous attempts to entertain the villagers with his dog, Canique, set the stage for a tale interwoven with themes of camaraderie, social hierarchies, and romantic longing, as the soldier expresses admiration for the lovely María. The narrative builds as it hints at deeper connections and societal tensions in a world caught at the intersection of tradition and change. (This is an automatically generated summary.)