Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane vol. 4 - Lesage, Alain-René 1668-1747 (Paris Libraires associés, 1759)
Of the six illustrated pages, the page depicting a guitarist in jail, is marked with an inserted paper cutting
backmatter contains doodles, letters, names (Gotfrey Smith) and children's drawings in ink and pensil
The History of Gil Blas de Santillane is a picaresque novel, first published in 1715 with the release of books I to VI, then continued in 1724 and ended in 1735.
The novel consists of twelve books which are subdivided into chapters. The ancient inspiration marks the work up to its division into twelve books which reminds the twelve songs of the Aeneid.
Lesage plays with the ancient and picaresque references that he diverts. The History of Gil Blas de Santillane is not a picaresque novel because the eponymous character climbs the social ladder as he goes along, unlike the picaro. The picaro wishes to attain wealth and nobility in vain, whereas Gil Blas becomes rich and obtains his letters of nobility.
An episode from Gil Blas was the basis of two separate French operas in the 1790s, both with the same title: La caverne (1793) by Le Sueur and La caverne by Méhul (1795).
Keywords: 18th Century (1701-1800); Novel; France