Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda facts for kids
Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda was a mysterious writer. He used a pseudonym (a fake name) to publish a sequel to Miguel de Cervantes' famous book, Don Quixote. He released his book before Cervantes could finish his own second part.
Nobody knows for sure who Avellaneda really was. Cervantes, the original author, knew Avellaneda's name was fake. He also hinted that Avellaneda was from a place called Aragon in Spain.
One idea is that Avellaneda's book was written by friends of another writer, Lope de Vega. However, none of them were from Aragon. Another idea is that it was written by Gerónimo de Passamonte. He was born in Aragon and was the real person who inspired the character Ginés de Pasamonte in the first Don Quixote book. Avellaneda's book mentions and praises a group called the Brotherhood of the Santísimo Rosario de Calatayud. Jerónimo de Pasamonte wrote in his own life story that he joined this group when he was 13. This makes him a strong candidate for being Avellaneda.
Contents
Avellaneda's Book and Cervantes
Most people who study literature don't think highly of Avellaneda's book. Cervantes himself was very critical of it in his own second part of Don Quixote. However, it's possible that Cervantes might not have written his own continuation without the push from Avellaneda's book.
Throughout Cervantes' second book, Don Quixote meets people who know him from reading his first book. But in Chapter 59, Don Quixote first learns about Avellaneda's second book. In that chapter, Don Quixote meets two characters who are reading Avellaneda's recently published book. One of these characters is named Jerónimo, just like Jerónimo de Pasamonte. This might be another hint from Cervantes about who Avellaneda was.
The character hands the fake book to Don Quixote, saying Don Quixote is the real one. Cervantes showed Avellaneda, through the character Jerónimo, admitting that his Don Quixote was not the true one. Don Quixote gets very angry because Avellaneda's book says he is no longer in love with Dulcinea del Toboso. Because of this, Don Quixote decides not to go to Zaragoza for the jousting (knight tournaments), as he had planned. This is because such an event happens in Avellaneda's book.
After this, Avellaneda's book is often made fun of in Cervantes' story. Don Quixote even meets one of its characters, Don Alvaro Tarfe. He makes Tarfe swear an affidavit (a sworn statement) that he has never met the true Don Quixote before.
Jokes and Mistakes in the Books
There are hints that some of Cervantes' criticisms are actually playful jokes about errors or funny parts in his own first book. For example, in Cervantes' Part 2, Chapter 59, Don Quixote dislikes Avellaneda's Part 2 because it calls Sancho Panza's wife Mari Gutiérrez. Her name should be Teresa Panza.
However, in the early chapters of Cervantes' Part 1, Sancho's wife is called by many different names. Sometimes these names change within just two paragraphs! These names include Juana Panza, Mari Gutiérrez, Juana Gutiérrez, and Teresa Cascajo. The name Teresa Panza is only settled on later, once she becomes an important character.
It's hard to tell if these are true mistakes. This is because malapropisms (using the wrong word), aliases (other names), and puns (wordplay) are ongoing jokes throughout the Don Quixote books. For example, the author Cide Hamete Benengeli is sometimes called "Berengena" (which means "eggplant"). Teresa is also called "Teresona Panza" (which roughly means "Fat Belly").
English Translations
- Captain John Stevens (1705)
- William Augustus Yardley (1784)
- By Alberta Wilson Server and John Esten Keller; footnotes by Tom Lathrop; illustrated by Hal Barnell. Newark, Delaware: Juan de la Cuesta, 2009. ISBN: 9781588711625.
See Also
In Spanish: Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda para niños
