Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses facts for kids
Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses (born around 1585 – died January 27, 1638) was a Spanish writer who wrote many exciting stories. He was known for his novels, which are long fictional stories.
About His Life
Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses was born in Madrid, Spain, around the year 1585. Not much is known about his early life. He became famous after publishing his big romance novel, Poema trágico del español Gerardo, y desengaño del amor lascivo, between 1615 and 1617.
Later, one of his books, Historia apologética en los sucesos del reyno de Aragon, y su ciudad de Zaragoza, años de 91 y 92 (published in 1622), caused some problems with the government. Because of this, the book was taken off the shelves. After this, Céspedes moved to live in Zaragoza and then in Lisbon.
While he was living away from Madrid, he continued to write. He released a collection of six short stories called Historias peregrinas y exemplares in 1623. He also started a romance novel, Varia fortuna del soldado Píndaro (1626), but he didn't finish it. In 1631, he published the first part of his book Historia de Felipe IV.. This book praised the Spanish king, Philip IV, a lot. Because of this, the king made him the official historian, meaning he was in charge of writing down the history of the kingdom.
His Books and Writing Style
Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses wrote in a style that some people found a bit heavy or fancy. However, his novels showed a lot of imagination. He was also very good at understanding and describing different kinds of people in his stories.
One of his most famous works, Poema trágico, was even used by an English playwright named John Fletcher. Fletcher used ideas from Céspedes's book in two of his own plays, The Spanish Curate and The Maid of the Mill.
His collection of short stories, Historias peregrinas, was so popular that it was printed again in 1906. A writer named Emilio Cotarelo y Mori added a helpful introduction to this new edition.
See also
- In Spanish: Gonzalo de Céspedes y Meneses for kids
