15 h 32 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What can a poor squire carry through a life of hardship, strange encounters and changing masters? His wits—and his stories.
In Vicente Espinel’s The Life of the Squire Marcos de Obregón, an aging squire and former soldier looks back on a wandering life. Poor but talkative, Marcos recounts his travels through Spain, Italy and North Africa. Work is uncertain, masters change, and the people around him can be greedy or proud. He must meet trouble with patience and good sense.
This Spanish picaresque novel follows a gentler hero through a world where survival calls for wit. Marcos shares the histories of people he meets, weaving shorter tales into his own recollections. His friendly voice makes room for jokes, advice and reflection. Beneath the adventures lies a practical question: how can a person live well when fortune offers so little?
What you’ll discover
- An old squire’s voice Meet a narrator who speaks openly about poverty, danger and the lessons of experience.
- Life along the road Explore Spanish life around 1600 through changing work, unfamiliar places and odd encounters.
- Stories within the story Follow the histories Marcos gathers from others as his own wandering tale unfolds.
- Humour amid hardship Enjoy a friendly, talkative voice that mixes small jokes with reflections on difficult lives.
- Wisdom tested by trouble Consider patience, honest work and self-control through a traveller who tries to learn from hardship.
Who will love it
Readers who love tales of rogues and travellers, sharp humour, sea adventures and old wise sayings will feel at home here. It also suits anyone curious about daily life in Spain around 1600.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A storm traps an old squire with a hermit
- A vain young wife puts the squire's advice to the test
- A poor student learns the road to Salamanca
- Cardsharps, snakes and gypsies on the Sierra Morena road
- A soldier's luck at sea, in Bilbao and in Seville
- Captured by corsairs and made a servant in Algiers
- A captive weighs affection against freedom
- Music and words offer comfort in captivity
- Patience, silence and a story read below its surface
Who’s who
- Marcos de ObregónAn old, poor and witty squire from Ronda who recounts his travels as student, soldier, captive and servant, and seeks peace.
- The hermitA former soldier who shelters the squire from a storm and draws out his story with questions.
- Doctor SagredoA hot-tempered young physician, prouder of his swords than his books, who employs the squire.
- Doña Mergelina de AybarThe doctor's beautiful, sharp-tongued wife, whose pride is shaken by a singing barber.
- The renegade commanderA Spanish-born captain of corsair galleys in Algiers who takes the squire as servant and tutor.
- The renegade's daughterA clever young woman in Algiers who falls for the squire and longs for Spain.
- Lady CamilaA Venetian trickster who poses as a nobleman's sister to rob a trusting soldier.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 15 h 32 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 6 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Vida del escudero Marcos de Obregón
by Vicente Espinel · 1618
An old squire ignores an insult and keeps whispering charms over his patient.
Challenging10–20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Why does an old squire sit in a hermit's hut for two days, talking? A storm has shut the bridge outside Madrid, and he has a whole life to tell.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A storm traps an old squire with a hermit
Marcos de Obregón is old and gouty, and holds a post at Santa Catalina de los Donados in Madrid. He says he tells his life for the young, to show how a poor man can keep his honour through hard times. He promises to teach with pleasure, the way a good doctor gives syrup before the bitter purge.
He also practises as a healer, wearing huge beads and otter gloves. When a courtier calls him a fraud, he ignores the indirect insult.
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What is The Life of the Squire Marcos de Obregón about?
It follows an old squire who tells a hermit his life: student days, soldiering, captivity among corsairs, travels in Italy and service in Madrid. Each adventure comes with advice on patience, silence and honest work.
Who wrote The Life of the Squire Marcos de Obregón and when?
Vicente Espinel writes it, drawing on experiences he also attributes to the author within the story.
Is the squire Marcos de Obregón a real person?
Marcos is a fictional narrator who shares many traits with his author, such as Ronda origins, musical talent and years of travel. Many places and public figures he names are real.
The author
Vicente Espinel
1551–1624 · Spanish novelist and poet
Vicente Espinel (1551–1624) was a Spanish writer, priest, and musician. He was born in Ronda, Spain, and died in Madrid. He published a collection of poems, Diversas rimas, in 1591. His prose work Relaciones de la vida del escudero Marcos de Obregón was published in 1618.
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