Published in 1490, nearly two decades before Amadis of Gaul and 15 years before The Knight in the Shining Armor , is often hailed by scholars as the first modern European novel. Written in the Catalan language by the Valencian knight Joanot Martorell, this book is not merely a medieval romance; it is a revolutionary text that deconstructed chivalry while pretending to celebrate it.

Tirant travels to England, defeats a giant knight in a tournament, and wins the favor of the king and princess. Later, he answers a call for help from the Byzantine Emperor, who is fighting the Ottoman Turks. Tirant becomes commander of the imperial army, successfully defends Constantinople, and is promised the hand of the heiress, Princess Carmesina. Much of the plot focuses on the logistics of war (sieges, naval battles, troop formations) and the complex, often comedic love affairs and obstacles that delay the marriage—including scheming servants, jealous rivals, and tragic misunderstandings. Tirant eventually dies from an illness, and Carmesina later perishes from grief.

Martorell originally intended to write a chivalric romance, but his life experience corrupted the genre. He began translating an English romance called Guy of Warwick but quickly abandoned the project to write an original story. He poured his own legal disputes, military expertise, and cynical view of nobility into the manuscript.

This realism extends to the characters. They are not static symbols. Tirant is brave and skilled, but he is also prone to depression and irrational jealousy. Carmesina is a damsel, but she is also a political actor who manipulates situations to be near her lover. The Viuda Reposada (the Widow Reposada) and the maid Plaerdemavida serve as contrasting female voices—some chaste, some bawdy—creating a polyphonic view of society.

: Consult this thesis from Mountain Scholar for deep dives into character and genre. Have anyone actually read Don Quixote from cover to cover?

The barber argues it should be burned because it is full of "nonsense." The priest disagrees vehemently: "By my faith, I find such a good book that, by God, it is the best book in the world."

Tirant lo Blanc (Johns Hopkins University Press) translated by David H. Rosenthal. It reads fluidly and preserves the bawdy humor.