Originally published in four separate volumes, this publication sees all 12 Novelas Ejemplares as a single volume for the first time in English. Each story has an individual introduction, the original Spanish text with facing English translation and notes. Barry Ife's re-written authoritative general introduction explores specific issues raised by the Exemplary Novels as a collection, Cervantes's interest in the mixing of genre and in the virtuoso aspects of storytelling. Ife calls the Exemplary Novels "one of the most original, entertaining, and provocative collections of short novels in any language."