There, he became acquainted with many writers, including Henry Becque, Abel Hermant, Paul Hervieu, Octave Mirbeau, and Émile Zola, as well as artists including Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, one of the chief illustrators for Gil Blas Illustré, who was to become a lifelong friend.
In the preface, Smollett acknowledges the connections of his novel to the two satirical picaresque works he translated into English: Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1605–15) and Alain-René Lesage’s Gil Blas (1715–47)
Gilberto Gil | Gil Kane | Gil Evans | Gil Bellows | Gil Shaham | Rosemarie Gil | Cherie Gil | Gil Vicente | Gil Garcetti | Gil Amelio | Gil Vicente F.C. | Gil Scott-Heron | Gil Hodges | Gil Gutknecht | Gil Elbaz | Julian Gil | Gil-galad | Ruy Blas | Gil Thorp | Gil Portes | Gil Montandon | Gil Kerlikowske | Gil Grissom | Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz | Gerónimo Gil | Blas de Hinojos | José Gil de Castro | Goa Gil | Gil Turner | Gil Troy |
She began her collaborations with several magazines such as The Artist Europe, The Mercury, The New Review, The Age, La Plume, and Gil Blas, whose founder was the poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.
This book, with several autobiographical details, was printed in France the same year and inspired later Lesage's Gil Blas de Santillana.