Don Quixote by Cervantes (Penguin Classics)

Description

“Don Quixote,” written by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, is one of the most important and influential works of Western literature. It was first published in two parts, with the first part released in 1605 and the second part in 1615. The full title of the novel is “The Ingenious Nobleman Sir Quixote of La Mancha” (in Spanish, “El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha”).

The novel is a brilliant and satirical exploration of the concept of chivalry and the contrast between reality and illusion. It tells the story of a gentleman from La Mancha, Alonso Quixano, who becomes so obsessed with reading tales of chivalry that he loses his sanity and decides to become a knight-errant, taking the name Don Quixote. He sets out on a series of absurd adventures accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza.

Don Quixote, with his vivid imagination and distorted perception of reality, perceives windmills as giants, inns as castles, and commoners as noble figures. The novel delves into themes of idealism, madness, and the clash between imagination and reality. It also explores the power of literature and storytelling to shape the human mind.

Miguel de Cervantes’s work is celebrated for its depth, humor, and its remarkable characters, particularly the idealistic and delusional Don Quixote and the earthy and practical Sancho Panza. The novel is often considered one of the earliest examples of the modern novel form and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Spanish and world literature. It has had a profound influence on literature and continues to be studied, adapted, and celebrated today.