Don Quixote

I read this book when I was in my twenties and I liked the narrative and loved the people of Spain. Now that I am 50 years old I am reading it again and it is giving me a different perspective about life. I admire Don Quixote for seeing the world as a place to make true his dreams and fantasies According to experts, this is one of the best books ever written, and always appears on the lists of best novels that have been published. It is the second most translated book after the Bible. It was given the distinction of "Best literary work ever written" by the Norwegian Book Club based on a vote of 100 weel known writers from 54 countries. It was one of the favorite books of Thomas Jefferson and was used as a reference by famous American writers such as Mark Twain, Herman Melville and William Faulkner. The Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky referred to this book as "the only conclusion that can be drawn from life if the world came to an end" Masterpieces of world literature such as Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, and Dostoevsky's The Idiot, are inspired by Don Quixote and were deliberately written based on the admiration that these writers felt for Cervantes’ book. Don Quixote has all the basic ingredients to entertain: humor, romance, fights and horse chasing, among others. It was innovative at the time of publication and it is considered the first novel in modern literature. This was the first book in which different opinions and viewpoints coexisted harmoniously in the same environment. The dialogues between the characters are masterfully written and inspired by the Spanish theatrical tradition of writers such as Lope de Vega. Don Quixote follows his quest as a knight with deep passion and commitment, always certain that his actions make a great contribution to the world. He shows the highest respect for all the people that he finds in his journey; being friends or rivals. But each time his fantasies crash with crude reality, as he and Sancho get beaten, injured, mocked and deceived. The confrontation between reality and fantasy is in episode of this book. Although Don Quixote tries desperately to become a hero he cannot be different than any other human being: proud and humble, strong and weak, wise and crazy Sancho is always aware of Don Quixote’s madness, but he follows him loyally despite the fact that he often gets the worst part of the beatings. A great theme of this book is the friendship that these two different men develop based on mutual respect; Sancho learns from Don Quixote to put fantasies into his life and Don Quixote sees reality through Sancho’s’ companionship. The dialogues between Don Quixote and Sancho are very rich, often riddled with humor, but always revealing deeper human nature All who have read Don Quixote have their own interpretation that often changes with age. After all, this interpretation depends on how everyone sees life. In this sense, Don Quixote can be seen as a description of life in form, rhythm and substance. The Peruvian writer,recipient of the Nobel Price of Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa said that Don Quixote is the personification of a disproportionate love of freedom and a rebellious spirit

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is an absolute classic that deserves its legendary status. The story masterfully balances humor, adventure, and deep reflection on the nature of dreams and reality. Cervantes brings his characters — especially the idealistic Don Quixote and the loyal Sancho Panza — to life with warmth and wit, making their journey both entertaining and profoundly human. Despite being written over 400 years ago, its themes of purpose, idealism, and the courage to defy convention still feel incredibly relevant today. A rich, rewarding read for anyone who enjoys literature that both entertains and enlightens.

If you're on the fence about this one, I say go for it! Yes, it is long and written in a hundreds-of-years-old style that may be a turn-off for some, but Grossman's perfect translation brings the story into the modern era. She takes the hysterical stories of Don Quixote and translates the original 16th century Spanish into modern English, which makes it not only MUCH easier to read, but helps make the tales more relatable to a modern audience. It isn't like reading Shakespeare or even novels from, say, the 19th entry, where the language is so different than contemporary English that you have to really think about what the author is trying to say; Edith Grossman's translation makes the novel flow and allows the reader to simply enjoy the story. As for the novel itself, it's funny. It's very...farcical (is that the right word?) It's almost slapstick at times, but still explores human nature and deeper themes while maintaining an often hilarious tone (again, giving props to Grossman's translation skills). It's also relatable even for a modern audience, as the two main characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, face situations and conflicts that anyone can have at least some relation to. It's fast-paced, despite being over 900 pages, so you don't have to worry about drawn-out, wordy passages. You could easily read a chapter or two a day in 15-20 minutes and get through it in a week or two, even if you're a light reader like me. But seriously, this was on my Amazon wish list for almost 12 years and I finally decided to just go for it after reading so many positive reviews of the new translation, and I'm glad I did. This book is considered one of the best for a reason, and this modern English presentation removes the "scholarly and studious" quality away (scholarly books tend to turn casual readers off) leaving a simply enjoyable novel for anyone to love.

Belle histoire et belle traduction !

It looks great but as it is a gift for Christmas I cannot give a fair review.

I bought it to prepare myself before reading it in original Spanish. And it was a good choice; easy to read text and as always Vintage print quality is very good. Fair price.

It arrived a bit damaged

What can I say about a witty, sad, clever book that covers pathos, joy, fun, sadness, sanity or not, and more as well as having the accolade of being considered the first ever modern novel. First published in 1605 and still being bought and enjoyed by many today. A story that has been told to children since almost forever. We have all heard of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and if not why not?