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About the Author
Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda's (1547-1616) life was occupied with a struggle to earn a livelihood from literature and humble government employment. As well as Don Quixote, he wrote a number of plays and a collection of highly accomplished short stories, Exemplary Tales (1613).
John Rutherford is a Fellow of the Queen's College Oxford and a Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Spanish American literature. He has translated Leopoldo's La Regenta for Penguin Classics.
In a village in La Mancha, the name of which I cannot quite recall, there lived not long ago one of those country gentlemen or hidalgos who keep a lance in a rack, an ancient leather shield, a scrawny hack and a greyhound for coursing. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
The story follows the Don as he sallies forth as a knight errant in search of adventure, to win honour and fortune. Unfortunately, Quixote is not a knight but rather an old man with an unravelled mind infected by the reading of too many medieval romances depicting such deeds. The stage is set for a hilarious tale of hallucination and misadventure. With Sancho Panza his loyal squire he takes on spirits, evil enchanters and most famously, of course, giants in the form of windmills.
As we follow the ingenious Hidalgo we find him increasingly endearing, his complete faith in everything he believes is disarmingly lovable while also humiliatingly funny. I found it a surprise that the comedy still holds up today, yet a man trying unsuccessfully against outlandish situations of his own making is very much a cornerstone of today's sitcoms and movies. The character is therefore a familiar one and immensely engaging. While we laugh at him, we can't help admiring his dedication and fearlessness, through this Don Quixote manages somehow to keep his dignity. Above all it is this characteristic that keeps our esteem for him so high.
Sancho Panza, the lovable squire begins very much as a simple companion, only there to highlight the absurdities of the situations invented by the Don himself, but the character grows artfully throughout the adventure becoming indispensable for his simple wit and practicality. This so at odds with the high-minded madman leads to great comedy as conflict and friendship mix to form a subtly growing relationship that provides the foundation of the story.
We also meet a whole host of characters during the course of the adventure, each with their own tale to tell. Using this, the author is able to entertain us with diverse digressions, and stories within stories that never allow the journey to get stale and boring.
A must, must, MUST read. Hilariously absurd throughout as adventure piles on adventure and a new tale unfolds with every character met. Cervantes is a talented entertainer that treats his noble creation with a tenderness we can't help but share, while all the time haranguing him with all the humorous predicaments his malady makes possible. It WILL make you laugh, and if you have any heart it will also make you cry. Fantastic!
Cervantes was held as a slave of the Moors in North Africa for some time until he eventually gained his freedom. It is most fortunate indeed that he survived this experience to write one of the worlds great pieces of literature. Everybody should be made to read "Don Quixote" before they die and the world would be a better place for it. Some might say the Don was just "As mad as a box of frogs". They might be reminded "There is a thin red line between the sane and the mad".
The penguin classics editions as always set the benchmark. Do not settle for less. Please, please. Time passes quickly. Read this before you die!
Gushing aside, it is the architypal rivetting read and, despite its huge size, it is divided into many small episodes that make it idea bedtime reading. This translation is excellent and very well researched - there are masses of notes and references at the back to explain the meaning and context of thousands of names, phrases, verses, songs and historical events mentioned in the book.
I doubt there is praise too lofty for this book. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
The main character is an annoying idiot. Read more
Yes, it's a nice story. Yes, we see over the course of a thousand pages the blossoming of one of history's classic comic partnerships. Read more
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