Don Quixote - (Bonus: Basic Spanish Language Textbook)

Author: Miguel de Cervantes
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Ranked among the top 100 greatest world literary works. The story satirizes the popular chivalric novels of the time, pointing out that they both defy the reality of life and lack artistic authenticity. Since its publication in 1605, the book has been translated into 54 languages. It has been published in over 2,000 editions, making it one of the most widely disseminated books. It is a novel that satirizes chivalric novels. The protagonist, Don Quixote, becomes obsessed with chivalric novels and decides to go on adventures, becoming a knight-errant. He recruits a farmer from his village, Sancho Panza, as his squire, and takes a peasant girl from the neighboring village, Dulcinea, as his beloved. He goes on three adventures, doing many absurd things. In the end, he is defeated by the friend of the White Knight, disguised, and gives up his quest for knight-errantry. He returns home and soon falls ill. Before his death, he realizes his mistake in being too to chivalric novels. Through the story of Don Quixote, Cervantes satirizes the popular chivalric novels of the time, pointing out that they both defy the reality of life and lack artistic authenticity. As a result, chivalric novels never recovered in Spain and Europe.