Other editions of book Don Quixote

Don Quixote is one of the great masterpieces of world literature, and a rollicking, profoundly instructive adventure story in the bargain. The first great European novel, its theme of the superannuated knight setting out on his rickety horse to put a wicked world to rights, is as touching and timely today as ever it has been. Along the rocky road that leads to the truth about everything, the deluded don and his reluctant squire Sancho Panza reveal themselves as the best comic duo of them all. As brightly as it first did in 1605, Cervantes' immortal tale shines across the centuries to remind us that good intentions should always pave the way, and never mind the consequences.

It was with considerable reluctance that I abandoned infavor of the present undertaking what had long been afavorite project, that of a new edition of Shelton’s “ Don Quixote,” which has now become a somewhat scarce book. Thereare some —and I confess myself to be one —for whom Shelton’s racy old version, with all its defects, has a charm thatno modern translation, however skilful or correct, could possess.Shelton had the inestimable advantage of belonging to thesame generation as Cervantes ; Don Quixote ” had to him avitality that only a contemporary could feel ; it cost him nodramatic effort to see things as Cervantes saw them ; there isno anachronism in his language ; he put the Spanish of Cervantes into the English of Shakespeare. Shakespeare himselfmost likely knew the book ; he may have carried it home withhim in his saddle-bags to Stratford on one of his last journeys,and under the mulberry tree at New Place joined hands witha kindred genius in its pages.But it was soon made plain to me that to hope for evena moderate popularity for Shelton was vain. His fine oldcrusted English would, no doubt, be relished by a minority,but it would be only by a minority. His version has strongclaims on sentimental grounds, but on sentimental groundsonly. His warmest admirers must admit that he 'is not a satisfactory representative of Cervantes. His translation of theFirst Part was very hastily made —in forty days he says inhis dedication —and, as his marginal notes show, never re- vised by him. It has all the freshness and vigor, but also afull measure of the faults, of a hasty production.

Obsessed with tales of gallant knights, Don Quixote, a middle-aged man from La Mancha, decides to take his own adventure. Donning rusty armor and riding upon an old horse, he sets off to change the world and save his invented damsel in distress in the name of chivalry. Unfortunately, Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza are met with a host of ill-intentioned characters, and the pair often find themselves the butt of a joke rather than chivalrous saviors. This renowned tragic comedy, written by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, was first published in Spain in two parts in 1605 and 1615. This is an unabridged version of John Ormsby's English translation from 1885.

Excerpt from Don Quixote De La Mancha: Translate From the SpanishIn search of adventures - His first redress of wrongs - Adventure with the merchants of Toledo - Brought home, battered and (bruised - His friends burn his books of chivalry.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Widely regarded as the world's first modern novel, and one of the funniest and most tragic books ever written, Don Quixote chronicles the famous picaresque adventures of the noble knight-errant Don Quixote de La Mancha and his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, as they travel through sixteenth-century Spain. Unless you read Spanish, you've never read Don Quixote.