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Don Quixote: The Original Unabridged and Complete Edition
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. Considered a founding work of Western literature, it is often labelled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written. Don Quixote is also one of the most-translated books in the world and one of the best-selling novels of all time.The plot revolves around the adventures of a member of the lowest nobility, a hidalgo from La Mancha named Alonso Quijano, who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and decides to become a knight-errant (caballero andante) to revive chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He recruits as his squire a simple farm labourer, Sancho Panza, who brings a unique, earthy wit to Don Quixote's lofty rhetoric. In the first part of the book, Don Quixote does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story meant for the annals of all time. However, as Salvador de Madariaga pointed out in his Guía del lector del Quijote (1972 [1926]), referring to "the Sanchification of Don Quixote and the Quixotization of Sancho", as "Sancho's spirit ascends from reality to illusion, Don Quixote's declines from illusion to reality".
- GenresLiterature
1274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2023
About the author
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
4,985 books3,702 followersMiguel de Cervantes y Cortinas, later Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His novel Don Quixote is often considered his magnum opus, as well as the first modern novel.
It is assumed that Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcalá de Henares. His father was Rodrigo de Cervantes, a surgeon of cordoban descent. Little is known of his mother Leonor de Cortinas, except that she was a native of Arganda del Rey.
In 1569, Cervantes moved to Italy, where he served as a valet to Giulio Acquaviva, a wealthy priest who was elevated to cardinal the next year. By then, Cervantes had enlisted as a soldier in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment and continued his military life until 1575, when he was captured by Algerian corsairs. He was then released on ransom from his captors by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order.
He subsequently returned to his family in Madrid.
In Esquivias (Province of Toledo), on 12 December 1584, he married the much younger Catalina de Salazar y Palacios (Toledo, Esquivias –, 31 October 1626), daughter of Fernando de Salazar y Vozmediano and Catalina de Palacios. Her uncle Alonso de Quesada y Salazar is said to have inspired the character of Don Quixote. During the next 20 years Cervantes led a nomadic existence, working as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada and as a tax collector. He suffered a bankruptcy and was imprisoned at least twice (1597 and 1602) for irregularities in his accounts. Between 1596 and 1600, he lived primarily in Seville. In 1606, Cervantes settled in Madrid, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Cervantes died in Madrid on April 23, 1616.
-Copied from Wikipedia
It is assumed that Miguel de Cervantes was born in Alcalá de Henares. His father was Rodrigo de Cervantes, a surgeon of cordoban descent. Little is known of his mother Leonor de Cortinas, except that she was a native of Arganda del Rey.
In 1569, Cervantes moved to Italy, where he served as a valet to Giulio Acquaviva, a wealthy priest who was elevated to cardinal the next year. By then, Cervantes had enlisted as a soldier in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment and continued his military life until 1575, when he was captured by Algerian corsairs. He was then released on ransom from his captors by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order.
He subsequently returned to his family in Madrid.
In Esquivias (Province of Toledo), on 12 December 1584, he married the much younger Catalina de Salazar y Palacios (Toledo, Esquivias –, 31 October 1626), daughter of Fernando de Salazar y Vozmediano and Catalina de Palacios. Her uncle Alonso de Quesada y Salazar is said to have inspired the character of Don Quixote. During the next 20 years Cervantes led a nomadic existence, working as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada and as a tax collector. He suffered a bankruptcy and was imprisoned at least twice (1597 and 1602) for irregularities in his accounts. Between 1596 and 1600, he lived primarily in Seville. In 1606, Cervantes settled in Madrid, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Cervantes died in Madrid on April 23, 1616.
-Copied from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 16, 2024
I’d say this is closer to 3.5 stars. I completely understand why this book is considered a classic due its importance in the history of literature. However, it did feel like it dragged on for a bit too long. The book largely consists of dialogue between characters, and while that is great for developing those characters, it hurts the overall action experience. It really felt like not much happened in this book and I could summarize it in a few sentences. The themes found within it are still applicable today and there were times when I genuinely laughed out loud at some of the writing, puns, and jokes, but overall Don Quixote overstayed its welcome.
July 8, 2025
I'm glad to have read this! It was tedious at times but the characters are wonderful and the writing enjoyable. Miguel had me laughing out loud a few times, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza's interactions with each other and the world are well written. I think Miguel Cervantes could have been a star film maker if he was born in the 21st century, he knows how to set a comedic scene
April 22, 2025
I would say 3.5 out of 5.
The longest book I’ve read so far. It’s quite a long book with some unnecessary parts. But, I agree that the end is worth all the journeys of Don Quixote of La Mancha and Sancho Panza!
The longest book I’ve read so far. It’s quite a long book with some unnecessary parts. But, I agree that the end is worth all the journeys of Don Quixote of La Mancha and Sancho Panza!
April 10, 2026
Why do I keep punishing myself with 1,200 page books?
Most of this book was a grind designed for people whose highest form of entertainment was gossip and spinning around in a circle clapping hands. I think the most impactful and significant part of all of it was, though it comprised very, very, very little of the exorbitant mass of the book, the idea that maybe, though Don Quixote was crazy, weak, easily conquered and very often mistaken and even sometimes slightly hypocritical in his profession of justice and valor, his craziness led him to new heights of courage, virtue, chastity and a nobler, simpler way of seeing the world that most people have lost, and that with a conviction and determination that most people lack towards any cause. He may have been a fool, but he was a fool brave enough to stare down a lion. Not sure what practical use that has but I believe it’s more than none.
That, along with Sancho’s surprising fitness for a position of judgment and leadership, led me to think that the book has a suggestion of praise and perspective for the weak, the simple, those who are a little odd, and the faculty that is in them when they’re not underestimated and suppressed by the prejudice of others. I think it also demonstrates that, sometimes and in some ways, people possess the ability to force reality into matching what they want or believe it to be. Don Quixote’s absurdity in denying the reality of inns not being castles and sheep not being warriors eventually gave way to him being treated as a knight would, being sought after as a knight would, and doing things and creating stories a knight would, even if some of it wasn’t “real”… but then, was it really “not real?” Or should we become more flexible in our definition of reality?
The story did not resolve anywhere close to the level of satisfaction I believe it could have. In fact, I think the ending was really pretty disappointing and sad. I spent the whole book coming to see the good in Don Quixote’s follies, only for him to fully renounce all of it and who he was and what he helped others believe in. Maybe that was meant to be part of the levity and comedy of it all.
The minor side-stories were okay but ultimately felt somewhat tiresome and made me wonder what it says about the quality of an author’s story when they feel they have to cram it with mini stories along the way try to make everything feel worthwhile. One or two of those side stories were interesting enough for me to tell my wife about, but their originality faded really quickly and I came to see them as formulaic band-aids over the absence of plot.
Yet, like Don Quixote, I choose to believe that the story is something other than what it was, and that maybe we should all believe a little more in the cause of knight-errantry in our own little ways, and start testing the theory that we have the ability to bend reality into what we believe it can be.
But man, I am so glad to be done with that book.
Most of this book was a grind designed for people whose highest form of entertainment was gossip and spinning around in a circle clapping hands. I think the most impactful and significant part of all of it was, though it comprised very, very, very little of the exorbitant mass of the book, the idea that maybe, though Don Quixote was crazy, weak, easily conquered and very often mistaken and even sometimes slightly hypocritical in his profession of justice and valor, his craziness led him to new heights of courage, virtue, chastity and a nobler, simpler way of seeing the world that most people have lost, and that with a conviction and determination that most people lack towards any cause. He may have been a fool, but he was a fool brave enough to stare down a lion. Not sure what practical use that has but I believe it’s more than none.
That, along with Sancho’s surprising fitness for a position of judgment and leadership, led me to think that the book has a suggestion of praise and perspective for the weak, the simple, those who are a little odd, and the faculty that is in them when they’re not underestimated and suppressed by the prejudice of others. I think it also demonstrates that, sometimes and in some ways, people possess the ability to force reality into matching what they want or believe it to be. Don Quixote’s absurdity in denying the reality of inns not being castles and sheep not being warriors eventually gave way to him being treated as a knight would, being sought after as a knight would, and doing things and creating stories a knight would, even if some of it wasn’t “real”… but then, was it really “not real?” Or should we become more flexible in our definition of reality?
The story did not resolve anywhere close to the level of satisfaction I believe it could have. In fact, I think the ending was really pretty disappointing and sad. I spent the whole book coming to see the good in Don Quixote’s follies, only for him to fully renounce all of it and who he was and what he helped others believe in. Maybe that was meant to be part of the levity and comedy of it all.
The minor side-stories were okay but ultimately felt somewhat tiresome and made me wonder what it says about the quality of an author’s story when they feel they have to cram it with mini stories along the way try to make everything feel worthwhile. One or two of those side stories were interesting enough for me to tell my wife about, but their originality faded really quickly and I came to see them as formulaic band-aids over the absence of plot.
Yet, like Don Quixote, I choose to believe that the story is something other than what it was, and that maybe we should all believe a little more in the cause of knight-errantry in our own little ways, and start testing the theory that we have the ability to bend reality into what we believe it can be.
But man, I am so glad to be done with that book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2026
I started reading this book in a book club. It didn’t really pan out. They meet virtually at 8PM on Sundays which is a little late for me. I wasn’t crazy about this book but by the time I quit the group I was more than half way through, so I decided to finish it. I’m glad I did! I liked book 2 much better than book 1.
A big problem for me was this translation, done by John Ormsby in 1885. The language was very old-fashioned and I found myself having to look up many words. Fortunately I had the Kindle version so this was easy enough to do. There were some idioms that didn’t translate well into English and I found myself having to look these up. An example was "if I do this in the dry, what I would do in the moist," which I found inscrutable. According to Google, the expression "in the dry and in the moist" is an old Spanish idiom (a "Woolseyism" as some translations put it, or antiquated speech used by Don Quixote to emulate chivalry novels) meaning "in all circumstances" or "in every situation".
The proverbs in the book were some of the most enjoyable parts for me. Many of them didn’t make any sense until I looked them up. "Soon shalt thou see thou art carrying water to the cat" is an inversion of "who will carry the cat to the water?" which makes more sense. Another obscure one was "give over wandering from Zeca to Mecca and from pail to bucket, as the saying is.” Literally this means from the mint to Mecca, to wander aimlessly.
Two proverbs, Google tells me, were original to Don Quixote but have been incorporated into common use in different forms: "whether the pitcher hits the stone, or the stone the pitcher, it’s a bad business for the pitcher," and "Sleep, I have heard say, has only one fault, that it is like death; for between a sleeping man and a dead man there is very little difference."
Another proverb original to Don Quixote which has not made it into general use is "making trombones of their swords in every petty quarrel!" which means making a big deal out of everything. I could use that with some people i could think of.
Another fun proverb, this one spoken by Sancho Panza was “in other houses they cook beans, but in mine it’s by the potful." This was another one i had to look up. It means every household has its trouble by my household has an abundance of them.
The main problem for me in book 1 was the way the plot kept getting interrupted by subplots. The subplots were usually ok, but I felt like with the interruptions I couldn’t follow the main plot very well. I was able to follow the plot better in book 2, and I especially enjoyed the adventures of Sancho Panza as a magistrate.
Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I expected to (as a general rule I enjoy classical literature) I did enjoy it enough to buy a more modern translation (Penguin Edition). I just opened to a random chapter in this edition to see how it compared and I think I’m going to enjoy it much better. Maybe I will read it one of these years.
A big problem for me was this translation, done by John Ormsby in 1885. The language was very old-fashioned and I found myself having to look up many words. Fortunately I had the Kindle version so this was easy enough to do. There were some idioms that didn’t translate well into English and I found myself having to look these up. An example was "if I do this in the dry, what I would do in the moist," which I found inscrutable. According to Google, the expression "in the dry and in the moist" is an old Spanish idiom (a "Woolseyism" as some translations put it, or antiquated speech used by Don Quixote to emulate chivalry novels) meaning "in all circumstances" or "in every situation".
The proverbs in the book were some of the most enjoyable parts for me. Many of them didn’t make any sense until I looked them up. "Soon shalt thou see thou art carrying water to the cat" is an inversion of "who will carry the cat to the water?" which makes more sense. Another obscure one was "give over wandering from Zeca to Mecca and from pail to bucket, as the saying is.” Literally this means from the mint to Mecca, to wander aimlessly.
Two proverbs, Google tells me, were original to Don Quixote but have been incorporated into common use in different forms: "whether the pitcher hits the stone, or the stone the pitcher, it’s a bad business for the pitcher," and "Sleep, I have heard say, has only one fault, that it is like death; for between a sleeping man and a dead man there is very little difference."
Another proverb original to Don Quixote which has not made it into general use is "making trombones of their swords in every petty quarrel!" which means making a big deal out of everything. I could use that with some people i could think of.
Another fun proverb, this one spoken by Sancho Panza was “in other houses they cook beans, but in mine it’s by the potful." This was another one i had to look up. It means every household has its trouble by my household has an abundance of them.
The main problem for me in book 1 was the way the plot kept getting interrupted by subplots. The subplots were usually ok, but I felt like with the interruptions I couldn’t follow the main plot very well. I was able to follow the plot better in book 2, and I especially enjoyed the adventures of Sancho Panza as a magistrate.
Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I expected to (as a general rule I enjoy classical literature) I did enjoy it enough to buy a more modern translation (Penguin Edition). I just opened to a random chapter in this edition to see how it compared and I think I’m going to enjoy it much better. Maybe I will read it one of these years.
September 26, 2025
This one certainly ruled my life as I read it, even naming my pony car Rocinante along the way. Steinbeck named his camper the same, the one in which he and Charley looped the country.
Of the book, how can anyone really review the very first Western novel these centuries later? I suppose one way is by honoring Sancho Panza and leading with a maxim: the more things change the more they stay the same. Yes, there’s much that rings true in the 21st Century. Given that satire is at the heart of the book, I’ll key on the fact a goodly number of us refuse to suffer a fool, while many others egg him on and for their own purposes. Early in the book, you’re treated to the origin of the expression “tilting at windmills” and there’s a lot of that going on today.
The characterizations of the knight-errant of the title and his squire Sancho are beautifully sketched, their personal journeys at odds and changing as they sally forth together atop their aging equines.
I went into the reading not knowing the story of Book Two’s writing, and in it Cervantes himself tilts and skewers an actual foe hilariously. Book One brings more howls in reading but Two is the more compelling. Plays on words abound, all the more wonderful in this, the original and unabridged English-language translation. As such, one reads a bit slowly at first just in getting accustomed to it but the pace and rhythm pick up quickly, certainly faster than bedraggled Rocinante or put-upon but sturdy Dapple carry their masters. That’s all I got.
Of the book, how can anyone really review the very first Western novel these centuries later? I suppose one way is by honoring Sancho Panza and leading with a maxim: the more things change the more they stay the same. Yes, there’s much that rings true in the 21st Century. Given that satire is at the heart of the book, I’ll key on the fact a goodly number of us refuse to suffer a fool, while many others egg him on and for their own purposes. Early in the book, you’re treated to the origin of the expression “tilting at windmills” and there’s a lot of that going on today.
The characterizations of the knight-errant of the title and his squire Sancho are beautifully sketched, their personal journeys at odds and changing as they sally forth together atop their aging equines.
I went into the reading not knowing the story of Book Two’s writing, and in it Cervantes himself tilts and skewers an actual foe hilariously. Book One brings more howls in reading but Two is the more compelling. Plays on words abound, all the more wonderful in this, the original and unabridged English-language translation. As such, one reads a bit slowly at first just in getting accustomed to it but the pace and rhythm pick up quickly, certainly faster than bedraggled Rocinante or put-upon but sturdy Dapple carry their masters. That’s all I got.
April 3, 2025
Wow, what a tale. The surprising hilarious story of the Knight-Errant Don Quixote. I think the best review of this book comes from a quote:
"Tom Cecial, seeing how ill they had succeeded, and what a sorry end their expedition had come to, said to the bachelor, "Sure enough, Senor Samson Carrasco, we are served right; it is easy enough to plan and set about an enterprise, but it is often a difficult matter to come well out of it. Don Quixote a madman, and we sane; he goes off laughing, safe, and sound, and you are left sore and sorry! I'd like to know now which is the madder, he who is so because he cannot help it, or he who is so of his own choice?" To which Samson replied, "The difference between the two sorts of madmen is, that he who is so will, will be one always, while he who is so of his own accord can leave off being one whenever he likes." - pg 829 Ch 15
The ending was sad and through the whole book I was waiting for Quixote to come to his senses. At the end I got my wish only to be sad it happened as I longed for him to go back to his happy days of Knight-Errantry rather than see him waste away to death in sadness and clarity of mind.
How much of this can be said of life?
"Tom Cecial, seeing how ill they had succeeded, and what a sorry end their expedition had come to, said to the bachelor, "Sure enough, Senor Samson Carrasco, we are served right; it is easy enough to plan and set about an enterprise, but it is often a difficult matter to come well out of it. Don Quixote a madman, and we sane; he goes off laughing, safe, and sound, and you are left sore and sorry! I'd like to know now which is the madder, he who is so because he cannot help it, or he who is so of his own choice?" To which Samson replied, "The difference between the two sorts of madmen is, that he who is so will, will be one always, while he who is so of his own accord can leave off being one whenever he likes." - pg 829 Ch 15
The ending was sad and through the whole book I was waiting for Quixote to come to his senses. At the end I got my wish only to be sad it happened as I longed for him to go back to his happy days of Knight-Errantry rather than see him waste away to death in sadness and clarity of mind.
How much of this can be said of life?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2025
4 stars
Don Quixote is both a product of its time and a timeless reflection on the human condition. Written in the early 17th century, it satirized the fading ideals of chivalry and critiqued a society caught between medieval traditions and the emerging modern world. Cervantes used his protagonist’s quixotic quest to expose the absurdity of clinging to outdated codes of honor while also showing the dignity and courage that can come from pursuing ideals, even in the face of ridicule.
What makes the novel enduring is how its themes still resonate today. The tension between idealism and realism, the blurred line between madness and vision, and the influence of stories on how we perceive ourselves and society all feel strikingly contemporary. In an age of media saturation and competing narratives, Don Quixote reminds us of both the dangers and the transformative power of literature and imagination.
Don Quixote is both a product of its time and a timeless reflection on the human condition. Written in the early 17th century, it satirized the fading ideals of chivalry and critiqued a society caught between medieval traditions and the emerging modern world. Cervantes used his protagonist’s quixotic quest to expose the absurdity of clinging to outdated codes of honor while also showing the dignity and courage that can come from pursuing ideals, even in the face of ridicule.
What makes the novel enduring is how its themes still resonate today. The tension between idealism and realism, the blurred line between madness and vision, and the influence of stories on how we perceive ourselves and society all feel strikingly contemporary. In an age of media saturation and competing narratives, Don Quixote reminds us of both the dangers and the transformative power of literature and imagination.
July 7, 2024
Oomph
This novel much like literature of that age. It was difficult to read but there were enough bright (humorous) points to hold my attention.
The story was repetitive and predictable but poor Don Quixote was clearly, humorously out of his mind through out most if not all of his travels and conquests.
I recommend this novel with serious reservations.
This novel much like literature of that age. It was difficult to read but there were enough bright (humorous) points to hold my attention.
The story was repetitive and predictable but poor Don Quixote was clearly, humorously out of his mind through out most if not all of his travels and conquests.
I recommend this novel with serious reservations.
October 17, 2025
It's famous for the windmills, but that is such a small part of the adventure. It is a soap opera, honestly, and all the more hilarious for it!
First Half: Don Quixote is a loon and makes it everyone's problem.
Second Half: The Duke and Duchess are bored and decide to make it Don Quixote and Sancho's problem.
First Half: Don Quixote is a loon and makes it everyone's problem.
Second Half: The Duke and Duchess are bored and decide to make it Don Quixote and Sancho's problem.
October 10, 2025
Pure pleasure
Excellent read. Part 2 or 3 changed Sancho into a sage and extremely intelligent man. Too different and disappointing. Be tolerant of the changes as much as possible.the
Excellent read. Part 2 or 3 changed Sancho into a sage and extremely intelligent man. Too different and disappointing. Be tolerant of the changes as much as possible.the
March 7, 2024
A wonderful book . You might bog down at around page 300 , but keep reading . You will be surprised to find gems in almost every sentence of a 1270 page book
May 21, 2024
I thought this was really funny
Read
May 15, 2025read the book who had 1553 page
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2025
Crooked Path
Loved it! I think it is a great example of a man who is battling with his mindset, who is constantly striving to live up to the image of his heroes.
Loved it! I think it is a great example of a man who is battling with his mindset, who is constantly striving to live up to the image of his heroes.
September 13, 2025
Letto per la scuola. Era la versione graduata in spagnolo. Non era male, anche un po’ divertente.
October 26, 2025
Read it again.
It’s just as much fun the second time, like spending time with old friends who like you just the way you are.
It’s just as much fun the second time, like spending time with old friends who like you just the way you are.
November 28, 2025
drolleries upon drolleries
February 15, 2026
Exceptional book
A must read for everyone that loves classic literature. This is truly one of the greatest books of all time.
A must read for everyone that loves classic literature. This is truly one of the greatest books of all time.
February 22, 2026
A good read but it did drag on too long for me.
April 23, 2026
Først på ebok, men gikk over til lydbok etter om lag 100 sider. Den er fornøyelig!
April 23, 2026
Very, very funny. It's always so gratifying to see where beloved stories got it from
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews