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Don Quixote
An abridgement of the classic tale of chivalry, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quioxte de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
Copyright 2006 J.W.Edwards, Inc.
Copyright 2006 J.W.Edwards, Inc.
461 pages
Published February 28, 2006
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103 people want to read
About the author
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
4,801 books3,537 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 26, 2013
Thank God, I FINALLY finished this book. It's supposed to be one of the great classics of European literature. I found it to be silly beyond reason. I suppose because Don Quixote was mad, it should be silly beyond reason.
I found the second part of the book easier to read than the first part. The two were written 10 years apart by Cervantes. Perhaps his writing style matured in that decade.
I found the second part of the book easier to read than the first part. The two were written 10 years apart by Cervantes. Perhaps his writing style matured in that decade.
May 17, 2008
Some parts were great, some dragged.
It really is the epitome of Romantic Literature, but if I could compare it to any contemporary work, it'd be The Life of Pi. (I won't say how though, you'll have to figure it out yourself.)
It really is the epitome of Romantic Literature, but if I could compare it to any contemporary work, it'd be The Life of Pi. (I won't say how though, you'll have to figure it out yourself.)
May 6, 2023
What a read! No wonder it's the best selling book. The squire should've been on the title. Underrated side characters. Masterpiece. 10/10 hands down. Might reread very soon. lols
March 18, 2009
Amazingly well-written, this is a charming tale of a man who's something of an anachronism in his own time. He reads constantly of knights-errant, tales of chivalry and daring-do, and dreams of reliving those days, though they have even in his timeline, long since passed to history.
He assembles an old set of armor, a sword, arrays an old nag as his trusty "steed", and enlists a neighbor to become his squire, setting off to find adventure, rescue damsels, right wrongs, and justificate injustices.
Unfortunately, his slightly overactive imagination leads him to perceive adventures in trivialities, wrongs in normality, and injustices where there are none. This actually adds to the hilarity and charm of the story, though. Quixote is by turns a madman and a very "deep" warrior-philsopher type, true genius on the part of Cervantes.
The story isn't all hilarity, though, and is at times very poignant and borderlines tragic. Apparently there's even tragedy in comedy.
He assembles an old set of armor, a sword, arrays an old nag as his trusty "steed", and enlists a neighbor to become his squire, setting off to find adventure, rescue damsels, right wrongs, and justificate injustices.
Unfortunately, his slightly overactive imagination leads him to perceive adventures in trivialities, wrongs in normality, and injustices where there are none. This actually adds to the hilarity and charm of the story, though. Quixote is by turns a madman and a very "deep" warrior-philsopher type, true genius on the part of Cervantes.
The story isn't all hilarity, though, and is at times very poignant and borderlines tragic. Apparently there's even tragedy in comedy.
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October 21, 2010Well, I read the first part of this book(originally published 10(?) years apart). HILARIOUS. I was amazed how well it stood up to the test of time. It was lacking in that most of the book seemed to be made of small adventures that weren't connected very much.
Basically, in the first half of the book, Don Quixote went on some adventures with his sidekick Sancho. Don Quixote is convinced he's a knight Sancho is an idiot and believes everything he says. Don Quixote does things like fighting windmills that he thinks are giants and getting into fights because they won't admit a woman they've never seen is the most beautiful woman in the world.
I just finished the second half-it wasn't as funny as the first. The plot references the first one as having made Don Quixote and Sancho famous. So, rich people love them as a joke.
A few times, Cervantes got a little philosophical, and that wasn't so good.
Basically, in the first half of the book, Don Quixote went on some adventures with his sidekick Sancho. Don Quixote is convinced he's a knight Sancho is an idiot and believes everything he says. Don Quixote does things like fighting windmills that he thinks are giants and getting into fights because they won't admit a woman they've never seen is the most beautiful woman in the world.
I just finished the second half-it wasn't as funny as the first. The plot references the first one as having made Don Quixote and Sancho famous. So, rich people love them as a joke.
A few times, Cervantes got a little philosophical, and that wasn't so good.
September 28, 2017
A madman and his borderline alcoholic squire walk into a bar, thinking it’s a castle...
Thus began the many documented adventures of the famous Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, travelling through Spain, pursuing knight-errantry. To be honest, I could’ve done without it, like most classic books. It was alright, but nothing to write home about. There were comical scenes here and there, and the absurdity often gets you. I did manage to admire the close and dysfunctional friendship between the two, and in turn was able to grow close to them myself in an odd sort of way.
The end came as a mild surprise, and though it made me sadder than I expected to be, I still believe that it’s the best way to end this adventure. There is no other way I could think of for passionate Don Quixote to retire than with a soft, melancholic wither.
Thus began the many documented adventures of the famous Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, travelling through Spain, pursuing knight-errantry. To be honest, I could’ve done without it, like most classic books. It was alright, but nothing to write home about. There were comical scenes here and there, and the absurdity often gets you. I did manage to admire the close and dysfunctional friendship between the two, and in turn was able to grow close to them myself in an odd sort of way.
The end came as a mild surprise, and though it made me sadder than I expected to be, I still believe that it’s the best way to end this adventure. There is no other way I could think of for passionate Don Quixote to retire than with a soft, melancholic wither.
November 17, 2021
This book, undoubtedly, had an immeasurable effect on the world of literature and in the lives of many, but it was sadly not for me. I thought Don Quixote’s speeches were brilliantly written and beautiful. It would have been even more beautiful in the original Spanish.
I cheated and read the abridged version, so I was spared some trouble, but even with this shortened version, I frequently felt bored. I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters and the flow of the abridged version left something to be desired, though I’m sure it is different in unabridged copies. I didn’t like the way mental illness was often the center of the joke. I didn’t like the sexism. These are related to the time this book was written, so it shows how far we have come in these manors. This fact did not stop those issues from bugging me, though.
I cheated and read the abridged version, so I was spared some trouble, but even with this shortened version, I frequently felt bored. I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters and the flow of the abridged version left something to be desired, though I’m sure it is different in unabridged copies. I didn’t like the way mental illness was often the center of the joke. I didn’t like the sexism. These are related to the time this book was written, so it shows how far we have come in these manors. This fact did not stop those issues from bugging me, though.
February 21, 2025
Went looking for something. Lives up to the hype for sure. It’s funny and tackles the human condition in a really beautiful way. I hadn’t spent that much time thinking about the power of entertainment as a motivator but maybe it has always been true that we seek out humor and whimsy with as much vigor as nobility, respect, and material gain.
This book reminded me that humor and humility are as beautiful gifts and any others. Plus I LOLed. 10/10 would seek out unabridged version and give it my go.
“It is vain to expect uniformity in the affairs of this life, the whole seems to be rather a course of perpetual change”
“Yet for all that, it is a fine thing to go out in expectation of accidents, traversing mountains, searching woods, marching over rocks..all at pleasure”
“Until death, all is life”
This book reminded me that humor and humility are as beautiful gifts and any others. Plus I LOLed. 10/10 would seek out unabridged version and give it my go.
“It is vain to expect uniformity in the affairs of this life, the whole seems to be rather a course of perpetual change”
“Yet for all that, it is a fine thing to go out in expectation of accidents, traversing mountains, searching woods, marching over rocks..all at pleasure”
“Until death, all is life”
February 18, 2012
While this book is a classic for a reason, I had an incredibly hard time getting through it. Perhaps it was that the font was tiny and the pages crammed, but every time I attempted to read it at home I would fall asleep. Once I started reading it only on my lunch hour at work things became much better.
Don Quixote is pretty much hilarious and I love Sancho as well. I wish I had read this in high school or college as part of an English class or something, because I think it's one of those books that you get so much more out of when someone is instructing you while you read it.
Either way, I am glad I picked it up and can now say I've read Don Quixote.
Don Quixote is pretty much hilarious and I love Sancho as well. I wish I had read this in high school or college as part of an English class or something, because I think it's one of those books that you get so much more out of when someone is instructing you while you read it.
Either way, I am glad I picked it up and can now say I've read Don Quixote.
December 31, 2020
Next on my queue was an abridged version of Don Quixote. Before you attempt to stone me for skipping the unabridged original, even the introduction of this rendering acknowledged that the full work was far too long and full of uninteresting, tedious digressions to be able to truly enjoy the masterful work that it is. And so here we are. 😆
Definitely a fun trip through Quixote’s various “adventures”, and I think it’s a perfect work in pieces for kids to enjoy.
If you think too hard about it, though, Quixote is really a case study of how to take advantage of or encourage a fool. Good thing it doesn’t need to be taken so seriously. Fun classic!
Definitely a fun trip through Quixote’s various “adventures”, and I think it’s a perfect work in pieces for kids to enjoy.
If you think too hard about it, though, Quixote is really a case study of how to take advantage of or encourage a fool. Good thing it doesn’t need to be taken so seriously. Fun classic!
June 6, 2008
This may just be the best book ever.
Currently reading
July 30, 2008I know...it's abridged. This might be the weirdest book on earth.
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November 21, 2009None
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March 21, 2022Didn't realize it was abridged until I finished it.
May 15, 2022
Not sure what the abridged edition omits, but you get a sense that this is a classic.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews