Eight Interludes (Everyman Paperback Classics) [Paperback]

Miguel De Cervantes (Author), Dawn Smith (Author)

Book Description

Series: Everyman's Library (Paper) | Publication Date: October 15, 1996

Best known and loved for DON QUIXOTE,the ground-breaking comic precursor of the modern novel,Cervantes led an extraordinary life every bit as colourful as his works.Born the son of a poor medical practioner,maimed by gunshot as a soldier, held to ransom by Algerian corsairs,and eventually drifting into a literary career,Cervantes could draw upon a range of experience with which to spice up his writings.Written as diversionary pieces to be performed between the main acts of a play,Cervantes's eight interludes included in this anthology are comic gems in their own right.As a genre,'interludes'were generally disliked by the authorities because of their subversive potential,and those by Cervantes are no exception.Crude,rude robust and anarchically refreshing,EIGHT INTERLUDES reveals that even as a playwright Cervantes was ahead of his times.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd. (October 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460877518
• ISBN-13: 978-0460877510
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cervantes' Plays, April 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Eight Interludes (Everyman Paperback Classics) (Paperback)

This was an excellent book. Not only did it contain the plays, but also several sections of biographical information on the author and notes to aid in the understanding of the plays. Some of the themes in the plays are antiquated, but make for an interesting study of Spain during the earlier centuries. The plays themselves were well written and well translated. The social satire included it each one made for a comical and interesting read. I recommend this book for people who have an interest in historical drama.

4.0 out of 5 stars A different side of Cervantes, June 13, 2011

By 

G.C. (St. Louis, MO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interludes (Signet Classic CT209). (Paperback)

For those who only know Cervantes from "Don Quixote", these "Interludes" provide a nice change of pace and another side of his writings that's not so well known today. As the foreword of the book points out, these very short plays, almost "playlets", work often with stock characters and plot cliches of the time. The themes are rather subtle, again as noted in the foreword, for those who want to read them carefully.

I have one modest comment about the translation per se, namely that it feels rather strange now, in 2011, to see the plays translated mostly without Spanish names, where English "names" with a roughly equivalent meaning are used. To me, it robs the Spanish "flavor" not to use the original Spanish names for many of the characters. I'll admit that this is the only translation of these works that I've seen, and perhaps other versions do restore the original Spanish names, if obviously with all the dialogue translated.

2.0 out of 5 stars not as advertised, February 12, 2010

By 

Michael Tomblinson "the straight dope" (CASTROVILLE, CALIFORNIA, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eight Interludes (Everyman Paperback Classics) (Paperback)

This book was sold as brand new. I am fifty years old and have been handling books long enough to recognize when something is brand new or simply in good condition. I should have purchased one of the copies I saw advertised as used and saved a few bucks. Oh well. At least it was delivered in a timely manner, as promised.