Don Quixote (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

~ Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra (Author), John Rutherford (Editor, Translator) "In a village in La Mancha, the name of which I cannot quite recall, there lived not long ago one of those country gentlemen or..." (more)
Key Phrases: enchanted bust, other famous events, green topcoat, Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, Don Fernando (more...)

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Product Description

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading romances of chivalry that he determines to become a knight errant and pursue bold adventures, accompanied by his squire, the cunning Sancho Panza. As they roam the world together, the aging Quixote's fancy leads them wildly astray. At the same time the relationship between the two men grows in fascinating subtlety. Often considered to be the first modern novel, Don Quixote is a wonderful burlesque of the popular literature its disordered protagonist is obsessed with.

About the Author

Miguel de Cervantes Saaverda's (1547-1616) life was occupied with a struggle to earn a livelihood from literature and humble government employment. As well as Don Quixote, he wrote a number of plays and a collection of highly accomplished short stories, Exemplary Tales (1613). John Rutherford is a Fellow of the Queen's College Oxford and a Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Spanish American literature. He has translated Leopoldo's La Regenta for Penguin Classics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1056 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Revised edition (January 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140449094
• ISBN-13: 978-0140449099
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #883,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE translation to get -- Don Quixote de la Mancha, January 20, 2009

By	Alaric - See all my reviews

Comparing some 7-8 translations in-store, judging from the author's preface alone, this penguin edition appeared to be the most faithful, both syntactically and rhythmically. The 'English' translations succeeded in reducing the pace of the original Spanish to pedantic and boorish academic English; the majority of the modern renderings this reviewer viewed appeared to be self-consciously bowdlerized paraphrasings for the purpose of making Cervantes 'accessible' to the literature consuming portion of the dullard masses; the 'cultured' public . . .

A great translation, don't bother with the leveled down tripe or plodding prose of paraphrast translators of dubious intent.