Without the author, there is no book. Without Cervantes, Don Quixote never lived, never found his Dulcinea, never moved the world to believe in the crazy magic of his personal story. Without Cervantes, Don Quixote never existed. And the wold would be worse for it.
Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547 and died in 1616. His first passion was to be an exemplary soldier, and was in the Spanish Navy until he was capture by pirates in 1575. He was held captive for five years before being released, where he returned to Madrid and his family. He wrote his first novel, La Galatea, in 1585, but it was Don Quixote that solidified him as one of the world's best novelists. He was the author of numerous books and plays, and has left a legacy that shaped and changed the world. For more on Cervantes life, check out the Encyclopedia Britannica article here.
Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547 and died in 1616. His first passion was to be an exemplary soldier, and was in the Spanish Navy until he was capture by pirates in 1575. He was held captive for five years before being released, where he returned to Madrid and his family. He wrote his first novel, La Galatea, in 1585, but it was Don Quixote that solidified him as one of the world's best novelists. He was the author of numerous books and plays, and has left a legacy that shaped and changed the world. For more on Cervantes life, check out the Encyclopedia Britannica article here.
"The distinguishing characteristic of the modern author, I propose, is proprietorship."
Mark Rose (Authors and Owners: The Invention of Copyright)
Robert Darnton talks at length about the book cycle in his essay, "What is the History of Books?" While much of the article focuses on the need for consistent and deep study of book history, the book cycle reveals the points in history that matter, saying, "From the author to the publisher (if the bookseller does not assume that role), the printer, the shopper, the bookseller, and the reader. The reader completes the circuit, because he influence the author both before and after the act of composition" (1982, 67).
Authorship in Question
There was no question that Don Quixote was written by Cervantes. In was a huge success, and Cervantes was the known author. However, readers wanted more of their favorite knight-errant. With Don Quixote, Cervantes had a king's license to publish the work (Puchner, 2017), but the rules weren't well known. Puchner goes on to talk about editions of Don Quixote that Cervantes didn't authorize, showing up around the world. But, the biggest issue, Puchner says, was not just the editions of his book showing up, but when someone wrote an unauthorized sequel...in 1614! He says, "The character and story of Don Quixote, he claimed, weren't the exclusive property of Cervantes. The public demanded a sequel and a sequel it should get, no matter who would write it" (Puchner, 2017).
Puchner goes on to explain that Cervantes created a sequel himself, and it was so much better that the fake version quickly became lost to history. Cervantes had Quixote do everything opposite of the fake book, and proved himself as the true author of the work. His commentary on the book cycle says, "The division of labor between people who invent stories (authors), people who own the machines for producing printed books (printers and publishers), and people who sell books (distributors and booksellers) has certainly benefited authors, allowing them to reach many more readers that ever before. But it has also limited their control over their own works. Through his character Don Quixote, Cervantes took the measure of the glories and dilemmas of modern authorship" (Puchner, 2017).
Authorship in Question
There was no question that Don Quixote was written by Cervantes. In was a huge success, and Cervantes was the known author. However, readers wanted more of their favorite knight-errant. With Don Quixote, Cervantes had a king's license to publish the work (Puchner, 2017), but the rules weren't well known. Puchner goes on to talk about editions of Don Quixote that Cervantes didn't authorize, showing up around the world. But, the biggest issue, Puchner says, was not just the editions of his book showing up, but when someone wrote an unauthorized sequel...in 1614! He says, "The character and story of Don Quixote, he claimed, weren't the exclusive property of Cervantes. The public demanded a sequel and a sequel it should get, no matter who would write it" (Puchner, 2017).
Puchner goes on to explain that Cervantes created a sequel himself, and it was so much better that the fake version quickly became lost to history. Cervantes had Quixote do everything opposite of the fake book, and proved himself as the true author of the work. His commentary on the book cycle says, "The division of labor between people who invent stories (authors), people who own the machines for producing printed books (printers and publishers), and people who sell books (distributors and booksellers) has certainly benefited authors, allowing them to reach many more readers that ever before. But it has also limited their control over their own works. Through his character Don Quixote, Cervantes took the measure of the glories and dilemmas of modern authorship" (Puchner, 2017).