"Adrift in a time of tumultuous change, Cervantes invented a new kind of fiction."
William Egginton, 2016
Don Quixote, written at the very beginning of the 17th century, was part of an explosion in books and authors across the world. The printing press was now a part of culture, and books had a lifespan outside their original countries. It's worth noting that Don Quixote was the first novel to be published. Without Don Quixote, what would the novel look like today?
Various Editions (Print)
While there have been simply too many editions of Don Quixote to find them all (the book is 403 years old this year),
here are some highlights from Part 2 (1615) and beyond, including a beautiful 2018 edition.
here are some highlights from Part 2 (1615) and beyond, including a beautiful 2018 edition.
Don Quixote is a book of unparalleled success. According to William Egginton, the author of The Man who Invented Fiction, Cervantes "created one of the world's first runaway, international bestsellers. From its publication in the early days of 1605 to the present, Don Quixote has arguably become the most published work of literature in history" (Egginton, 2016).
Don Quixote is 413 years old, and new editions continue to be created. While some are great and some are less so, the draw to make sure this Spanish masterpiece is told over and over again is a driving force in the publishing industry. In "Guide to the Classics: Don Quixote, the world's first modern novel - and one of the best" authors Ana Puchau de Lecea and Vicente Perez de Leon say, "But Don Quixote is much more. It is a book about books, reading, writing, idealism vs. materialism, life … and death. Don Quixote is mad. “His brain’s dried up” due to his reading, and he is unable to separate reality from fiction, a trait that was appreciated at the time as funny. However, Cervantes was also using Don Quixote’s insanity to probe the eternal debate between free will and fate. The misguided hero is actually a man fighting against his own limitations to become who he dreams to be" (The Conversation, 2018).
Don Quixote is 413 years old, and new editions continue to be created. While some are great and some are less so, the draw to make sure this Spanish masterpiece is told over and over again is a driving force in the publishing industry. In "Guide to the Classics: Don Quixote, the world's first modern novel - and one of the best" authors Ana Puchau de Lecea and Vicente Perez de Leon say, "But Don Quixote is much more. It is a book about books, reading, writing, idealism vs. materialism, life … and death. Don Quixote is mad. “His brain’s dried up” due to his reading, and he is unable to separate reality from fiction, a trait that was appreciated at the time as funny. However, Cervantes was also using Don Quixote’s insanity to probe the eternal debate between free will and fate. The misguided hero is actually a man fighting against his own limitations to become who he dreams to be" (The Conversation, 2018).