Don Quixote

6W Miguel de Cervantes, illustrated by Harry G. Theaker. London, Ward Lock & Co., ca 1930.  

Notes

Don Quixote, written by Miguel de Cervantes, is one of the most important works in Western literature, first published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. The novel follows the adventures of a man named Alonso Quixano, who, inspired by tales of chivalry and knight-errantry, adopts the name "Don Quixote" and sets out on a series of misadventures, believing himself to be a noble knight. Accompanied by his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, he embarks on a quest to revive chivalric values and defend the helpless, often seeing the world through a distorted lens that leads to comical and sometimes tragic situations.

The inspiration for Don Quixote stemmed from Miguel de Cervantes' own experiences and his observations of the changing world of the early 17th century. At the time, the chivalric tradition, once a popular genre in literature, had become outdated and was largely seen as naive and impractical. Cervantes, aware of the rise of more modern, realistic narratives, sought to both satirize and celebrate the idealism and excesses of medieval romance literature. The story of Don Quixote reflects Cervantes' personal frustrations, including his years of financial hardship and imprisonment, which lent a layer of depth to the themes of delusion and disillusionment. His creation of a character who blurs the line between fantasy and reality captures the broader tension between the ideal and the real in a rapidly evolving society.

Description

Green canvas binding with pictorial pastedown to upper cover. Black lettering to cover and spine. Pictorial endpapers. Some fading to spine. Minor warp to upper cover. Foxing to edges.