Public-domain ebook
by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Language: en13,912 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Best Books Ever Listings·Harvard Classics·Novels
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #996.
The work is a sprawling piece of 16th‑century Spanish fiction that blends social satire, chivalric parody, and picaresque adventure. Its opening frames the novel as a subject of endless translation debate, tracing a lineage of English renderings from the early 1600s to the present and arguing that any faithful version must avoid affectation and stay close to the plain, colloquial tone of Cervantes’s original. The passage situates the story within the customs of 16th‑century Spain, hinting at the novel’s focus on knights, knighthood, and the everyday life of its people, while also foregrounding the author’s concern for accurate representation of the original humor and spirit.
Written in a dense, essay‑like style, the text reflects the scholarly voice of an early‑modern commentator, steeped in references to contemporary translators, literary figures, and the evolving English language. Readers who relish historical criticism, enjoy the interplay of language and culture, or have an appetite for the gritty, realistic side of classic Spanish literature will find this introduction rewarding. Those seeking a light, breezy retelling may prefer a more streamlined edition, but anyone interested in the intricate dance between translation and original meaning will appreciate the depth and period flavor of this opening.
The opening · free to read
The book cover and spine above and the images which follow were not part of the original Ormsby translation—they are taken from the 1880 edition of J. W. Clark, illustrated by Gustave Doré. Clark in his edition states that, “The English text of ‘Don Quixote’ adopted in this edition is that of Jarvis, with occasional corrections from Motteaux.” See in the introduction below John Ormsby’s critique of both the Jarvis and Motteaux translations. It has been elected in the present Project Gutenberg edition to attach the famous engravings of Gustave Doré to the Ormsby translation instead of the Jarvis/Motteaux. The detail of many of the Doré engravings can be fully appreciated only by utilizing the “Full Size” button to expand them to their original dimensions. Ormsby in his Preface has criticized the fanciful nature of Doré’s illustrations; others feel these woodcuts and steel engravings well match Quixote’s dreams. D.W.
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