Why it's essential
The fable of Don Quixote is perhaps the most iconic piece of Spanish fiction ever put to page. This tall tale was written in the 17th century and parodies the exploits of medieval knights. To this day, Don Quixote remains extremely influential, especially to the fantasy genre.
What is Don Quixote about?
Don Quixote is the story of Alonso Quixano, a man who decides that he is going to become a knight. Assuming the name Don Quixote, he sets off on a quest of almost entirely made-up adventures.
Editor's review
Seth Hartman is an Audible editor and a certified podcasting fanatic. He lives for historical fiction, music and film analysis podcasts, and well-placed Oxford commas.
I was introduced to the epic journey of Don Quixote in my 10th-grade English class. Being no stranger to stories of wandering heroes (stuff like The Odyssey and Gilgamesh), I thought I knew what to expect. The summary evoked images of knights, dragons, and fair maidens, so this book seemed to be a standard dose of medieval-style fantasy. What I got when I cracked open Don Quixote was certainly fantastical, but unlike any fiction I had experienced before it.
This legend begins with Alonso Quixano, a somewhat wealthy but otherwise average man with big dreams. Inspired by the romantic exploits of knights, he assumes the moniker "Don Quixote de la Mancha" and dons an ill-fitting, creaky set of armor. Riding his old work horse Rocinante, he decides that he is going to begin an epic quest for the favor of Dulcinea, a fair maiden he conjured up out of thin air. On his journey, Don Quixote creates fantasy after fantasy, clinging desperately to the image of a knight that he invented for himself.
This story does not only take place from the perspective of a delusional man, however. On his travels, Don Quixote enlists the help of a peasant named Sancho Panza, promising him his own castle and riches beyond his wildest imagination. Sancho quickly sees the truth of the matter, almost pitying the Don for his lofty pipe dreams. Yet eventually, he gets wrapped up in the fantasy too, hoping against his better logic that this quest will work out for them both.
While some people see Don Quixote as a warning to keep both feet in the real world, I see things a bit differently. Despite his obvious delusions of grandeur, I think there is something noble about this quest. Don Quixote is a man who is willing to believe in himself no matter the cost, and he even endures ridicule and beatings for sticking to his beliefs. Yes, it is crazy to think that windmills could be vicious giants, but isn’t there something poetic about his commitment to a heightened reality?
While this work stands as a complete subversion of stories like The Knights of the Round Table, it is important that we continue to look to Don Quixote for inspiration. The audiobook adds yet another element, with veteran narrator George Guidall’s versatile diction creating a new sense of depth. Yes, this story is silly, absurd, and, at times, downright sad, but isn’t life the same way sometimes? Don Quixote reminds us that, no matter our current circumstances, we can always hope for more.
Did you know?
Don Quixote is the third most translated book in the world, available in over 50 languages.
According to scholars, the plot structure of Don Quixote makes it the first "modern story."
The term "quixotic" spawned from this book, referring to someone who is out of touch with reality like the main character.
What listeners said
"I've been listening to audiobooks for over 3 years now, over 35 books, 2 hours a day in my commute. Of all the books I've listened to, this is easily the best. It's the first that had me laughing so hard I was worried about the effect on my driving. George Guidall's unparalleled narration took me completely into the drama of the story, brought out the characters as if they were alive in another country—not some un-relatable figures from the 14th century." -Peter, Audible listener
"This is my favorite work of fiction. I love the story of Don Quixote. If you haven't listened to or read this book, it is a must. This book is very long, but is broken up into smaller stories told by people who run into Don Quixote on his travels and by a series of ridiculous "adventures" of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza themselves. (You will never see a blanket the same way again, for example. And everyone knows about the windmills... err... giants)." -Mike, Audible listener
"This is an incredible book. One of the coolest things about it is the fact that there is so much in it that is cliché, but when the book was written it was all new. This book MADE those things cliché. Don Quixote was so far ahead of its time that if I didn't know better, I would think it was written in the modern era. I can't believe I've waited this long to read it; I'm mad at myself for that. The fact the George Guidall is narrating it is icing on the cake. He can do no wrong." -Joe, Audible listener
Listen if you loved
Quotes from Don Quixote
"To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest."
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams—this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness—and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!"
"It's up to brave hearts, sir, to be patient when things are going badly, as well as being happy when they're going well."
"Virtue is persecuted by the wicked more than it is loved by the good."
"Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind."
Adaptations
Over the centuries since its original publication in 1605, Don Quixote has been reimagined through varying interpretations. Notable adaptations include an 1869 ballet; the musical play Man of La Mancha, which premiered in 1965 and has been revived four times on Broadway; a 1972 film, directed by Arthur Hill and starring Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, and James Coco; and a 2018 movie, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, a loose retelling of the novel by director Terry Gilliam.
About the author
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his novel Don Quixote, a work often cited as both the first modern novel and "the first great novel of world literature." A 2002 poll of around 100 well-known authors voted it the "most meaningful book of all time" from among the "best and most central works in world literature."
About the performer
George Guidall is a prolific audiobook narrator and theatre actor. As of November 2014, he had recorded 1,270 audiobooks, which was believed to be the record at the time. Guidall says audiobook narration "expands the author's intent, brings it into an immediacy. I am the author when I'm doing it. I'm a literary hermit crab finding a home in someone else's imagined truth."
