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Don Quixote  By  cover art

Don Quixote

By: Edith Grossman - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

DON QUIXOTE IS AN EPIC QUEST FOR THE SAKE OF IMAGINATION

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.

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Publisher's summary

Don Quixote is the classic story. Called the first modern novel, this marvelous book has stood the test of time to become irrevocably intertwined with the fabric of society. Sixteenth-century Spanish gentleman Don Quixote, fed by his own delusional fantasies, takes to the road in search of chivalrous adventures. But his quest leads to more trouble than triumph. At once humorous, romantic, and sad, Don Quixote is a literary landmark. This fresh edition, by award-winning translator Edith Grossman, brings the tale to life as never before.

©2003 Edith Grossman (translation) (P)2003 Recorded Books

Featured Article: The top 100 classics of all time


Before we whipped out our old high school syllabi and dug deep into our libraries to start selecting contenders for this list, we first had to answer the question, "How do we define a classic?" The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might guess, though there’s a lot to be said for the old adage, "You know it when you see it" (or, in this case, hear it). Of course, most critically, each of our picks had to be fabulous in audio. So dust off your aspirational listening list—we have some amazing additions you don’t want to miss.

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What listeners say about Don Quixote

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Simply Spectacular

Believe me; you don't know Don Quixote until you have listened to this spectacular performance. You owe it to yourself. This is why you listen to audiobooks.

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Brilliant.

It’s hard to put into words how wonderful this book (and translation) is. It’s high and low brow. It’s sincere and ironic. It’s absurd and realist. There’s a reason why it’s a classic, and more than that often credited as the greatest book of all time— it very well might be! Vale!

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Great rendering of a classic

I listened to this while gardening, and it was a lovely experience. I can see so many influences in modern entertainment that traced back to Don Quixote.

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Two lances up!

Wonderfully narrated, translated and dreamt up. Truly whimsical, hilarious and warmly entertaining. Highly recommended for those seeking a respite from the often weighty material of our day and age.

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great

loved the story. loved the performance. one of my favorites. No complaints other than that it ended

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Pick this one

I've tried several other audio versions of Don Quixote, including public domain ones read by the public, this one is well worth the cost, proud to have finally finished one of the greats of western literature! Thanks to George Guidall, loved his readings of the Dark Tower series as well!

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The proverbs alone make this a great book!! lol

Never, in all my audible years, have I ever wanted to restart a book after reading it until now!

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Totally wonderful!

The narration is excellent. The translation appropriately balances the archaic and the modern for readers to understand.

The story itself feels remarkably timeless, and it is very difficult to believe it is over 400 years old.

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Outstanding performance!

This is a classic that I have wanted to read for quite a long time. I’ve had the book on my shelf for years, but never had the time to sit down and read it (or more rightly, took the time). The reading performance of the narrator is simply superb. He uses consistently changed voices for repeated characters put emotion into the reading and, in short,This is one of the best I have ever listen to.

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incredible voice acting

The audio book has absolutely wonderful and engaging voice acting. The translation this book uses is also superb.

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