Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (electric book reader TXT) π

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Don Quixote is a novel that doesnβt need much introduction. Not only is it widely considered the greatest Spanish literary work of all time, one of the greatest literary works in history, and a cornerstone of the Western literary canon, itβs also considered one of the firstβif not the firstβmodern novels.
This Standard Ebooks edition is believed to be the first ebook edition of Don Quixote to feature a full transcription of translator John Ormsbyβs nearly 1,000 footnotes. Ormsby as an annotator deftly explains obscure passages, gives background on the life and times of 1600s Spain, references decisions from other contemporary translators, and doesnβt hold back from sharing his views on the geniusβand flawsβof Cervantesβ greatest work.
The story is of the eponymous Don Quixote, a country noble who, in his old age, reads too many chivalric romances and goes mad. After convincing his grubby servant, Sancho Panza, to join him as his squire, he embarks on an absurd and comic quest to do good and right wrongs.
Today Don Quixoteβs two volumes are published as a single work, but their publication came ten years apart. Cervantes saw great success with the publication of his first volume, and appeared to have little desire to write a second volume until a different author wrote a spurious, inferior sequel. This kicked Cervantes into gear and he wrote volume two, a more serious and philosophical volume than the largely comic first volume.
Despite being written in 1605 and translated in 1885, Don Quixote contains a surprising amount of slapstick laughsβeven for the modern readerβand narrative devices still seen in todayβs fiction, including meta-narratives, frame narratives, and metafiction. Many scenes (like Quixoteβs attack on the windmills) and characters (like Sancho Panza and Lothario) are so famous that theyβre ingrained in our collective culture.
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- Author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
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A vast number of polite speeches were exchanged, and at length, taking Don Quixote between them, they proceeded to sit down to table. The duke pressed Don Quixote to take the head of the table, and, though he refused, the entreaties of the duke were so urgent that he had to accept it.
The ecclesiastic took his seat opposite to him, and the duke and duchess those at the sides. All this time Sancho stood by, gaping with amazement at the honour he saw shown to his master by these illustrious persons; and observing all the ceremonious pressing that had passed between the duke and Don Quixote to induce him to take his seat at the head of the table, he said, βIf your worship will give me leave I will tell you a story of what happened in my village about this matter of seats.β
The moment Sancho said this Don Quixote trembled, making sure that he was about to say something foolish. Sancho glanced at him, and guessing his thoughts, said, βDonβt be afraid of my going astray, seΓ±or, or saying anything that wonβt be pat to the purpose; I havenβt forgotten the advice your worship gave me just now about talking much or little, well or ill.β
βI have no recollection of anything, Sancho,β said Don Quixote; βsay what thou wilt, only say it quickly.β
βWell then,β said Sancho, βwhat I am going to say is so true that my master Don Quixote, who is here present, will keep me from lying.β
βLie as much as thou wilt for all I care, Sancho,β said Don Quixote, βfor I am not going to stop thee, but consider what thou art going to say.β
βI have so considered and reconsidered,β said Sancho, βthat the bell-ringerβs in a safe berth;697 as will be seen by what follows.β
βIt would be well,β said Don Quixote, βif your highnesses would order them to turn out this idiot, for he will talk a heap of nonsense.β
βBy the life of the duke, Sancho shall not be taken away from me for a moment,β said the duchess; βI am very fond of him, for I know he is very discreet.β
βDiscreet be the days of your holiness,β said Sancho, βfor the good opinion you have of my wit, though thereβs none in me; but the story I want to tell is this. There was an invitation given by a gentleman of my town, a very rich one, and one of quality, for he was one of the Alamos of Medina del Campo, and married to DoΓ±a Mencia de QuiΓ±ones, the daughter of Don Alonso de MaraΓ±on, Knight of the Order of Santiago, that was drowned at the Herradura698β βhim there was that quarrel about years ago in our village, that my master Don Quixote was mixed up in, to the best of my belief, that Tomasillo the scapegrace, the son of Balbastro the smith, was wounded in.β βIsnβt all this true, master mine? As you live, say so, that these gentlefolk may not take me for some lying chatterer.β
βSo far,β said the ecclesiastic, βI take you to be more a chatterer than a liar; but I donβt know what I shall take you for by-and-by.β
βThou citest so many witnesses and proofs, Sancho,β said Don Quixote, βthat I have no choice but to say thou must be telling the truth; go on, and cut the story short, for thou art taking the way not to make an end for two days to come.β
βHe is not to cut it short,β said the duchess; βon the contrary, for my gratification, he is to tell it as he knows it, though he should not finish it these six days; and if he took so many they would be to me the pleasantest I ever spent.β
βWell then, sirs, I say,β continued Sancho, βthat this same gentleman, whom I know as well as I do my own hands, for itβs not a bowshot from my house to his, invited a poor but respectable labourerβ ββ
βGet on, brother,β said the churchman; βat the rate you are going you will not stop with your story short of the next world.β
βIβll stop less than halfway, please God,β said Sancho; βand so I say this labourer, coming to the house of the gentleman I spoke of that invited himβ βrest his soul, he is now dead; and more by token he died the death of an angel, so they say; for I was not there, for just at that time I had gone to reap at Temblequeβ ββ
βAs you live, my son,β said the churchman, βmake haste back from Tembleque, and finish your story without burying the gentleman, unless you want to make more funerals.β699
βWell then, it so happened,β said Sancho, βthat as the pair of them were going to sit down to tableβ βand I think I can see them now plainer than everβ ββ
Great was the enjoyment the duke and duchess derived from the irritation the worthy churchman showed at the long-winded, halting way Sancho had of telling his story, while Don Quixote was chafing with rage and vexation.
βSo, as I was saying,β continued Sancho, βas the pair of them were going to sit down to table, as I said, the labourer insisted upon the gentlemanβs taking the head of the table, and the gentleman insisted upon the labourerβs taking
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