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Don Quixote

Name: Don Quixote
Author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra · Public domain text

425,799 words · about 29 h 49 min to read

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About this edition

The text of Don Quixote comes from Project Gutenberg e-text #996. It is in English and public domain in the United States. Translated by John Ormsby. RedLectern sets the text out for reading on screen; no words of the book are rewritten or summarized. More formats (EPUB, Kindle) · How RedLectern is built

This book also contains the text of these books, each also on RedLectern as a separate book: Don Quixote, Volume II, The History of Don Quixote, Volume 1, Complete.

MIT courses cite 2 printed editions of this book; the free copy here is Project Gutenberg's e-text #996, not one of those editions. Page numbers, introductions and editorial notes will differ, so use chapter or section references rather than page numbers. It is also a different translation: the course cites John Rutherford's; this copy is John Ormsby's. The editions MIT courses cite

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About this book

From Wikipedia

Don Quixote is a novel by Miguel de Cervantes, written in Early Modern Spanish and published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. It is considered a founding work of Western literature and the first modern novel. It is also one of the most-translated books in the world and one of the best-selling books in history.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article “Don Quixote” (revision 1381440067), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Not written by RedLectern.

Author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616)
Language: English
Subjects: Spain › Social life and customs › 16th century › Fiction, Knights and knighthood › Spain › Fiction, Picaresque literature, Romances
Length: 425,799 words · about 29 h 49 min
Sections: 82 reader sections · Table of contents
Audiobook: Listen free (LibriVox)
Source: Project Gutenberg #996

Contents (82)

Opening about 1 min
Introduction under 1 min
V. IN WHICH THE NARRATIVE OF OUR KNIGHT’S MISHAP IS CONTINUED under 1 min
VII. OF THE SECOND SALLY OF OUR WORTHY KNIGHT DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA under 1 min
XIII. IN WHICH IS ENDED THE STORY OF THE SHEPHERDESS MARCELA, WITH OTHER INCIDENTS under 1 min
XVI. OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN IN THE INN WHICH HE TOOK TO BE A CASTLE about 1 min
XXIV. IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIERRA MORENA about 1 min
XXXIV. IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE NOVEL OF “THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY” under 1 min
XXXVI. WHICH TREATS OF MORE CURIOUS INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE INN under 1 min
XLI. IN WHICH THE CAPTIVE STILL CONTINUES HIS ADVENTURES under 1 min
XLIV. IN WHICH ARE CONTINUED THE UNHEARD-OF ADVENTURES OF THE INN about 1 min
LI. WHICH DEALS WITH WHAT THE GOATHERD TOLD THOSE WHO WERE CARRYING OFF DON QUIXOTE under 1 min
I. OF THE INTERVIEW THE CURATE AND THE BARBER HAD WITH DON QUIXOTE ABOUT HIS MALADY about 1 min
IX. WHEREIN IS RELATED WHAT WILL BE SEEN THERE under 1 min
XVI. OF WHAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE WITH A DISCREET GENTLEMAN OF LA MANCHA under 1 min
XXI. IN WHICH CAMACHO’S WEDDING IS CONTINUED, WITH OTHER DELIGHTFUL INCIDENTS about 1 min
XXXII. OF THE REPLY DON QUIXOTE GAVE HIS CENSURER, WITH OTHER INCIDENTS, GRAVE AND DROLL under 1 min
XLI. OF THE ARRIVAL OF CLAVILEÑO AND THE END OF THIS PROTRACTED ADVENTURE under 1 min
XLIII. OF THE SECOND SET OF COUNSELS DON QUIXOTE GAVE SANCHO PANZA under 1 min
XLIX. OF WHAT HAPPENED SANCHO IN MAKING THE ROUND OF HIS ISLAND under 1 min
LI. OF THE PROGRESS OF SANCHO’S GOVERNMENT, AND OTHER SUCH ENTERTAINING MATTERS under 1 min
LV. OF WHAT BEFELL SANCHO ON THE ROAD, AND OTHER THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SURPASSED under 1 min
LX. OF WHAT HAPPENED DON QUIXOTE ON HIS WAY TO BARCELONA under 1 min
LXVI. WHICH TREATS OF WHAT HE WHO READS WILL SEE, OR WHAT HE WHO HAS IT READ TO HIM WILL HEAR under 1 min
LXVIII. OF THE BRISTLY ADVENTURE THAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE under 1 min
LXXII. OF HOW DON QUIXOTE AND SANCHO REACHED THEIR VILLAGE under 1 min
Introduction about 47 min
‘DON QUIXOTE’ about 47 min
II. WHICH TREATS OF THE FIRST SALLY THE INGENIOUS DON QUIXOTE MADE FROM HOME about 10 min
III. WHEREIN IS RELATED THE DROLL WAY IN WHICH DON QUIXOTE HAD HIMSELF DUBBED A KNIGHT about 11 min
IV. OF WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR KNIGHT WHEN HE LEFT THE INN about 11 min
V. IN WHICH THE NARRATIVE OF OUR KNIGHT’S MISHAP IS CONTINUED about 7 min
VI. OF THE DIVERTING AND IMPORTANT SCRUTINY WHICH THE CURATE AND THE BARBER MADE IN THE LIBRARY OF OUR INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN about 12 min
VII. OF THE SECOND SALLY OF OUR WORTHY KNIGHT DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA about 31 min
X. OF THE PLEASANT DISCOURSE THAT PASSED BETWEEN DON QUIXOTE AND HIS SQUIRE SANCHO PANZA about 9 min
XI. WHAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE WITH CERTAIN GOATHERDS about 9 min
XII. OF WHAT A GOATHERD RELATED TO THOSE WITH DON QUIXOTE about 10 min
XIII. IN WHICH IS ENDED THE STORY OF THE SHEPHERDESS MARCELA, WITH OTHER INCIDENTS about 41 min
XVI. OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN IN THE INN WHICH HE TOOK TO BE A CASTLE about 2 h 18 min
XXIV. IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE ADVENTURE OF THE SIERRA MORENA about 2 h 46 min
XXXII. WHICH TREATS OF WHAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE’S PARTY AT THE INN about 12 min
XXXIII. IN WHICH IS RELATED THE NOVEL OF “THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY” about 33 min
XXXIV. IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE NOVEL OF “THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY” about 33 min
XXXV. WHICH TREATS OF THE HEROIC AND PRODIGIOUS BATTLE DON QUIXOTE HAD WITH CERTAIN SKINS OF RED WINE, AND BRINGS THE NOVEL OF “THE ILL-ADVISED CURIOSITY” TO A CLOSE about 15 min
XXXVI. WHICH TREATS OF MORE CURIOUS INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE INN about 16 min
XXXVII. IN WHICH IS CONTINUED THE STORY OF THE FAMOUS PRINCESS MICOMICONA, WITH OTHER DROLL ADVENTURES about 18 min
XXXVIII. WHICH TREATS OF THE CURIOUS DISCOURSE DON QUIXOTE DELIVERED ON ARMS AND LETTERS about 7 min
XXXIX. WHEREIN THE CAPTIVE RELATES HIS LIFE AND ADVENTURES about 14 min
XL. IN WHICH THE STORY OF THE CAPTIVE IS CONTINUED about 22 min
XLI. IN WHICH THE CAPTIVE STILL CONTINUES HIS ADVENTURES about 1 h 4 min
XLIV. IN WHICH ARE CONTINUED THE UNHEARD-OF ADVENTURES OF THE INN about 1 h 35 min
LI. WHICH DEALS WITH WHAT THE GOATHERD TOLD THOSE WHO WERE CARRYING OFF DON QUIXOTE about 35 min
I. OF THE INTERVIEW THE CURATE AND THE BARBER HAD WITH DON QUIXOTE ABOUT HIS MALADY about 1 h 32 min
IX. WHEREIN IS RELATED WHAT WILL BE SEEN THERE about 53 min
XIV. WHEREIN IS CONTINUED THE ADVENTURE OF THE KNIGHT OF THE GROVE about 19 min
XV. WHEREIN IT IS TOLD AND KNOWN WHO THE KNIGHT OF THE MIRRORS AND HIS SQUIRE WERE about 3 min
XVI. OF WHAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE WITH A DISCREET GENTLEMAN OF LA MANCHA about 1 h 13 min
XXI. IN WHICH CAMACHO’S WEDDING IS CONTINUED, WITH OTHER DELIGHTFUL INCIDENTS about 1 h 42 min
XXIX. OF THE FAMOUS ADVENTURE OF THE ENCHANTED BARK about 10 min
XXX. OF DON QUIXOTE’S ADVENTURE WITH A FAIR HUNTRESS about 8 min
XXXI. WHICH TREATS OF MANY AND GREAT MATTERS about 14 min
XXXII. OF THE REPLY DON QUIXOTE GAVE HIS CENSURER, WITH OTHER INCIDENTS, GRAVE AND DROLL about 1 h 9 min
XXXVII. WHEREIN IS CONTINUED THE NOTABLE ADVENTURE OF THE DISTRESSED DUENNA about 3 min
XXXVIII. WHEREIN IS TOLD THE DISTRESSED DUENNA’S TALE OF HER MISFORTUNES about 10 min
XXXIX. IN WHICH THE TRIFALDI CONTINUES HER MARVELLOUS AND MEMORABLE STORY about 4 min
XL. OF MATTERS RELATING AND BELONGING TO THIS ADVENTURE AND TO THIS MEMORABLE HISTORY about 9 min
XLI. OF THE ARRIVAL OF CLAVILEÑO AND THE END OF THIS PROTRACTED ADVENTURE about 17 min
XLII. OF THE COUNSELS WHICH DON QUIXOTE GAVE SANCHO PANZA BEFORE HE SET OUT TO GOVERN THE ISLAND, TOGETHER WITH OTHER WELL-CONSIDERED MATTERS about 9 min
XLIII. OF THE SECOND SET OF COUNSELS DON QUIXOTE GAVE SANCHO PANZA about 1 h 11 min
XLIX. OF WHAT HAPPENED SANCHO IN MAKING THE ROUND OF HIS ISLAND about 19 min
L. WHEREIN IS SET FORTH WHO THE ENCHANTERS AND EXECUTIONERS WERE WHO FLOGGED THE DUENNA AND PINCHED DON QUIXOTE, AND ALSO WHAT BEFELL THE PAGE WHO CARRIED THE LETTER TO TERESA PANZA, SANCHO PANZA’S WIFE about 15 min
LI. OF THE PROGRESS OF SANCHO’S GOVERNMENT, AND OTHER SUCH ENTERTAINING MATTERS about 14 min
LII. WHEREIN IS RELATED THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND DISTRESSED OR AFFLICTED DUENNA, OTHERWISE CALLED DOÑA RODRIGUEZ about 12 min
LIII. OF THE TROUBLOUS END AND TERMINATION SANCHO PANZA’S GOVERNMENT CAME TO about 10 min
LIV. WHICH DEALS WITH MATTERS RELATING TO THIS HISTORY AND NO OTHER about 13 min
LV. OF WHAT BEFELL SANCHO ON THE ROAD, AND OTHER THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SURPASSED about 59 min
LX. OF WHAT HAPPENED DON QUIXOTE ON HIS WAY TO BARCELONA about 1 h 35 min
LXVIII. OF THE BRISTLY ADVENTURE THAT BEFELL DON QUIXOTE about 29 min
LXXI. OF WHAT PASSED BETWEEN DON QUIXOTE AND HIS SQUIRE SANCHO ON THE WAY TO THEIR VILLAGE about 10 min
LXXII. OF HOW DON QUIXOTE AND SANCHO REACHED THEIR VILLAGE about 8 min
LXXIII. OF THE OMENS DON QUIXOTE HAD AS HE ENTERED HIS OWN VILLAGE, AND OTHER INCIDENTS THAT EMBELLISH AND GIVE A COLOUR TO THIS GREAT HISTORY about 8 min
LXXIV. OF HOW DON QUIXOTE FELL SICK, AND OF THE WILL HE MADE, AND HOW HE DIED about 11 min

The opening of Introduction

PREFARATORY
It was with considerable reluctance that I abandoned in favour of the present undertaking what had long been a favourite project: that of a new edition of Shelton’s “Don Quixote,” which has now become a somewhat scarce book. There are some—and I confess myself to be one—for whom Shelton’s racy old version, with all its defects, has a charm that no modern translation, however skilful or correct, could possess. Shelton had the inestimable advantage of belonging to the same generation as Cervantes; “Don Quixote” had to him a vitality that only a contemporary could feel; it cost him no dramatic effort to see things as Cervantes saw them; there is no anachronism in his language; he put the Spanish of Cervantes into the English of Shakespeare. Shakespeare himself most likely knew the book; he may have carried it home with him in his saddle-bags to Stratford on one of his last journeys, and under the mulberry tree at New Place joined hands with a kindred genius in its pages.

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