Books

Complete Set of 4 Volumes. "Written in Spanish by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Translated by Several Hands. Revis'd Anew from the Best Spanish Edition. To which are added, EXPLANATORY NOTES from Jarvis, Oudin, Sobrino, Pineda, Gregorio and the Royal Academy Dictionary of Madrid." Contemporary Brown Full-Leather Bindings with 5 Raised Bands on spines. Gilt Title on Red Ground in 2nd Compartments and Gilt Vol. Nos in 4th. 7" Tall. Vol. I contains an "Account of the Author" and "The Author's Preface", xxi Pages with Decorative Headers & Tailpieces. Main Text of Vol. I, 276 Pages; Vol. II, 276 Pages; Vol. III, 296 Pages & Vol. IV, 335 Pages. Some edge wear to cover, corners worn. Vols I & II have small pieces of leather missing at bottom of spines. Vol I also has a narrow strip of leather missing from rear cover, adjacent to spine, about 5" long x 1/4" wide and Vol II has a small piece, about 3/4" x 1/2" missing from front cover, near spine. Hinges sound and Text Blocks firm. No inscriptions. Occasional spot or patch of foxing. Upper Margin of Vol II has some damage, possibly due to a cigar having been carelessly placed, affecting pages 135 to 276. It only just clips the title on 3 pages and is confined to the margin on the others. The area burnt away tapers, measuring 1" x 1/4" at worst. Set of 4 Books weighs . Size: 12mo - over 6� - 7�" Tall.

"Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes is a seminal work in Western literature, often regarded as the first modern novel. Published in two parts, the first in 1605 and the second in 1615, it tells the story of Alonso Quixano, a middle-aged gentleman from the region of La Mancha in central Spain. Obsessed with the chivalric romances of the Middle Ages, he loses his sanity and decides to become a knight-errant, renaming himself Don Quixote. He chooses a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, promising him the governorship of an island. The duo embarks on a series of adventures, with Don Quixote seeking to right wrongs and bring justice to the world, driven by his absurdly outdated moral code and understanding of reality. The novel is famous for its satirical examination of the discrepancy between Quixote's fantasy world and the actual world of 17th-century Spain. This theme is most famously illustrated in the episode where Don Quixote fights windmills, mistaking them for giant monsters. Throughout their journeys, the pair encounters thieves, prostitutes, a chain gang, and various other characters, often causing more harm than good in their attempts to help. "Don Quixote" explores themes of truth and justice, the transition from the old world to the new, and the idea of madness versus sanity. Cervantes employs a narrative structure that includes stories within stories, allowing him to critique the social and literary conventions of his time. The novel has had a profound influence on the development of prose fiction and is considered a precursor to the modern novel. It is celebrated for its humor, moral integrity, and its deep humanity, offering a complex reflection on the nature of reality and the importance of empathy.