Books

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906 - 1907 Eight volumes. Translated from the Spanish by Thomas Shelton. Illustrated by Daniel Vierge with tissue guarded plates and in-text illustrations. With an introduction by Royal Cortissoz. First edition thus. One of 140 copies printed on Imperial Japan paper "with two additional full-page illustrations, and with extra prints, before letter, of all the full-page illustrations," numbered 77. From a total limitation of 1,150. Finely bound by Riviere in brown morocco, with five raised bands to spines, spine compartments ruled and lettered in gilt, spines decorated in blind, and top edge gilt. Near fine set, with light toning and rubbing to spines, light spotting to boards and text block edges, board edges rubbed to boards in some areas, and some offsetting to endpaper margins. Overall, an exceptionally pleasing set. First published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615, Don Quixote is widely considered one of the most influential works in the…

"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a series of adventures, with Don Quixote seeking to right wrongs and bring justice to the world, driven by his absurdly outdated moral code and understanding of reality.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.