Books

London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, [c. 1870]. A very early issue of this wonderfully illustrated Cervantes. With 118 spectacular illustrations by by Gustave Doré. Folio (30 x 24 cm), very handsomely bound in three-quarter dark cordovan morocco over marbled paper covered boards, the spine with raised bands gilt ruled and elaborately decorated in gilt, compartments of the spine with decorated panels tooled in blind, lettered in gilt in one compartment, fine feathered and marbled endleaves of red, blue and white. xxviii, 737 pp. A very handsome and sturdy copy, as fine and fresh and bright, the binding is very strong and well preserved, beautiful and of fine craftsmanship, some light spotting to the initial and end blanks as is typical, internally fresh and clean. AN UNUSUALLY HANDSOME COPY. VERY SCARCE IN SUCH WELL PRESERVED CONDITION. Gustave Doré was one of the greatest illustrators of his day. He was born in Strassburg in 1832. In 1848, he moved to Paris where…

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series of adventures, with Don Quixote seeking to right wrongs and bring justice to the world, driven by his absurdly outdated moral code and understanding of reality.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