Don Quixote download epub

There's only one original "Quixote", but there are literally dozens of translations, and an almost infinite number of commentaries about the quality, integrity and appeal of those various translations. But, if you would just like to sit down with a readable and fairly mainstream version there are two free Kindle volumes that offer you a happy choice.

The four "major" translations that are referenced over and over again are by Smollett, Grossman, Putnam, and Raffel. (There are roughly a dozen "minor" but well known and vigorously defended or reviled others.) But, the first translation, which was published in 1612, within just seven years of the release of "Quixote" itself, was by Thomas Shelton. The most popular translation after that, until the "modern" era, was Ormsby's 1885 version.

Happily, Kindle offers a free copy of Ormsby's version. It also offers a kindleunlimited, (and sometimes free as a promotion), copy of Gerald Davis' reworking of the Shelton version.

Some people favor Raffel, (although faulted for being too oversimplified), or Putnam, (faulted for being too colloquial). Grossman is the most modern, but is frequently criticized for taking great liberties and being almost purposefully prolix and obscure. Of course, each translator brought his or her own sense of style, and own sense of the work, to the project, and all of them felt fairly free to put their own authorial stamp on the book. Ormsby is highly regarded because of his scholarly effort to achieve "accuracy". The Davis book is highly regarded, although sometimes relegated to a niche position, because of the translator's attempt to find a middle ground between the Shelton original and a modern reader's sensibilities.

This Kindle Ormsby is the 1885 version, not the Norton update of 1981. But that's fine, since the update modernized some language but didn't change the text dramatically. As a bare public domain version you don't get notes, footnotes, modern annotations and the like. You do, however, get the full text, include Ormsby's analysis of prior translations. The book is formatted well enough and has a basic table of contents. It is readable, if unadorned.

The Kindleunlimited Davis is also barebones, although there is a nice preface by Davis. Again, the formatting and type editing is fine and unfussy. It is also perfectly readable.

I prefer the Davis version, but that really is a matter of personal taste. It is nice to be able to suggest that not only are these two freebies adequate, they do indeed have an honorable place amongst all of the best translations. As a consequence you do not have to lower your standards, or accept an inferior translation, when selecting one of these freebies as your text of choice.

Surprisingly, each Kindle version can be augmented, for a few dollars, with Audible Narration. The Ormsby narration is a bit more energetic, the Davis narration is more solemn. I only sampled them, but both seemed fairly engaging.

Please note, because there are so many editions of each and all of these books, and because Amazon is not at its best when mixing and matching books, editions, and reviews, it's important to mention which books this review refers to. The kindleunlimited Davis displays a white cover and a pencil or engraved image of Don Quixote framed in yellow. It clearly states that it is "The New Translation By Gerald J. Davis". The free Ormsby sports the generic Amazon public domain cover, in brown and buff. Don't mistakenly buy some expensive "collectible" mass market copy, unless that's what you want.

Never a reader in my young years, the desire and effort didn't arrive until I was 60. I began reading Lee Child/Jack Reacher books. Mindless I suppose, but somehow reading those books fueled a fire in my deep down to read more. Came the time I started reading the classics. Books I was supposed to have read in high school, but found a way to avoid. Regrets come to mind, eh? Anyway, reading the classics for the first time at this age has been a wonderful experience, one I'm not capable of putting words to. That said, The Adventures of Don Quixote was an absolutely delightful read. Truly one of my, if not my favorite read of the 1st 60 or so classics I've read in the last two years. Absolutely loved it...

Don Quixote, by Cervantes, is a brilliant piece of writing. Written in an eloquent and beautiful language, one which parallels Shakespeare and Homer, this book takes the reader on a journey with Don Quixote, an man past his prime, who lives in a delusional world of knights, beautiful damsels, honor and challenge - who, with his squire, Sancho, takes on imaginary enemies but with real blood and real pain. It is the story of a man who is obsessed with reviving the age of knighthood, who is seen as mad by those he meets, and yet who garners the admiration and support of people as his daring deeds and legend grows and spreads. I cannot compare the quality of this writing, in its depth and richness. It is a part of our language which is being lost to time, and yet, which inspires the mind and the imagination with its tantalizing animation of the vernacular. Cervantes was and remains a master, and Don Quixote will resonate through the corridors of time for ages to come, for it is a story with a message about principles, about leadership and about love. If you haven’t read it, do so. It enriches the mind and reminds us all that at the time of its publication in 1605, the “modern” world of that age, would experience a transformation in literature, and that ripple continues even now, into our “modern” times.