Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading romances of chivalry that he determines to become a knight errant and pursue bold adventures, accompanied by his squire, the cunning Sancho Panza. As they roam the world together, the ageing Quixote`s fancy leads them wildly astray. At the same time the relationship between the two men grows with fascinating subtlety. Often considered to be the first modern novel, Don Quixote is a wonderful burlesque of the popular literature its disordered protagonist is obsessed with.

John Rutherford`s landmark translation does full justice to the energy and wit of Cervantes`s prose. His introduction discusses the traditional works parodied in Don Quixote and issues of literary translation.

`John Rutherford... makes Don Quixote funny and readable... His Quixote can be pompous, imposingly learned, secretly fearful, mad and touching7 Colin Burrow, The Times Literary Supplement.