Cervantes' Don Quixote: A Reference Guide(Greenwood Guides to Multicultural Literature)

Recently voted the best literary work of all time, Cervantes' Don Quixote is widely read by students and has had enormous influence on popular culture. Written by a leading Cervantes scholar yet accessible to students and general readers, this book conveniently introduces Cervantes' masterpiece. Included along with a detailed plot summary are chapters on the novel's background, themes, style, and reception. The volume closes with an extensive bibliographical essay and a selected, general bibliography. In 2002, the Norwegian Book Club, affiliated with the Nobel Prize organization, polled 100 writers from around the world, asking each to name the 10 best works of imaginative literature of all time. Cervantes' Don Quixote, though first published in 1605, was the overwhelming winner. Don Quixote is a favorite among students and general readers alike. It has been translated into more languages than any book other than the bible; adapted to the stage more than any other non-dramatic text; illustrated more than any other novel; and inspired more films than any other literary work. Written by a leading scholar yet accessible to high school students, this guide is an indispensable introduction to the world's most important novel. An introductory chapter overviews Cervantes' life and career and discusses the background of his novel. The book then provides a detailed plot summary of Don Quixote and considers the merits of different editions. It then looks at the cultural and historical contexts surrounding the novel and gives extensive attention to the work's themes, style, and reception. A bibliographical essay and selected, general bibliography of major studies conclude the volume.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1. Introduction 2. Content 3. Texts 4. Contexts 5. Ideas 6. Narrative Art 7. Reception 8. Bibliographical Essay Bibliography Index

About the Author :
HOWARD MANCING is Professor of Spanish at Purdue University. His previous books include The Cervantes Encyclopedia (Greenwood, 2003).

Review :
A respected Cervantes scholar and author of The Cervantes Encyclopedia, Mancing offers here a general introduction to Don Quixote. His prose is clear and easy to follow, and the information provided is as rich and comprehensive as it is comprehensible. The author includes a survey of Cervantes's life and times, the content of the novel, its various contexts and thematic emphases, the narrative art of the writer, and the reception of the work by readers and by authors conspicuously influenced by it. The concluding bibliographical essay provides a panoramic view of approaches to Don Quixote and looks at trends in scholarship and at key critical works. Full of useful data and syntheses, this thoughtful and beautifully balanced consideration of Don Quixote is presented in a format that allows Mancing to summarize his own reading of the text. Chapter 5, Ideas, for example, moves from literary influences and social practice as reflected in the novel to metafiction and interpolations, and chapter 6 complements that discussion with valuable commentary on narrative art. Though it is geared toward those initiating study of Don Quixote as advanced undergraduates, this reader-friendly guide should become a staple in all libraries. Essential. High-school readers through graduate students. Mancing's reference guide provides an accurate, readable synopsis of Don Quixote's early publication history and the life of its 16th-century Spanish author, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is not organized in the traditional dictionary or encyclopedia format but instead written as a treatise consisting of eight chapters. One chapter summarizes the story, while others review the historical and social period; explore ideas, themes, and criticisms; discuss Cervantes's language, style, and technique; and examine the public's reception of the book. In addition to a comprehensive bibliography, each chapter has its own works-cited bibliography. All bibliographies list both Spanish- and English-language works, including those by scholars Harold Bloom, Manuel Duran, and Mancing himself. A detailed index provides easy access and cross references. Combined with the prodigious bibliography, the well-written plot summary, biographical information, and publication history make this affordable book an undergraduate's best friend. The treatise format is perfect for students needing broader information regarding Cervantes's writing style, themes, ideas, world, and social order in general. This book lets patrons choose a specific research method before tackling the more complex resources that frequently send them into interlibrary-loan land. Highly recommended for academic, public, and high school libraries. Aimed at students and general readers, this reference provides background information on Miguel Cervantes' Don Quixote. Mancing opens the volume with an overview of Cervantes' life and major works, followed by a plot summary of Don Quixote. Other chapters review the novel's publishing history, place it within its social and historical contexts, and discuss its structure and main themes. A bibliographical essay offers suggestions for further reading. Written by a leading scholar, yet accessible to high school students, this guide is an indispensable introduction to, arguably, the world's most important novel.