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Don Quixote

By: Edith Grossman - translator, Miguel de Cervantes
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's summary

Don Quixote is the classic story. Called the first modern novel, this marvelous book has stood the test of time to become irrevocably intertwined with the fabric of society. Sixteenth-century Spanish gentleman Don Quixote, fed by his own delusional fantasies, takes to the road in search of chivalrous adventures. But his quest leads to more trouble than triumph. At once humorous, romantic, and sad, Don Quixote is a literary landmark. This fresh edition, by award-winning translator Edith Grossman, brings the tale to life as never before.

©2003 Edith Grossman (translation) (P)2003 Recorded Books
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

DON QUIXOTE IS AN EPIC QUEST FOR THE SAKE OF IMAGINATION

I was introduced to the epic journey of Don Quixote in my 10th-grade English class. Being no stranger to stories of wandering heroes (stuff like The Odyssey and Gilgamesh), I thought I knew what to expect. The summary evoked images of knights, dragons, and fair maidens, so this book seemed to be a standard dose of medieval-style fantasy. What I got when I cracked open Don Quixote was certainly fantastical, but unlike any fiction I had experienced before it.

This legend begins with Alonso Quixano, a somewhat wealthy but otherwise average man with big dreams. Inspired by the romantic exploits of knights, he assumes the moniker "Don Quixote de la Mancha" and dons an ill-fitting, creaky set of armor. Riding his old work horse Rocinante, he decides that he is going to begin an epic quest for the favor of Dulcinea, a fair maiden he conjured up out of thin air. On his journey, Don Quixote creates fantasy after fantasy, clinging desperately to the image of a knight that he invented for himself.

This story does not only take place from the perspective of a delusional man, however. On his travels, Don Quixote enlists the help of a peasant named Sancho Panza, promising him his own castle and riches beyond his wildest imagination. Sancho quickly sees the truth of the matter, almost pitying the Don for his lofty pipe dreams. Yet eventually, he gets wrapped up in the fantasy too, hoping against his better logic that this quest will work out for them both.

While some people see Don Quixote as a warning to keep both feet in the real world, I see things a bit differently. Despite his obvious delusions of grandeur, I think there is something noble about this quest. Don Quixote is a man who is willing to believe in himself no matter the cost, and he even endures ridicule and beatings for sticking to his beliefs. Yes, it is crazy to think that windmills could be vicious giants, but isn’t there something poetic about his commitment to a heightened reality?

While this work stands as a complete subversion of stories like The Knights of the Round Table, it is important that we continue to look to Don Quixote for inspiration. The audiobook adds yet another element, with veteran narrator George Guidall’s versatile diction creating a new sense of depth. Yes, this story is silly, absurd, and, at times, downright sad, but isn’t life the same way sometimes? Don Quixote reminds us that, no matter our current circumstances, we can always hope for more.

Continue reading Seth's review >

Featured Article: The top 100 classics of all time


Before we whipped out our old high school syllabi and dug deep into our libraries to start selecting contenders for this list, we first had to answer the question, "How do we define a classic?" The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might guess, though there’s a lot to be said for the old adage, "You know it when you see it" (or, in this case, hear it). Of course, most critically, each of our picks had to be fabulous in audio. So dust off your aspirational listening list—we have some amazing additions you don’t want to miss.

What listeners say about Don Quixote

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    5 out of 5 stars

You Need to be Very Patient

Many people regard this as the greatest and one of the most important books of all time. I wanted to find out exactly why. At first, I was amused but slightly astonished by what I found - the book is farcical. I never disliked it, and the comedy and poetry of the writing were always enough to carry me along. But the further I went, the more the book melted down my defenses. By the end, I think I loved it and have a sense of what is so admired about this book. It is certainly unlike any of the other literary classics I have ever read before. Now I can't imagine missing out of the opportunity to have read the book.

The narrator is quite good.Very clear with a subtle change in voice for each character. His performance of Sancho Panza is the highlight. I have heard several narrators on audible who leave me awestruck. This wasn't one of those performances - this is the only reason for the 4/5 stars. I would however highly recommend this version (it's not clear to me what is missing from the performance - it just wasn't "magical"). The sound quality is excellent.

I can't comment on the translation. Some claim, this isn't the best translation. If that matters to you a lot, I would research this a bit more carefully

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8 people found this helpful

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Laugh out loud funny

I don't know how a book closer to the dark ages than to Minecraft can still be so hilarious and well-understood in it's intentions, but this is my favorite book I've ever listened to, hands down. Happy I decided to trust the reputation of this classic :)

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3 people found this helpful

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Hilarious and thought-provoking by turns

I finally got down to listening to this audiobook. The 40-hour length was intimidating at first. But as it turned out, this translation is lively, it's conversations pithy and full of vitality. There are archaic vocabulary, a smattering of Latin and Spanish, various historical notes and more than a few convoluted proverbs. I would recommend a companion e-book to follow along, so as to better understand the book. All the various footnotes, absent in the audiobook, would greatly help in enjoying the book.

George Guidal is an amazing reader. His voice for Don Quixote comes across as wise and measured, or crazed and passionate, or sad and resigned... as the situation calls for. Most of all I love his expressive voicing of Sancho Panza - his indignance, exuberance, joy and dismay all done right with the perfect accent! Awesome.



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Amazing!

George Guidall is amazing! As a avid audiobook listener he is truly one of the best! This book could have been very hard to listen too, but he brought it to life and kept me engaged the whole time!

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fantastic fun

George Guidall does such an excellent narration that the reader is drawn in completely. I laughed hysterically in some parts. My favorite character is Sancho. His proverbial talk is very amusing!

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A classic with so much to offer.

This story is filled delightful passages. I am truly sad it's over. The narrator is excellent, bringing the story to life.

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easier to listend too

I bought the actual book in barnes and noble, and it was taking me so long to read because the wording used were very old. I could one hour in one chapter. I download auditable so I can listen to it and the language was more simple. Now I can move on to the next book.

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Bangarang!

Arguably the most satisfying work of fiction that, as of yet, I have been exposed to. Bravo.

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doesn't matter if you know the musical

a classic. an eloquently translation of a matter of the Spanish language. connect, madness, nobility. timeless

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One of the greatest books of all time

Fantastic narration and a great delivery. It's a very long book so that is critical to being able to stick with it all the way through.

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