Don Quixote 400 Years Later

Posted on February 11, 2005

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, first published in 1605, is still very popular today and is often being remade as a film or play. The BBC says the book is "reputed to be the most widely read and translated book on the planet after the Bible."

The novel's heroic and romantic themes are popular across cultures. Professor Ilan Stavans told BBC News that, "you could approach Don Quixote from the American perspective, or the French, or the Soviet -- and each individual in those contexts would be able to understand him and identify him."

You can read some great quotes from the novel on our Don Quixote quotes page.