Synopses & Reviews
The novel Don Quixote, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, is widely considered to be one of the greatest fictional works in the entire canon of Western literature. At once farcical and deeply philosophical, Cervantesandrsquo; novel and its characters have become integrated into the cultures of the Western Hemisphere, influencing language and modern thought while inspiring art and artists such as Richard Strauss and Pablo Picasso. Based on Professor Roberto Gonzandaacute;lez Echevarrandiacute;aandrsquo;s popular open course at Yale University, this essential guide to the enduring Spanish classic facilitates a close reading of Don Quixote in the artistic and historical context of renaissance and baroque Spain while exploring why Cervantesandrsquo; masterwork is still widely read and relevant today. Gonzandaacute;lez Echevarrandiacute;a addresses the novelandrsquo;s major themes and demonstrates how the story of an aging, deluded would-be knight-errant embodies that most modern of predicaments: the individualandrsquo;s dissatisfaction with the world in which he lives, and his struggle to make that world mesh with his desires.
Review
“Astounding revelations and provocative insights.”—Frederick De Armas, University of Chicago
Review
"This provocative study contextualizes a series of Cervantes texts within a framework in which the politics of love and law interacted with new forms of legal discourse as well as refashioned Classical and medieval sources."—Carmen Peraita, The Years Work in Modern Language Studies
Review
andldquo;The analysis is sharp, and the points of reference are consistently engaging . . . the syntheses, range of inquiry, and knowledge of the period are impressive.andrdquo;andmdash;Choice
Synopsis
The consolidation of law and the development of legal writing during Spains Golden Age not only helped that country become a modern state but also affected its great literature. In this fascinating book, Roberto González Echevarría explores the works of Cervantes, showing how his representations of love were inspired by examples of human deviance and desire culled from legal discourse. González Echevarría describes Spains new legal policies, legislation, and institutions and explains how, at the same time, its literature became filled with love stories derived from classical and medieval sources. Examining the ways that these legal and literary developments interacted in Cervantess work, he sheds new light on Don Quixote and other writings.
About the Author
Roberto Gonzandaacute;lez Echevarrandiacute;a is Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature at Yale University. In 2011 he received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama. He lives in Northford, CT.