An Admirable Spanish Novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel De Cervantes

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Don Quixote fully titled “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha” is an admirable Spanish novel by an eminent novelist Miguel De Cervantes. Cervantes wrote many novels while in prison but unfortunately this was the only reputed work produced by him which became world’s first best seller and literature’s great masterpiece. It encompasses the history, culture and the general environment in Spain. According to me, this magnum opus became so high-flying because of its universally-recognized matchless idea of “Quixotism” (pursuits of lofty romantic ideas) combined with the innovative characters.
The concept of the novel is simple: Alonso Quijano (Don Quixote), landowner from La Mancha, is obsessed with his library of chivalrous books. Driven mad by the inconsistencies of plot, character and philosophy that fill each volume of these seventeenth-century precursors to the fantasy novel, Quixote resolves to restore dignity to the lost profession of knight-errantry and so he assembles a rudimentary sword, suit of armor, and horse and sets out into Spain in his quest for glory accompanied by Sancho Panza, his witty squire.
Basically, Quixotism is the universal quality characteristic of any visionary action. Acts of rebellion or reform are always quixotic, for the reformer aims at undermining the existing institution in order to change it. Many outstanding madmen in the world, trying to move lethargic populations to better themselves, have been isolated in history. Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, has a career as fanatic and visionary as the mission of Don Quixote. St. Teresa, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, Moses, and, above all, Jesus of Nazareth have lived, suffered and conquered by their quixotic visions. Quixotism, then...

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...as episodes interweave with each other like motives in a symphony. Recurring with some variation, the thought of Quixotism is picked up again and again.
Don Quixote is out of this world book. The success of the book relies on the vitality and development of the characters that fits in the quixotic milieu of the book and also the overall idea of Quixotism. Only once does a book about Don Quixote have to appear, for then the glorious ability to quixotize becomes the common heritage for every person to enjoy and understand and what matters is that he is indelibly set free in our imaginations and discovers for us a new quality about the human spirit. Everybody should read this another unique quality which makes Don Quixote one of the most lasting and elusive books in the world, and makes Cervantes one of the most consummate novelists that Western literature has produced.

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