The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes was an accomplished author in the late 16th century. His famous work, Don Quixote is continued to be read and enjoyed by people today. Except for The Bible, no book has been so widely diffused into as many different languages and editions as Don Quixote.
The influence of Don Quixote on later literature was astounding. The work, which is in essence a parody of the time's popular chivalric romances, had been written in a realistic style... It is believed that the influence of this work can be seen in such writers as Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Benito Perez Galdos and in painters like William Hogarth and Pablo Picasso. (Sieber 257)
Miguel de Cervantes was born in 1547 in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. He joined the navy around 1570 where he was captured by pirates and taken as a slave in Algeria. Once he was released back to Spain, he was poor and had no way to obtain money.
Cervantes's Don Quixote is considered the most emb...
English: Gustave Doré: Don Quijote de La Mancha a...
Front Cervantes's natal houseHe became in debt and was thrown in jail. In jail, Cervantes began writing many works, including the famous Don Quixote. Don Quixote wasn't officially released until Cervantes was out of jail. He wrote the second part of Don Quixote once released from jail.
The first part of "Don Quixote" was an immediate success and within two weeks of publication, 3 unauthorized editions appeared in Madrid. It was translated into English, French, and Italian within 20 years. The second part of Don Quixote became even more successful than the first. Partly because of the unauthorized editions and the lack of financial skills, Cervantes never gained a substantial amount of money for his masterpiece. He wrote many other works, but none of them came close to the success that Don Quixote had achieved.
Miguel de Cervantes...