The Genius of Don Quixote: Rethinking the World’s First Novel

This three-part course will cover only Part 1 of Don Quixote, first published in 1605 and now one of the most-translated books of all time. Fictional nobleman Alonso Quixano reads so many chivalric romances that he decides to serve his nation as a knight-errant. He and his squire, Sancho Panza, take on several quests and land themselves in a world of trouble. The novel is often interpreted today as a social commentary that is foundational to the modern literary canon.

Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is the Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002.