“Yes,” the knight admits, “I may be mad, but all things considered, I am less mad than the society in which we live.”
If everyone finds themselves reflected in Don Quixote, it's because it's the work that, par excellence, allows us to confront a world devoid of meaning. The ingenious hidalgo is the symbol of modern man facing a universe where all meaningful structures are crumbling. His response: to believe relentlessly and to act as if nothing were amiss. This is what Cervantes' novel advises: to substitute for the real world an imaginary one in which hope can be preserved.
Don Quixote is not simply a character; he is also the author of his own destiny. In the entire history of literature, he is the first character to decide to live his life as if it were a book . This „first beatnik, minus the motorcycle“, crosses the barrier separating fiction from reality, making this utterly modern novel one of unveiling all appearances and transgressing all boundaries.
Even today, we learn from both the triumphs and setbacks of this character. His trials resonate with a multitude of contemporary experiences: virtual worlds, conspiracy theories, the necessity of utopias, and the importance of commitment. The comic nature of this masterpiece of world literature, like a defiant gesture thrown in the face of the world for over four centuries, compels us to laugh at existence rather than weep over it.
- Cover: paperback
- Year of the edition: 2026
- Original title: Un été avec Don Quichotte
- Original language: French
- Translation:
Related titles
One Summer with Machiavelli
One Summer with Homer
