Miguel de Cervantes

Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.

-Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes

1547-1616

About

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra is a Spanish writer and poet, who is considered one of the greatest writers in the Spanish language of all time. He lived a very exciting life, serving as a soldier in the Spanish army starting in 1570. He spent 5 years in prison when he was captured by the Turks while serving as a soldier. He also had 6 siblings.

Miguel de Cervantes’s Top 3 Works

El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha

Don Quixote de la Mancha was Miguel de Cervantes’s most important and famous piece of literature. It was first published in 1605, and it is about Don Quixote, a middle aged man with a very vivid imagination. He lives in La Mancha, Spain, and is obsessed with knights and heros. He decides to go out on a journey of his own. He is a little crazy, and imagines himself and the whole world differently than reality. He is accompanied by his sidekick, Sancho Panza, who rides a donkey. When he first sets off, he encounters giants. He gets stuck in them, and it is revealed that they are actually windmills he thought were giants.

La Galatea

La Galatea was de Cervantes’s first book, which was published in 1585. It’s a pastoral novel and a love story that is very poetic and beautiful. The main storyline is about two shepherds who fall in love with Galatea, who wants her independence. Enthusiasts believe that there is a deeper meaning to this book, a psychological study of love.

Novelas Ejemplares

Novelas Ejemplares, or Exemplary Novels, are a collection of short stories written between 1590 and 1612, and published in 1630. These show the political, social, and historical problems of Spain as interpreted by Miguel de Cervantes. The stories included in this collection are: 

  • La Gitanilla (The Gypsy Girl)
  • El Amante Liberal (The Generous Lover)
  • Rinconete y Cortadillo (Rinconete & Cortadillo)
  • La Española Inglesa (The English Spanish Lady)
  • El Licenciado Vidriera (The Lawyer of Glass)
  • La Fuerza de la Sangre (The Power of Blood)
  • El Celoso Extremeño (The Jealous Man From Extremadura)
  • La Ilustre Fregona (The Illustrious Kitchen-Maid)
  • Novela de las Dos Doncellas (The Novel of the Two Damsels)
  • Novela de la Señora Cornelia (The Novel of Lady Cornelia)
  • Novela del Casamiento Engañoso (The Novel of the Deceitful Marriage)
  • El Coloquio de los Perros (The Dialogue of the Dogs)