Part parody and part cautionary tale, Don Quijote is a literary masterpiece. This Norton Critical Edition of Don Quijote is based on Burton Raffel's masterful translation. The Raffel translation comes as close as possible to recreating Cervantes's inimitable prose style-the translation is consistent, fluid, and modeled closely on the original Spanish. Diana de Armas Wilson provides a thought-provoking introduction and explanatory textual annotations. Carefully selected contextual materials bring readers into the creative process that culminated in Don Quijote. Jncluded are other writings by Cervantes published during the period from 1585 to 1616 as well as contemporary works by Ariosto, Avellaneda, Sannazaro, and Montalvo. Patricia Finch and John J. Allen provide a modern account of the novel's influence throughout the ages. Fifteen critical pieces present major interpretations of both the novel and selected episodes. Included are contributions by Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Fuentes, Michel Foucault, Javier Herrero, Ruth El Saffar, Carroll B. Johnson, Robert ter Horst, Nicolas Wey-G6mez, Maria Antonia Carces, and Anne J. Cruz, among others. A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.