Rating: 
-
If i had to read just one book, it would probably be this book. there is something at work on all 1000 pages. so much of sancho's wisdom and don quixote's drive are in this book.
Rating: 
-
I ordered this version while I was waiting on a physical copy of Don Quixote (Penguin Classics) to ship. There are two notable differences. First the Penguin version is more complete. This one is missing the sonets at the beginning (which are mentioned in the forward by the author) and the penguin version has lots of useful footnotes (translations of phrases and references to the books that Don Quixote is obsessed with). The missing footnotes are more then just scolarly tidbits, they help translate the book. A more important point is that John Rutherford's translation is much MUCH easier to read. I found myself having to reread sections of this translation a couple times before I was sure what was being said. Instead of enjoying an interesting story, this translation was work to read.
So, if you can afford the extra few dollars for the other translation you will be glad you got it.
Rating: 
-
I have been a teacher for seventeen years. I currently teach Spanish to children in grades k-8. I was hoping to share this book with my fourth or fifth grade students as part of their cultural studies. In college, I majored in Spanish and education, where I had the opportunity to read some of the original Don Quixote by Cervantes. This rendition by Argentina Palacios is both poorly written and not appropriate for children ages 9-12, as advertised.
The story is written with simplistic language and boring sentences. It also covers difficult topics including "A boy of about fifteen was tied to a tree, naked from the waist up. He was being hit with a leather belt by a man" (pp. 6, 7). And, "It was clear that he intended to kill the strange old man..." (p. 12).
As an educator, I cannot recommend this book to my colleagues or to parents to share with their children.
Rating: -
My daughter was very happy with this book as a Christmas gift. Arrived on time and in excellent condition.
Rating: 
-
If you care about textual integrity, Starkie's is the translation for you. I've compared certain phrases from the original Spanish by Cervantes and, of all the English versions I've seen, this is the most faithful. There is another version out there, often Nortonized, that leads the reader possibly astray from author intention. For instance, in Part One, Chapter Five, Putnam quotes Quixote as saying, "I know who I am, and who I may be, if I choose..." The original says, "I know who I am..." and proceeds with a catalogue of medieval romance characters. Samuel Putnam's translation appears in Modern Library and some Norton anthologies: don't buy it unless you're 19 and want to be inspired with a Sartrian sort of freedom that I'm not sure Cervantes advocates. Be it admitted, Norton anthologies target the young, and if you don't want to grow old before your time, then buy a Norton anthology with Putnam's translation of _Don Quixote_. Norton gives you a focus that may not be too off-target. Plus, it'll be an abridgement that'll save you many hundreds of pages of reading.The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, 4th edition
Sorry for the length.