Cervantes's classic, a pioneer of the modern novel, is a highly amusing satirical romance of eccentric knight-errantry in La Mancha, central Spain. It has captured the imagination of generations since its first publication in the early seventeenth century. The word 'Quixotic' has entered the English language, derived from the adventures of Don Quixote in which his absurdly directed chivalry is comically combined with generosity and futility.
Don Quixote, in his suit of rusty armour and astride his thin old horse Rosinante, and his rustic companion Sancho.Panza,have become two of the most famous figures in Western literature, they have invited interpretation from the artist, Daumier, opera, cartoons, and the computer games of the late twentieth century.