291-298

An approach to the first contemporary novel : (On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Don Quixote)

• Crida Alvarez, Carlos Alberto

Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, first published in Madrid in 1605, is considered by a majority of literary critics as the first contemporary novel. Of course various works of fiction in prose existed before Don Quixote, but the literary genre of contemporary novel begins with it. Analyzing the internal structure and the constitutive elements of Don Quixote and comparing it to other similar works, the author concludes that it is the first literary work to perfectly fit the definition of novel in its modern form, viz. a fictional narration, extended and complex, written in prose and combining elements from everyday reality presented in a emotional way and thus creating an imaginary world as a reflection of the real one.

• Languages and Literature

• Λογοτεχνία

Στο παρόν άρθρο χρησιμοποιήθηκε η έκδοση: Μ. Θερβάντες, Ο Δον Κιχώτης, Μετάφραση και πρόλογος του Κ. Καρθαίου, Βιβλιοπωλείον της «Εστίας», Αθήνα, Περιέχει βιβλιογραφία