The reading and interpretation of the works of Cervantes, such as <Don Quixote>, the <Novelas ejemplares>, the <Persiles>, the <Galatea>, and the dramatic works. Focus will change according to the needs and interests of members of the course, but will address such issues as the place of Cervantes' works in literary history, the background contexts of Cervantes' works, and contemporary approaches and movements in Cervantes criticism.

Instead of the customary close reading of Don Quixote, I would like to do a faster reading of his major works of prose fiction. There will still be plenty of time for detailed observation, but this approach will give students a greater overview of the fiction that he published in the last remarkable decade of his life. For this same reason, I also propose to read the works in the order of publication. Thus, we will spend the first 3 weeks on Part 1 of Don Quixote (1605). The next 4 weeks we will read his short story collection, the Novelas ejemplares (“Exemplary novels,” 1613). We will then return for another three weeks to the second part of Don Quixote (1615), and spend the final four weeks on the posthumous Trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda (1617), which he considered his greatest work. Students should do the reading in their best language, and class participation may be in either Spanish or English. Because we are going to be reading a good deal, we will dispense with the customary term paper in favor of three short essays. I look forward to the entertaining reading and the lively discussions.

Repeat Rules