Cervantes' tale of the deranged gentleman who turns knight-errant, tilts at windmills and battles with sheep in the service of the lady of his dreams, Dulcinea del Toboso, has fascinated generations of readers, and inspired other creative artists such as Flaubert, Picasso and Richard Strauss. The tall, thin knight and his short, fat squire, Sancho Panza, have found their way into films, cartoons and even computer games.
For April Fool's Day, we're exploring the role of fools in literature. Shakespeare is sometimes credited with establishing the fool as instrumental in his plots. Though they serve as subjects of amusement, and even ridicule, they often emerge as the ones who see the world most clearly.
Are you ready for a reading challenge this summer? We’ve rounded up a list of exceptional classics for you to consider. You could call them the original beach books!
Getting young people to read old books can be challenging. One successful approach we’ve come across is to pair the original with a modern take on the story. Here we feature ten classic books matched with fun, updated retellings.