El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Don Quixote of La Mancha) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The first part was published in 1605 and the second in 1615.

It is one of the earliest written novels in a modern European language and is arguably the most influential and emblematic work in the canon of Spanish literature. The adjective "quixotic", at present meaning "idealistic and impractical", derives  from the protagonist's name, and the expressions " tilting at windmills" and "fighting windmills" come from this story. The book tells the story of Don  Quixote, a man who has read so many bad stories about brave errant knights that he decides to become one himself, and to fight giants and save maidens.

Don Quixote is often nominated as the world's greatest work of fiction. It stands in a unique position between medieval chivalric romance and the modern novel. The former consist of disconnected stories with little exploration of the inner life

 of even the main character. The latter are usually focused on the psychological evolution of their characters. In Part I, Quixote imposes himself on his environment.

By Part II, he is no longer physically capable, but people know about him, "having read his adventures," and so, he needs to do less to maintain his image. By his  deathbed, he has begun to assume a new identity, including a nickname, "the Good."