The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, or just Don Quixote, is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. Considered a founding work of Western literature, it is often labeled "the first modern European novel" and many authors consider it to be the one of the greatest novels ever written. Don Quixote also holds the distinction of being the second most-translated book in the world, after the Bible.