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Dr. Hernán Sánchez M. de Pinillos at the Library of Congress

November 16, 2016 Spanish and Portuguese

Dr. Hernán Sánchez M. De Pinillos At The Library Of Congress

On October 21 professor Hernán Sánchez Martínez de Pinillos presented a lecture on Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra at the Library of Congress as part of the library’s celebration of Cervantes’ life and work.

On October 21 professor Hernán Sánchez Martínez de Pinillos presented a lecture on Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra at the Library of Congress as part of the library’s celebration of Cervantes’ life and work.

Dr. Sánchez M. de Pinillos emphasized the legacy of Cervantes as shown by the influence of one of his most important works: Don Quixote. This novel, according to Dr. Sánchez M. de Pinillos, was revolutionary and had a profound impact on the western world. Don Quixote’s influence is not limited to fiction, rather it can be traced to other forms of cultural production, such as music and philosophy. In Don Quixote Cervantes archived the genres and styles known in his time. In addition we come across essays, Renaissance discourse, and poetry. More importantly, Don Quixote presents unprecedented metafictional and theoretical reflections that shaped and determined notions about fiction in the centuries to follow. Dr. Sánchez M. de Pinillos’ lecture discussed how don Quijote invents himself, his ethic and existential code, the dual protagonist, and how the novel departs from tradition, among other topics. The lecture finished with a reflection on Montesino’s Cave and “Desolation Road” by Bob Dylan, recipient of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature.

The presentation took place in the Lessing J. Rosewald Room of the Rare Books and Special Collections Division. Rare copies of Cervantes’ works and translations were on display during the lecture.