Miguel de Cervantes, often recognized as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists, was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, in 1547. Cervantes' works are efforts of staggering literary complexity and innovation, making him a stellar figure in the Renaissance period. His most notable work, Don Quixote, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, is widely viewed as the first modern novel and a critical fragment of the western literary canon.
The life of this acclaimed author was an intriguing blend of adventure, military service, captivity, and literary creativity. Cervantes was a soldier who served commendably in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, an event that left him with a crippled left hand. Following this, he was captured by Barbary pirates in 1575 and remained a captive in Algiers until his ransom was paid in 1580, an experience that had a profound influence on his literary work.
Throughout the struggles and hardships of his personal life, Miguel de Cervantes unleashed his creativity remarkably and made significant contributions to literature. His vast volume of work, including novels, plays, poems, and stories, usually explores complex themes of life, love, identity, and human nature. Cervantes' critical view of traditional chivalric romance and social norms was groundbreaking for his time and has left an unmatchable legacy in the world of literature. He died in Madrid in 1616, but his works continue to be intensely studied and enjoyed by millions worldwide.