Don Quixote

Don Quixote is the story of a man who goes nuts after reading one too many books about knighthood and chivalry, and sets out on his own quest. Originally published in two parts (1605 and 1615), Cervantes' massively influential work is a nuanced insight into identity, sanity, and escapism. With his noble sidekick Sancho Panza and (to fit the narrative) a lady love, Don Quixote dons a beat up suit of armor and sets out as knight-errant, battling what he perceives as forces of evil, from rogue knights to fierce giants (which are actually windmills). The first part of the book is farcical (think Monty Python), while the second half is more philosophical. Two notes: for those who don't know, the novel Don Quixote is responsible for the adjective quixotic, meaning: foolishly impractical, marked by rash and lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action. And, as one heck of an endorsement, it was recently voted Greatest Book of All Time by the Nobel Institute.