The subject of this piece has no relationship with Jersey City. No relationship with New Jersey. Except the subject might be found in a bookstore, a library, or a dusty bookcase and that many New Jerseyans speak the tongue of the author.

A few times every year, I try to tackle one of the great, big books of world literature. These books form the bedrock of our common civilization and culture. This summer, I rummaged through one of the many collections of books scattered throughout my wife’s and my home (no room is without books) and picked up a paperback which I bought nearly two decades ago at a bookshop that closed its doors in the early 2000s.

Then, I opened the cover of Don Quixote, the masterpiece of Miguel de Cervantes and the first novel in Western literature. I have yet to put it down.

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