This edition features a new introduction by John Auchard.įor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. Published in 1932, Monsignor Quixote is Graham Greene’s last religious novel, a fond homage to Cervantes, and a sincere exploration into the meaning of faith in the modern world.

Accompanying him on his mission is his best friend, Sancho, the Communist ex-mayor of the village who argues politics and religion with Quixote and rescues him from the various troubles his innocence lands him in along the way. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.When Father Quixote, a local priest of the Spanish village of El Toboso who claims ancestry to Cervantes’ fictional Don Quixote, is elevated to the rank of monsignor through a clerical error, he sets out on a journey to Madrid to purchase purple socks appropriate to his new station. I would also recommend that, if you like the movie, you also read the novel. But no matter how much attention you pay, you will notice how much you missed the first time if you watch the movie two or three times. But in order to fully enjoy the movie, one has to pay special attention to the dialogues and try not to miss one word, for the dialogues contain many sharp and witty remarks. Amongst other things, the movie satirizes both the Opus Dei and the Spanish Catholic Church involvement in politics. But for some reason, this movie appears to have been tacitly banned in Spain, and same has happened to Graham Greene's novel (at least, I could not get a copy of either despite trying many times). The movie proves Graham Greene's profound knowledge of Spain, its traditions, and its politics. I would describe the roles played by Sir Alec Guinness, Leo McKerr, Rosalie Crutchley, and some of the other actors and actresses as remarkable. The music by Anton Garcia Abril also suits the movie very well. I personally would not describe it as a comedy, but rather as a comedy-drama. The movie has many hilarious scenes, but it has also its sad moments.

The story is told in such a way that it resembles the adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in modern times (Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were the characters created by Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in the book 'Don Quijote de la Mancha' early in the 17th Century). Both men are great friends despite their opposite backgrounds, and while the movie progresses, we can see that their ideas are not as far apart as one would expect. Based on the novel by Graham Greene of the same title, the movie tells us about the adventures of a Roman Catholic priest (Father Quixote) just promoted to monsignor, and a communist mayor (Sancho) just defeated in a municipal election in the post-Franco years in Spain.

I will start saying that few movies have touched me in my life as much as Monsignor Quixote did.

Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene