Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616) is a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language. His major work, Don Quixote, is considered to be the first modern novel, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. In 1585, he attracted notice as a writer with his pastoral novel La Galatea, and later, earned renown with the first part of Don Quixote in 1605.