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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Undoubtedly a great book, if not always a good one. The main problem is that it could have quite easily had a third or a half taken out of it and been stronger. In the first part, I enjoyed the numerous digressions and stories-within-stories Cervantes presents us with; in the second, it became too repetitive, to the point where I just wanted to get to the end. It might be quite a cathartic exercise at some later point to go through the TOC and cross out all the dead weight chapters. At the same time, there are some very excellent digressions I would leave in. Many of the secondary characters, especially those introduced later, were repetitions of aforementioned clichés; but then some of them were very memorable, and the two central characters are absolutely brilliant of course. Themes that are less central to the plot are dealt with in a very obvious fashion, but the central ideas of the story are understated and personal to the reader: the nature of madness, the influence of friendship, the search for meaning. In short, Don Quixote stimulated a lot of thought on my part, for a book which, on the face of it, is just a silly story about a couple of nutjobs getting repeatedly hurt. And considering it was completed over 400 years ago, it remains unexpectedly modern, and a lot ought to be forgiven it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
12/18/24 - I just finished a re-read of Don Quixote. This time I read the Edith Grossman translation, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t have a whole lot to add to my original review below so I’ll just leave it at that. 4 stars.
—————————————————————————-
Original review below:
Review of part 1- Finished on 10/5/16
I am listening to an audiobook version of Don Quixote from my local library. I haven't listened to very many audiobooks, but this narrator is really good compared to other ones I've listened to. So, I recommend this audiobook version by Tantor Media read by David Case.
The novel of Don Quixote by Cervantes is a philosophy in and of itself. The protagonist, Don Quixote of La Mancha, sets out as a Knight Errant to bring chivalry and honor back to his world. Unfortunately for him, the world wasn't ready for his "noble" quest!
Don Quixote, as a character, is obviously well read and intelligent. However he has "book smarts" but not "street smarts". He kept getting into situations and I lost count how many times Don and his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza got their asses kicked by people they came across. He does have some good qualities- he is smart (but not very wise), perpetually optimistic (he never gets down on himself or on his quest for chivalry), and the fact that he wants to make his world a better place is admirable. The main things that are lacking in his character are common sense and he seems to objectify women as something to be revered for their beauty, but nothing else. He has a chauvinistic view of women that is unnerving to me. The primary complaint that I have with part 1 is that the women characters are all portrayed as weak and unintelligent creatures that are incapable of helping themselves, and we all know none of that is true!
There are some hilarious parts in this book. Everyone knows about Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but there is so much more that Cervantes provides us in this story that I was literally laughing out loud. The relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and when Sancho is laughing at him to his face are some of the funniest passages I've come across. This novel definitely gets the gold star for the humor. It pokes fun at the proverbial stories of Knights and chivalry but also actually bolsters them by showing the reader what is so good and endearing about them. Who doesn't love a story of a noble knight righting the world's wrongs, helping those in need, and saving "damsels in distress"? Don Quixote is the preeminent cheerleader for stories of chivalry and knighthood.
I plan to listen to the audiobook version of the 2nd part by the end of this year, and will update my review and rate the entire novel when I am completely finished.
Review of part 2 - finished on 11/13/16 -
Part 2 is a lot more of the same. The whole book is a series of adventures (and misadventures) of Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza, except this time they are often manipulated by a Duke and Duchess who set up Don and Sancho mainly just to mess with them. The Duke and Duchess' mess with the unsuspecting protagonists so badly that it makes the reader wonder if they are even more crazy than Don Quixote.
There are humorous parts throughout part 2 that had me laughing out loud. Don Quixote is so strong in his convictions that it blinds him to what he is really seeing and what is actually going on around him.
I did like the friendship and comradeship of Don and Sancho as they grew tighter as the story went along. At first I thought Cervantes would leave their relationship more as boss and servant than actual friends but there is a part kind of late in the story when Sancho leaves Don to govern an island and they both realize how much they miss and lean on each other.
Another interesting literary technique that Cervantes uses is a "story within a story". Throughout the book, Don and Sancho come across someone who has read about them and Cervantes even included a character/narrator named after himself that interjects the author's thoughts about how the story of Don Quixote would be viewed by critics and readers.
This story was published 400 years ago and it still has themes that resonate today. Don's goal in life is to make his world a better place, but unfortunately, his method of going about it left a lot to be desired.
This book is extremely long, and I ask myself whether I would recommend Don Quixote? While it is not for everyone because it is so long, the plot is pretty linear and it does have some everlasting themes, and enough humor to make it worthwhile in my opinion.
—————————————————————————-
Original review below:
Review of part 1- Finished on 10/5/16
I am listening to an audiobook version of Don Quixote from my local library. I haven't listened to very many audiobooks, but this narrator is really good compared to other ones I've listened to. So, I recommend this audiobook version by Tantor Media read by David Case.
The novel of Don Quixote by Cervantes is a philosophy in and of itself. The protagonist, Don Quixote of La Mancha, sets out as a Knight Errant to bring chivalry and honor back to his world. Unfortunately for him, the world wasn't ready for his "noble" quest!
Don Quixote, as a character, is obviously well read and intelligent. However he has "book smarts" but not "street smarts". He kept getting into situations and I lost count how many times Don and his trusty sidekick Sancho Panza got their asses kicked by people they came across. He does have some good qualities- he is smart (but not very wise), perpetually optimistic (he never gets down on himself or on his quest for chivalry), and the fact that he wants to make his world a better place is admirable. The main things that are lacking in his character are common sense and he seems to objectify women as something to be revered for their beauty, but nothing else. He has a chauvinistic view of women that is unnerving to me. The primary complaint that I have with part 1 is that the women characters are all portrayed as weak and unintelligent creatures that are incapable of helping themselves, and we all know none of that is true!
There are some hilarious parts in this book. Everyone knows about Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but there is so much more that Cervantes provides us in this story that I was literally laughing out loud. The relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza and when Sancho is laughing at him to his face are some of the funniest passages I've come across. This novel definitely gets the gold star for the humor. It pokes fun at the proverbial stories of Knights and chivalry but also actually bolsters them by showing the reader what is so good and endearing about them. Who doesn't love a story of a noble knight righting the world's wrongs, helping those in need, and saving "damsels in distress"? Don Quixote is the preeminent cheerleader for stories of chivalry and knighthood.
I plan to listen to the audiobook version of the 2nd part by the end of this year, and will update my review and rate the entire novel when I am completely finished.
Review of part 2 - finished on 11/13/16 -
Part 2 is a lot more of the same. The whole book is a series of adventures (and misadventures) of Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza, except this time they are often manipulated by a Duke and Duchess who set up Don and Sancho mainly just to mess with them. The Duke and Duchess' mess with the unsuspecting protagonists so badly that it makes the reader wonder if they are even more crazy than Don Quixote.
There are humorous parts throughout part 2 that had me laughing out loud. Don Quixote is so strong in his convictions that it blinds him to what he is really seeing and what is actually going on around him.
I did like the friendship and comradeship of Don and Sancho as they grew tighter as the story went along. At first I thought Cervantes would leave their relationship more as boss and servant than actual friends but there is a part kind of late in the story when Sancho leaves Don to govern an island and they both realize how much they miss and lean on each other.
Another interesting literary technique that Cervantes uses is a "story within a story". Throughout the book, Don and Sancho come across someone who has read about them and Cervantes even included a character/narrator named after himself that interjects the author's thoughts about how the story of Don Quixote would be viewed by critics and readers.
This story was published 400 years ago and it still has themes that resonate today. Don's goal in life is to make his world a better place, but unfortunately, his method of going about it left a lot to be desired.
This book is extremely long, and I ask myself whether I would recommend Don Quixote? While it is not for everyone because it is so long, the plot is pretty linear and it does have some everlasting themes, and enough humor to make it worthwhile in my opinion.
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Silly, delusional Don Quixote.
A lack of sleep really can make you go a little crazy.
I can't believe I waited so long to read this.
I loved this book. It fascinates me that this surprisingly funny book was written over 400 years ago.
It was really interesting to see how Cervantes developed his characters, with the poor being compassionate and intelligent, while the rich were often portrayed as cruel and vapid.
This was a great read.
A lack of sleep really can make you go a little crazy.
I can't believe I waited so long to read this.
I loved this book. It fascinates me that this surprisingly funny book was written over 400 years ago.
It was really interesting to see how Cervantes developed his characters, with the poor being compassionate and intelligent, while the rich were often portrayed as cruel and vapid.
This was a great read.
funny ass funnier ass-rider cantik itu luka stole its tone from this book
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
This book took me forever to get through. It had a lot of really funny parts but was extremely long. I read it because I had to for school!
Though it has been on my reading-list for ages, I could never gather up the courage to pick up a thousand-page book written more than 400 years ago. Finally, the latest Rushdie novel, which was inspired by this book, gave me the necessary impetus. I am so glad that I did. I still cannot believe someone could write such a modern novel in the 17th century!
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes