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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
If Sancho Panza isn't your favorite character, we read very different books. Because despite having his name on the cover, even Don Quixote pretty much admits by the end that the squat, mildly greedy peasant farmer is a warm, funny, and insightful human being -- and a fantastic governor. It boggles my mind Cervantes took as long as he did to bring him into the story.
It also boggles my mind that "Part 1" is the more famous part, because "Part 2" is miles better. It's like Cervantes realized that Don Quixote and Sancho are so much more noble, if misguided, than all the assholes who live in the real world. After a while, watching the poor sadsacks get the crap beaten out of them in Part 1 gets to be a real drag -- so much that you welcome when Cervantes decides to tell stories about characters that have NOTHING to do with Don Quixote.
By the end, I really did care for the two dopes and was sad to watch their second sally come to an end. But oh-my-goodness is this too long! So many scenes go on and on and on, and then a scene a lot like it follows...and goes on and on and on (if you liked the one scene how Don Quixote mistook the inn for a castle and didn't pay his tab, just hold on! You're in luck!). The idea of Don Quixote is fun, the text of Don Quixote can be a real chore.
But hey, I got to read about Sancho Panza being an amazing governor, and getting the hell out of politics the first chance he got, and returning to the more safe world of Quixote's batshit insanity. So all in all, not a bad book.
It also boggles my mind that "Part 1" is the more famous part, because "Part 2" is miles better. It's like Cervantes realized that Don Quixote and Sancho are so much more noble, if misguided, than all the assholes who live in the real world. After a while, watching the poor sadsacks get the crap beaten out of them in Part 1 gets to be a real drag -- so much that you welcome when Cervantes decides to tell stories about characters that have NOTHING to do with Don Quixote.
By the end, I really did care for the two dopes and was sad to watch their second sally come to an end. But oh-my-goodness is this too long! So many scenes go on and on and on, and then a scene a lot like it follows...and goes on and on and on (if you liked the one scene how Don Quixote mistook the inn for a castle and didn't pay his tab, just hold on! You're in luck!). The idea of Don Quixote is fun, the text of Don Quixote can be a real chore.
But hey, I got to read about Sancho Panza being an amazing governor, and getting the hell out of politics the first chance he got, and returning to the more safe world of Quixote's batshit insanity. So all in all, not a bad book.
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Translated by Edith Grossman. Alonso & Sancho's Excellent Adventure.
A lot of this book felt mean spirited and repetitive. It felt a bit like a soap opera where all the jokes were at the expense of the main character.
I don’t recall the last time I read a book that made me laugh so much. : ) The Edith Grossman edition is extremely readable to the modern book lover.
Don Quixote has read so many books about knights errant (think of a modern day romance) that he's lost the plot (gone mad - similar to women who read so many romances that they expect a complete douche to turn into a Prince Charming or experience difficulty with expectations of their own marriages). Wishing to "revive" the fictional profession of a knight errant, he ventures into the world, seeking adventures on his horse, Rocinante, and his trusty sidekick, Sancho - because who doesn't like a good knight errant, or Prince Charming for that matter?
I had to put aside the fact that individuals willingly mistreated him due to his madness in order to enjoy the book. Quixote's words of wisdom were worth every uncomfortable part of the book. "There is not a book so bad that something good cannot be found within it". My favorite part of the book is when a Shepherdess tells off a heartbroken Shepherd and his mates. The thought that someone (male) so long ago could nail her speech gave me faith in the human condition.
This is a long book. Prior to Cervantes writing the second Quixote book (which is packaged with the first now to make one huge volume), another gentleman published a "to be continued" (somewhat of a fan fiction deal) book of Don Quixote, which pissed off Cervantes. This situation Cervantes ties into the story to brilliant impact; that being that Quixote gets to revel in his fame through the acknowledgement of his adventures in the first book, within the story, while hilariously addressing the erroneous second volume in the story as well. WELL WORTH THE TIME INVESTMENT.
Don Quixote has read so many books about knights errant (think of a modern day romance) that he's lost the plot (gone mad - similar to women who read so many romances that they expect a complete douche to turn into a Prince Charming or experience difficulty with expectations of their own marriages). Wishing to "revive" the fictional profession of a knight errant, he ventures into the world, seeking adventures on his horse, Rocinante, and his trusty sidekick, Sancho - because who doesn't like a good knight errant, or Prince Charming for that matter?
I had to put aside the fact that individuals willingly mistreated him due to his madness in order to enjoy the book. Quixote's words of wisdom were worth every uncomfortable part of the book. "There is not a book so bad that something good cannot be found within it". My favorite part of the book is when a Shepherdess tells off a heartbroken Shepherd and his mates. The thought that someone (male) so long ago could nail her speech gave me faith in the human condition.
This is a long book. Prior to Cervantes writing the second Quixote book (which is packaged with the first now to make one huge volume), another gentleman published a "to be continued" (somewhat of a fan fiction deal) book of Don Quixote, which pissed off Cervantes. This situation Cervantes ties into the story to brilliant impact; that being that Quixote gets to revel in his fame through the acknowledgement of his adventures in the first book, within the story, while hilariously addressing the erroneous second volume in the story as well. WELL WORTH THE TIME INVESTMENT.
Quite boring. Unnecessarily verbose. I also think based on how long ago the story was written, many of the stories and events no longer translate to today's times.