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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I know this book is a classic. I understand it’s place in literary history as the first real novel, and it’s role in upending the mindset and mores of medieval times. Nonetheless, this book was a slog of a sausage party that was at least 600 pages too long.
Beyond its status as the first modern novel, Cervantes’ Don Quixote certainly packs its punch as a timeless classic. We’re brought along on a perilous yet exciting journey for the dreamy master, Don Quixote, and his practical squire, Sancho Panza; along the way, we explore ideas such as the contrasts between idealism and realism, the power of literature, and the author’s social and class commentary on Spanish society at the time. Don Quixote and Sancho are foils to each other and also to themselves; it was often remarked that Don Quixote was sensible yet mad, and Sancho quick-witted but simple-minded. Both are truly dynamic characters.
I found myself laughing along with the onlookers at the gimmicks of the master and his squire, yet often simultaneously face-palming at their absurdities. Cervantes’ tongue-in-cheek set-ups throughout the second book (in response to the publication of a false sequel) were amusing and quite the clever comeback, I thought.
A small critique: The story got a little repetitive at times and could have been shortened; that would’ve minimized my pain at reading about Sancho bruising yet another rib or getting blanket-tossed (haha)!
Overall, I think Cervantes did a masterful job weaving social commentary and themes into a lively plot. On the surface, I thought Don Quixote to be light-hearted and humorous; upon further thought, however, the story does strike me as a little tragic. It’s clear that Don Quixote pursues his adventures with the ideals of being a valiant knight errant, and Sancho Panza with the dreams of ruling an island; the tragedy, in my opinion, is that they let their desires of future realization cloud their (rational) judgment of the current and real situation. I see these desires as a reflection of human nature and the consequences of them a lesson that we can apply to our modern-day lives: we should be mindful of why we’re doing each action and whether our desires are clouding our judgment. We can’t be like the archer who’s so focused on hitting the bullseye that they forget to take stock of and analyze their own actions.
On the other hand, this idealism was refreshing and I found myself cheering for them often throughout the tale...how great that they made it out alive and with a wonderful story under their belts! I’ll end with a quote from a TED-Ed video titled "Why should you read Don Quixote? - Ilan Stavans":
“Don Quixote argues that our imagination greatly informs our actions, making us capable of change, and, indeed, making us human.”
I found myself laughing along with the onlookers at the gimmicks of the master and his squire, yet often simultaneously face-palming at their absurdities. Cervantes’ tongue-in-cheek set-ups throughout the second book (in response to the publication of a false sequel) were amusing and quite the clever comeback, I thought.
A small critique: The story got a little repetitive at times and could have been shortened; that would’ve minimized my pain at reading about Sancho bruising yet another rib or getting blanket-tossed (haha)!
Overall, I think Cervantes did a masterful job weaving social commentary and themes into a lively plot. On the surface, I thought Don Quixote to be light-hearted and humorous; upon further thought, however, the story does strike me as a little tragic. It’s clear that Don Quixote pursues his adventures with the ideals of being a valiant knight errant, and Sancho Panza with the dreams of ruling an island; the tragedy, in my opinion, is that they let their desires of future realization cloud their (rational) judgment of the current and real situation. I see these desires as a reflection of human nature and the consequences of them a lesson that we can apply to our modern-day lives: we should be mindful of why we’re doing each action and whether our desires are clouding our judgment. We can’t be like the archer who’s so focused on hitting the bullseye that they forget to take stock of and analyze their own actions.
On the other hand, this idealism was refreshing and I found myself cheering for them often throughout the tale...how great that they made it out alive and with a wonderful story under their belts! I’ll end with a quote from a TED-Ed video titled "Why should you read Don Quixote? - Ilan Stavans":
“Don Quixote argues that our imagination greatly informs our actions, making us capable of change, and, indeed, making us human.”
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not me switching to an edition with only the first volume which I had to read for uni because I Know I'll never read the second one lmao
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You know that movie "Dumb and Dumber"? Of course you do! Well, Don Quixote is the original version of that. It's unbelievable that the hilarity of this clever, clever Cervantes' novel has held relevant for 500 years. If you've taken even a basic Spanish class, I'm sure you've studied at least a bit of Don Quixote, by far the most famous Spanish novel.
This is a great translation for recreational readers and is surprisingly entertaining and easy to read. However, be prepared to set aside a major chunk of time to get through the packed 1,000 pages. One thing that surprised me is that nearly all of the famous Don Quixote scenes such as his great battle with a windmill happen in the first 50ish pages. It makes me wonder how many people take the time to get through the entire book. More people should. It is packed with action and creativity and will make you fall in love with a madman and a dolt.
Some of my favorite parts of the books are the upfront descriptions of each chapter that are written to give you a heads up about what you're about to read. Most of them specifically tell you about the subject matter, but I loved some of the completely random ones:
Chapter XXXI
Which deals with a great many things
Chapter LVIII
Which recounts how so many adventures rained down on Don Quixote that there was hardly room for all of them
Chapter LXVI
Which recounts what will be seen by whoever reads it, or heard by whoever listens to it being read (my favorite!)
Chapter LXX
Which follows chapter LXIX, and deals with matters necessary to the clarity of this history
Brilliant!
This is a great translation for recreational readers and is surprisingly entertaining and easy to read. However, be prepared to set aside a major chunk of time to get through the packed 1,000 pages. One thing that surprised me is that nearly all of the famous Don Quixote scenes such as his great battle with a windmill happen in the first 50ish pages. It makes me wonder how many people take the time to get through the entire book. More people should. It is packed with action and creativity and will make you fall in love with a madman and a dolt.
Some of my favorite parts of the books are the upfront descriptions of each chapter that are written to give you a heads up about what you're about to read. Most of them specifically tell you about the subject matter, but I loved some of the completely random ones:
Chapter XXXI
Which deals with a great many things
Chapter LVIII
Which recounts how so many adventures rained down on Don Quixote that there was hardly room for all of them
Chapter LXVI
Which recounts what will be seen by whoever reads it, or heard by whoever listens to it being read (my favorite!)
Chapter LXX
Which follows chapter LXIX, and deals with matters necessary to the clarity of this history
Brilliant!
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
While I appreciate this novel's historical literary significance, I found I lost steam with the continuous monotony of the ludicrous conduct. Like being stuck in a revolving door. Maybe it was the translation I read. By the time I got to part 2, which in fairness is really a sequel as it was written 10 years after the first part, the story had lost its charm. And mostly, I ended up feeling bad for Don Quixote because everyone wants to have a go at having fun at his expense. And then he just dies at the end hating himself for all his adventures. It was a bit of a slog to finish the book, but finish I have (even though I did some skimming).
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced