Reviews

Don Quixote (1000 Copy Limited Edition) by Miguel de Cervantes

midwifereading's review against another edition

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5.0

"...the more truthful the fiction, the better it is, and the more probable and possible, the more pleasing. Fictional tales must engage the minds of those who read them, and by restraining exaggeration and moderating impossibility, they enthrall the spirit and thereby astonish, captivate, delight, and entertain, allowing wonder and joy to move together at the same pace; none of these things can be accomplished by fleeing verisimilitude and mimesis which together constitute perfect writing." pg. 412

Don Quixote lives up to this golden standard in this incredibly relatable, self-aware, gloriously humorous adventure through the Spanish countryside.

All I knew about Don Quixote prior to reading this was something about fighting windmills. Boy, was I in for the most surprising read of my life!

Though it was originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, this book could very well have been written today. Ultimately, people don't change, though cultures do. Over and over again, I found myself laughing at the absurdities that are so relevant, even now. (Did I write these down? Nope.) I loved every word on every one of its 940 pages.

One thing I really appreciated about this particular translation are her footnotes. It really helps to understand the references and wordplay that don't easily translate to English or 21st century culture. Her note at the beginning was great! Skip the introduction by Howard Bloom though -- VERY academic and unnecessary to enjoy the story.

I did also read this on audiobook at the same time, and the narrator does a great job! It really helped me take it in a bit easier, and I think I retained more of the flavor of the story that way. Highly recommend!

I can't leave a review without mentioning Cervantes' digs at another author who published his own 2nd part before Cervantes could publish the true 2nd part. The author incorporates this "apocryphal" 2nd part into the story brilliantly, and takes great pleasure in taking the false book and its writer over the coals. He's merciless! It's incredibly funny! No copyright laws? No problem. Just thumb your nose at the guy and make him an object of ridicule in your next book.

Don Quixote, the title character, is a wonderfully complex hero. And he is, indeed, a hero. Selfless, kind, brave, true, and loyal. The fact that he's utterly insane has no bearing on his good character, though it does get him into scrapes that leave him quite literally battered and broken multiple times. Everyone he meets, with few exceptions, recognizes his sincerity and even his intelligence and wisdom, though it's obvious he has become delusional. I love him dearly!

Sancho Panza, squire to Don Quixote, at once simpleminded and clever, is absolutely hilarious and profound. He is the perfect complement to Don Quixote, and only enriches the story by his very presence. Him and his little grey donkey, of course. His unwavering loyalty to his master, maintained in spite of his strong sense of self-preservation, is the source for so much amusement and relatability!

***SPOILER AHEAD***

The rest of the cast of characters are Shakesperean in their richness, and sparkle delightfully. There are no true villains in this story, save Don Quixote's broken mind, which he vanquishes in the end.

He claims his victory only in the last chapter, in which he returns home after being defeated in a joust by a concerned friend longing to help cure Don Quixote by bringing him home. The cure is affected only by this defeat and an illness that then claims his life.

I was devastated.

I was hoping for a "riding off into the sunset" ending, but it wasn't to be. I was completely shaken by the final chapter, and could barely manage to read it through my tears. I haven't ugly cried over a book in the longest time. I don't remember the last time I sobbed like this over a fictional character!

His death is romantic, poetic, and dignified. It's fitting and beautiful. And made me so upset! Even my husband, who usually pokes fun, was concerned about me and tried to comfort me.

Anyway. If I could give it 6 out of 5 stars, I would. Life-changing novel. Absolutely gorgeous and worth every minute.

aixu_2303's review against another edition

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adventurous funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.75

heathero621's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Don Quixote and his side kick Sancho Panzo go on some adventures together in Spain.  This book is considered a classic and it is on one of my TBR book lists that I am determined to get through, so I preserved through this book.  Don Quixote seems like he has lost his mind and what is supposed to be funny bits in the book I actually found quite depressing.  I wouldn't be surprised if he had schizophrenia.  All of the famous parts that you hear about in the book (like the windmills) happen very early on in the book.  I've mentioned that to others and I get the same response, "It must be because everyone quits reading after that." Haha.  This book was super boring and was 940 pages!  It definitely needed to be edited down.  I'm glad that it is over.

gergen's review against another edition

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5.0

You can see its influence in melodrama today, and how some of us have never changed in our hysteria

frostbitsky's review against another edition

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This was part of the included catalogue on Audible and I added it to my library some time ago.
Then I saw that after May 3rd it wouldn't be included anymore so I moved it up the queue.

It's 36 hrs and 42 mins long. As of April 26th I am giving up with 23 hours and 15 mins left (at 1.2x speed.) So I got up to Book 4 of Volume 1.

I really wanted to like it but it cannot hold my attention for long. My mind drifts. Were they (writers) getting paid by the word back then? The titles to the chapters alone are as long as an essay. Where were the editors with a red quill?

I did some reading about it so I could understand the history. Apparently Cervantes originally intended this story to be a satire on traditional popular ballads and he parodied the romances of chivalry. I like satire and parodies, yet this is a story was just endless, overly wordy vignettes. There is no plot. It's just one delusional adventure after another. Don Quixote is a man of low nobility with too much time on his hands.

It's funny, all his talk of knight errantry made me want to read another book and graphic novel that's been on my TBR for over 10 years, Star Wars: Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller.

Some parts were funny. There was a part where Don Quixote corrects a goatherd about something and the goatherd says something about 'St. Paul was no chicken' and 'stop correcting my words.' That made me laugh.

Some of the prose was really poetic: "But let the sorrows I deplore sleep with me in the silent death."

Then other parts were just really long epic poems, and I would stop listening.

I think this would work best as a live action production. I think I would enjoy it more that way.
But I am not enjoying this and I got too many books to knock off the TBL and TBR to waste on books that are a chore.

1 out of 5 Knights.

lucazani11's review against another edition

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4.0

Don Quixote teaches us that life is to be challenged. That passion and discipline of a determined soul are a foundational element of being a leader. Quixote does not accept current reality. He forces his creative imagery, his commitment, and his happiness on it.

to live the honorable life of a knight by defending principles of selflessness, honor and chivalry, all the while proving his love to the beloved Dulcinea, a fair lady in a far-off town through the woods upon whom Quixote is affixed, despite having never met her face-to-face

lisa_and_her_books's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

votesforwomen's review against another edition

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1.0

The third longest book I've read, not counting the Bible, and just...no. No. NO.

saritaroth's review against another edition

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2.0

Don Quixote Of La Mancha

I know this is a classic and parts of it, I thought, were very funny. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza sometimes bickered like the proverbial old married couple. And the antics they became mixed up in and the trouble they found themselves in were quite humorous. The book was just SOOOO long and large chunks of it were really boring. Did it have to be that long?

msilkwolfe's review against another edition

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5.0

What a ride! Hilarious, epic, and surprisingly approachable. So glad I read it!