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A review by corsakfan
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
5.0
Man, oh man, where do I even begin?!
This novel is pure brilliance. In the 21 years I've been alive, I have never read anything more dreamy, beautiful, or breaking as this novel.
Don Quixote truly shines in every aspect of the word. Its influence and importance in literature cannot be denied or brushed away and forgotten.
There's so much that's gained and lost in this book, often at the same time. Dreams, passions, love, heartbreak, anger, poignancy, regret, hope, and friendship are subject to the brutal, harsh truth that reality only means as much as the person speaking to it and giving it a voice.
There's mockery, praise, and apathy - all of these things follow Don Quixote as he embarks on his adventures. The way he's treated says a lot and speaks volumes about our society today. In a word, this book is timeless. Its popularity has survived for 400 years. During those 400, people could have forgotten, grown weary of this book, and decided to carry on with their literary lives. But this book has stood the test of time, and for a very clear reason. It speaks to the dreamer in all of us, the dreamer who's not afraid to keep going, even when the world is screaming at us to stop, turn around, and be afraid. It's funny, witty, and powerful, something I want every story to be, but unfortunately, not all stories are created equal. My proof? The fact that Avellaneda, the imposter Cervantes, tried to write his own Part 2 of the book, during which he laughed at Cervantes for no longer being able to use his left hand. The result? It was mocked heartily by characters in the actual Part 2 by Cervantes. Miguel was a legend.
And while I don't want to be a knight, I do deeply aspire to be more like Don Quixote. Why? Isn't he insane, you ask? Delusional? Paranoid? It's because he's the doer, fighter, and dreamer that we should all aspire to be. I will never forget this book. Even if I can't physically carry it with me, I will hold it in my heart forever. The world is no longer the same world I knew 1 year, 8 months, and 15 days ago.
I am not the same after reading Don Quixote. My own internal world is now an unquantifiably better place because of it.
This novel is pure brilliance. In the 21 years I've been alive, I have never read anything more dreamy, beautiful, or breaking as this novel.
Don Quixote truly shines in every aspect of the word. Its influence and importance in literature cannot be denied or brushed away and forgotten.
There's so much that's gained and lost in this book, often at the same time. Dreams, passions, love, heartbreak, anger, poignancy, regret, hope, and friendship are subject to the brutal, harsh truth that reality only means as much as the person speaking to it and giving it a voice.
There's mockery, praise, and apathy - all of these things follow Don Quixote as he embarks on his adventures. The way he's treated says a lot and speaks volumes about our society today. In a word, this book is timeless. Its popularity has survived for 400 years. During those 400, people could have forgotten, grown weary of this book, and decided to carry on with their literary lives. But this book has stood the test of time, and for a very clear reason. It speaks to the dreamer in all of us, the dreamer who's not afraid to keep going, even when the world is screaming at us to stop, turn around, and be afraid. It's funny, witty, and powerful, something I want every story to be, but unfortunately, not all stories are created equal. My proof? The fact that Avellaneda, the imposter Cervantes, tried to write his own Part 2 of the book, during which he laughed at Cervantes for no longer being able to use his left hand. The result? It was mocked heartily by characters in the actual Part 2 by Cervantes. Miguel was a legend.
And while I don't want to be a knight, I do deeply aspire to be more like Don Quixote. Why? Isn't he insane, you ask? Delusional? Paranoid? It's because he's the doer, fighter, and dreamer that we should all aspire to be. I will never forget this book. Even if I can't physically carry it with me, I will hold it in my heart forever. The world is no longer the same world I knew 1 year, 8 months, and 15 days ago.
I am not the same after reading Don Quixote. My own internal world is now an unquantifiably better place because of it.