A review by aliteralfield
The Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the story chronicles the adventures of the eponymous Don Quixote, a man driven mad by his obsession with chivalric romances, and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza.

Cervantes' novel is a masterful blend of comedy, tragedy, and social commentary. At its heart, "Don Quixote" is a satire of the chivalric traditions that were popular in literature of Cervantes' time. Don Quixote’s grandiose and often ludicrous attempts to revive chivalry highlight the absurdity of these ideals in the modern world. His famous tilting at windmills, which he mistakes for giants, symbolizes the often misguided and impractical pursuits of idealism without a grounding in reality. It does get rather silly at certain point but at the same time rather sad that this is the mental state Quixote is in. His unwavering belief in his chivalric mission, despite the clear disconnect with reality, brings both humour and pathos to the story. 
The narrative structure, which includes stories within stories and shifts in perspective. It does get repetitive and it is a flog of a read. Overall it was very interesting to read a 17th century Spanish novel and the concept of metatexuailty in the second half