A review by oceanwriter
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

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

4.25

After years of feeling intimidated by this book, I finally felt I was in a place where I wanted to pick up this book and give it a try. My grandmother loved this book and toward the end of her life, we connected a bit through books. I regret not picking up Don Quixote in her lifetime, but I’m glad I didn’t just say ‘oh well’ and move on. 
 
His mind having been taken over by the many worlds of literature, Don Quixote deems himself knight-errant and sets off in search of quests of his own. Sancho Panza, his loyal squire, accompanies him. The two of them embark on many adventures. 
 
I realized very quickly that Don Quixote is not the dueling epic I assumed it to be. What I found, I enjoyed far more. It’s a story of madness, shall we say, and disillusion, but there is something very relatable in that in the modern day. Haven’t most of us picked up a book as a form of escapism? Don’t readers at some point wish they could get lost in a literary world? In that regard, I found Cervantes to be ahead of his time. That said, it’s also very much a classic, and a wordy one at that. 
 
Though I took my time with this book, I often felt that the scenes were dragging on much longer than they needed to, but I suppose that’s the curse of being used to modern books. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and soaked in so many of the passages. I also cherished getting to experience a piece of my grandmother in a way. 
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