Mount TBR 2016 discussion
Buddy Reads
>
Don Quixote
date
newest »
newest »
message 101:
by
Fab
(new)
Apr 17, 2016 09:02AM
Sounds good to me :)
reply
|
flag
I made it to chapter 40 and still going strong. I'll admit I skimmed through the Lothario story, at least when they kept making those long speeches back and forth. Hopefully I'll be caught up soon.
Oh no, part 2 has some new narrators on librivox. A woman who speed reads and man who appears to be using a Jamaican accent. It made me giggle so much I had to stop and share, but it's distracting me from the story.
Pink wrote: "Oh no, part 2 has some new narrators on librivox. A woman who speed reads and man who appears to be using a Jamaican accent. It made me giggle so much I had to stop and share, but it's distracting ..."haha -- it is amazing how much difference a narrator make!
It really does Leslie. I'm usually spoilt with good narrators when listening to classics, but there aren't so many cheap options for Don Quixote. I shouldn't really complain as they do a better job than I ever could, but they're clearly not professionals. Both the story and narration is making me laugh right now.
I may have asked this already but can you get an audiobook edition through your library? I have started listening to the Robert Whitfield/Simon Vance audiobook through my library... I thought it was just Book 2 but it turns out to be the whole thing...
No there are no audio copies either on CD at my library, or on their Borowbox or Overdrive apps for my phone. I considered paying for an audible copy, but I'm not subscribed at the moment, so it would cost about £20, as none of them are cheap. I'm on chapter 8 now and Don Quixote is apparently Irish (I'm not even joking). In some ways I'm enjoying the different narrations and they're not all bad, but they do get distracting. The funny accents are better than the woman who speed reads and keeps stumbling on her words because of it.
Anyway, back to the story. Part 2 seems to have a different tone to it already. They've been discussing part 1 as a book and talking about who has written part 2. This is quite interesting in itself. They seem to be dissecting and trying to prove the authenticity of the story so far. The question of Don Quixote's madness appears to be taken more seriously as well, rather than looking at him simply as a fool.
Sancho is becoming quite sneaky when dealing with Don Quixote and using Quixote's madness to get himself out of unpleasant situations. I can't decide if Sancho is starting to realize that Don Quixote is a bit touched in the head or if the enchanter has just become a useful scapegoat. I really enjoyed his encounter with the Knight of the Woods. I did guess who the knight was, but not right away, and I got the motive wrong.
I think Sancho doesn't seem quite as charmed by Don Quixote at the moment. He's seemingly more aware of what is going on around them, but every time I think Sancho might abandon his master to his madness, he gets pulled back into his spell of chivalry and behaves just as daftly.
He might consider that silly adventures with Don Quijote are better than staying home ;)
Fab wrote: "He might consider that silly adventures with Don Quijote are better than staying home ;)"lol! It seems to me that Sancho believes in the reward Don Quixote promised him but not in all the 'enchantments'. Sancho seems more down to earth in that he believes his senses but is easily persuaded about things that are just conceptual.
I also liked the Knight of the Wood section especially in Chapter 15 when we find out (view spoiler).
I am starting Chapter 16 tomorrow...
Not to mention Sancho wants his daughter to be a countess! I also enjoyed the story of the Knight of the Woods/Mirrors.I'm also starting chapter 16 tomorrow :)
I'm on chapter 21 now, everything is progressing still much the same. Don Quixote seems both the most foolish and the wisest at times. I liked what he had to say about being a poet. I'm also enjoying the poetic lines inserted here and there.
I've finished chapter 26 for this week's schedule. I'm beginning to wonder what is reality and what is fantasy, much like Don Quixote!
I have just finished Chap. 24 so a bit behind you. I liked the wedding with the poor Basilio's trick better than the following section about the cave.
Yeah I wasn't overly sold on the cave part, but the notes I read afterwards connected this to real life places and events. Some of the tales are blurring together a little for me, but I'm still enjoying for the most part.
I think that this week's goal is to read Part Two, Chap. 27-39.I am currently reading Chap. XXXII (32) so I am in good shape for finishing this section on time.
I found myself disappointed with Quixote in Chapter 27 & 28 - for the first time, he seemed cowardly.
I'm in about the same place as you Leslie, about to start chapter 31. I've found that my minds starting to wander as I'm listening, maybe it's becoming a little repetitive again, or maybe I just need to concentrate on the story more.
I too was disappointed with Don Quixote, he just seemed to abandon poor Sancho. I didn't really care for the boat story. Also in good shape to get to finish the appointed chapters for this week. Can't believe we're getting closer and closer to finishing the whole thing!
I'm powering through with this now, as I'm keen to get it finished. I'm currently listening to chapter 58 and I've liked the past few tales about Sancho.
A lot of it is getting repetitive. Part 2 would have benefited from a couple of months break I think. I'm still enjoying the adventures but I have much less patience for the long speeches. I did get some laugh out loud moments with Sancho's responses to breaking the enchantment.
I found it quite repetitive all the way through, but luckily each time I was getting bored with the same adventure or speech, something different or amusing kept me going. My feelings towards Don Quixote really changed by the end. I started out sympathising with him but I had quite a dislike for him by the time I finished. Whereas Sancho improved in character for me.
Pink wrote: "I'm powering through with this now, as I'm keen to get it finished. I'm currently listening to chapter 58 and I've liked the past few tales about Sancho."Wow you are making great progress! I am up to Chap. 47 now.
I too don't have much patience for the long speeches so I just skim through them. Sometimes something in the SparkNotes will make go back and read one more carefully but most of them are very repetitive as both of you have commented.
Pink, I am glad to hear you say that about Quixote as I have been beginning to dislike him as well but thought it might have been that I was losing interest in the book as a whole. But I loved Chap. XLV where Sancho starts governing his island and making fair and smart judgements!
Leslie wrote: "But I loved Chap. XLV where Sancho starts governing his island and making fair and smart judgements! ..."That was one of my favourite parts!
I agree! Sancho as governor was great and I have a new found respect for him. By the way those were some pretty elaborate pranks by the duque and duchess
I couldn't help thinking through those parts as they described the tricks they were going to play that they really needed to get a life.
Then I wondered if this was Cervante's take on the wealthy, jaded hero in all of the Victorian romance novels.
Teresa wrote: "Then I wondered if this was Cervante's take on the wealthy, jaded hero in all of the Victorian romance novels."Except for the fact that Cervantes wrote this ~200 years before those Victorian novels existed!!
Teresa wrote: "I couldn't help thinking through those parts as they described the tricks they were going to play that they really needed to get a life."Lol, that's what I thought too, too much free time and money on their hands. And they keep at it later on!
I have to say I find some of the titles of the chapters very amusing. I'm not sure how they translated them to English but for instance "where it talks about what will be seen" or "about what whomever reads it will read or whomever listens to it being read will hear" Something like that...
Fab wrote: "Teresa wrote: "I couldn't help thinking through those parts as they described the tricks they were going to play that they really needed to get a life."Lol, that's what I thought too, too much fr..."
Really the duke & duchess were quite cruel. I was happy when Don Quixote and Sancho moved on!
I am getting close to the end now (chapter LXV, 65) - should finish today or tomorrow.
That's great Leslie! I've finally finished it and can't believe it. I couldn't have done it without the buddy read, it was a lot of fun :) I hope we can do another one!
I'm actually a little sad, I think I'll miss Don Quijote and Sancho, they had become part of my daily routine.
I'm not going to spoil the ending so I'll wait for all to finish to comment
I finished just a few minutes ago -- the last chapter took me completely by surprise! I agree that I doubt I would have even attempted (much less completed) this book without the buddy read. And I am happy that several of us were reading at the same pace for almost the entire book -- that doesn't happen that often!
I'm glad you finished Leslie, I agree that ending was surprising and after all the long trials they went through it seemed a bit abrupt. I don't think I'd have got through this without it being a buddy read, as that really pushed me to keep on the weekly schedule.
So what did you all think in the end? For me it's probably a 3 star book. There were parts I enjoyed and found amusing, parts that gave me deeper philosophical questions to answer, but also parts that dragged and seemed quite repetitive. I sort of miss reading about them now, but that being said, I'm not sure I'd ever feel the need to read it again.
I gave it 4 stars but probably 3.5 is closer to how I feel. I agree Pink that I probably won't read it again but just in case, I am keeping my paperback edition!I do feel pleased to be able to check it off of the many lists I enjoy :D And unlike Ulysses (which I also am pleased to check off on lists), I actually enjoyed this one rather than suffered through it.
Oh I'm still going with Ulysses too! I'll be pleased to check both of them off my lists of books to read and I've probably enjoyed them both about the same, but for very different reasons!
Ah so cool you're reading Ulysses, I need another buddy read for that one. I gave Don Quixote five stars, I really enjoyed it and would read it again. The ending was a bit abrupt and I guess Cervantes was so mortified that someone had dared to write a false "second part" that he wanted to make sure no one would would continue the story.
Thanks so much to Theresa for organizing the buddy read! I would be delighted to join another one :)
Fab wrote: "I guess Cervantes was so mortified that someone had dared to write a false "second part" that he wanted to make sure no one would would continue the story...."Yes he must have been furious that someone else had written a false second part!
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book, was how it referred to and acknowledged the reader.
Fab, I've been buddy reading Ulysses with another group and we're coming to the end now. It's been a long slow process since January, but it has certainly helped to discuss along the way.
Pink wrote: "Fab wrote: "I guess Cervantes was so mortified that someone had dared to write a false "second part" that he wanted to make sure no one would would continue the story...."Yes he must have been fu..."
Ahh I wish I could have found out about the Ulyses buddy read :'( that's one that I need to get to at some point.
Congrats on almost finishing it! It's not an easy book...
Fab, perhaps post here or in another group to see if anyone is interested? Someone else might be encouraged to give it a try if you read it together.
Fab wrote: "Thanks so much to Theresa for organizing the buddy read! I would be delighted to join another one :)"This was my first ever buddy read and it was a lot of fun. I'm so glad everyone was able to join in. I only have a few chapters left and then it is on to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich for me.
Teresa wrote: "Fab wrote: "Thanks so much to Theresa for organizing the buddy read! I would be delighted to join another one :)"This was my first ever buddy read and it was a lot of fun. I'm so glad everyone wa..."
It was a great buddy read. I can't wait to see what you think of the end :)
That was a long haul at the end but I made it. I gave the book stars. The first part was 4 stars for me and I felt like the second part was 3 stars but there was enough in it that pushed the whole thing towards a 4. Pink, I think you are right about Cervantes killing off Don Quixote so there couldn't be anymore stories written about someone else. That subject kept coming up throughout part 2.
I took a break from Don Quixote to read some other books from this past century. The break helped a lot. I finished the book today and I really enjoyed the rest of it. I had left off just as they were meeting the duke and duchess. It's fair to say that Sancho is going to be one of my all time favorite characters across any story. I was a bit sad with how Don Quixote died. It's nice that he 'was cured of his madness' but I didn't like how he seemed to regret his two escapades. I hope he still enjoyed his adventures in hindsight.
Congrats on finishing Bethany! I agree that Don Quixote's rejection of chivalry at the end was sad, and I thought it was a bit abrupt as well. I figured that Cervantes wrote that to appease the powers of the time... a sort of "ha ha, I was just kidding!" apology tacked on.
