Reading the Chunksters discussion
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Don Quixote
Archived 2014 Group Reads
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Week 19: 9/8 - Pt 2, Ch LXI-End
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Kristi
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Sep 08, 2014 01:59PM
It's over!! What are your thoughts on the book overall and the section in particular. Also, what is your rating of the book?
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As I mentioned before, I was enjoying the book so much that I ended up reading it too fast and didn't follow the group's schedule.I loved it a lot, it's one of my favorites books ever. I believe Don Quixote and Sancho are among the most emblematic characters ever, what a pair!! Sancho, I have no words for him... I wish I knew a lot of proverbs right now to describe how much I enjoyed being with him.
I rated it 5 stars and wrote a review about it. Here it's a link, if anyone's interested - and please share your reviews as well!
Well, I am DONE! Finished it this weekend and although I was still very much enjoying the book, I felt like it dragged a little bit at the end. Even knowing I had only 80 pages left to read, I had a hard time sticking to the reading to finish. Anyway, overall I loved reading Don Quixote and am so glad that it was chosen as the Classic Chunkster. Overall I gave it 4 stars (I might have easily given it 5 stars, given a different day, or perhaps if I had read it a bit faster), and would definitely go back and reread parts, if not the entire book again. I took away one star only because I felt a certain repetitiveness to the story with all the adventures and hijinks.I have to say, I think Sancho Panza is probably one of my favorite characters of all time. I loved his frankness and "to-the-point" way of telling people, especially Don Quixote, exactly how he felt and how he assessed different situations they found themselves in. And of course who could not love all his proverbs?!
Renato, your review was great, thank you for writing such a wonderful recap and review of the book. I, myself, am terrible at conveying how I feel about books, so I tend to limit myself to the star ratings.
Also, I'm still wondering about the meaning of it all, so far I have been thinking that... DQ was so happy on his chivalrous adventures while he was mad. But as soon as he came home and became sane again, he had no more will to live. Renato, I read your review, wondering about DQ's life before his adventures. That perhaps he was not satisfied with the life he had lived up to this point, that he had not accomplished anything? And if he was to have a book written about him, that he had better live a life to have something to write about. I do wonder what DQ's life was before he took to all his adventures. Now I can not remember if he had been married at all, or children? Did we find that out? 900 pages ago in May was so long ago, I don't remember.
As for Sancho, he was so set upon becoming governor, that by the time he was given the task, it did not suit him. Perhaps the longing for something "better" than what he already had (a simple life with a loving wife and daughter), and then to find out that what he had was actually pretty great, was what Sancho had to learn? He was very happy to go back to his wife and daughter and live on bread, onions, and cheese.
Don't Don Quixote and Sancho Panza's endings seem opposite of each other? What does it mean? Perhaps I am interpreting it wrong.
Linda, thanks for reading my review!I don't know if DQ was indeed sad or unsatisfied, but it was one of the thoughts that crossed my mind... from what I can remember, he hadn't been married nor had children. He lived with his niece and housekeeper. While I was reading the book I felt he had a strong need of accomplishment, that's why I wondered if he was unhappy...
And about Sancho, I think you're spot on! I think almost everyone longs for something better, but he found out it wasn't for him. He was simple and sure enough that what he had before was already all that he needed.
The end! I never thought it would end! Having said that, in spite of knowing of DQ's coming demise at the end of book one, I felt sad. There was a poignancy about his character and I felt for him because of all the ridicule that he had received. I wonder if he really came to his senses in the end or if he was aware of his imminent death and thought that the game was up.I liked Sancho throughout, though I still can't quite fathom how quite an intelligent man was enchanted by DQ, despite the latter's madness.
In spite of many reservations, I am glad to have read this book. For me though, impossible to rate. I think that DQ would have liked that.
Hilary wrote: For me though, impossible to rate. I think that DQ would have liked that. I hear you, sister. I gave it five stars because it is the only book that combines sadness, laughter, meditation on life, and keen observations that are still relatable nowadays, but I can also see how the book can defy the whole rating system :-)
Hilary wrote: "The end! I never thought it would end!"Good job, Hilary! Yes, I also felt very sad for DQ at the end, although I knew it was coming. I think his death felt premature to me, I wasn't expecting it to happen as soon as he was done with his adventures. Even a year hiatus from his adventures was too much for him to bear.
In spite of many reservations, I am glad to have read this book. For me though, impossible to rate. I think that DQ would have liked that.
Nicely put. :)
Thanks so much, Zulfyia and Linda for your encouraging words! Onwards and upwards! :-)
