Don Quixote - Buddy Read Jan 2021 until present

[Cheryl]

Ok, the edition that I managed to get is the Starkie.
I don't know if I'll be able to keep to a schedule; I'm used to reading at my own pace. But I'll try!

[Laura]

Any pace is fine - I might try and post thoughts here according to the shedule but you can follow along at any pace that suits.

[Jessica]

Hi! I've had this book sitting in my Audible library for ages. The Grossman edition. I'd definitely love to join, and finally give myself the motivation to start it!

[Laura]

Hey Jessica,

Lovely to have you join us! I hope you can access all the docs etc ok?
I'm excited to get started!

[Jessica]

Yes! I just opened in my browser. I should be done with my current audiobook today, so I'll be adding this to the schedule :)

[Carla]

I'm also in!

And Laura, thank you for the spreadsheets :)

[The Lazy Reader]

Hello! can I join? I want to read some good books this month

[Shaina]

Welcome, Lazy Reader! Happy to have you onboard.

[Jessica]

I couldn't figure out how to edit the spreadsheet to update our own progress. I think it's locked in edit mode? Was anyone else having this problem?

I started the prologue/to the book of this morning

[Laura]

I think you should be able to download/save a copy of the spreadsheet and then edit for yourselves.
Let me know if this doesn't work.

We won't all be able to edit the same one - so I think everyone will have to save their own copy.

I think I'll start prologue tomorrow - today has been VERY lazy!

[Jessica]

I got it! That was my bad. I thought it had saved a separate copy to my phone originally, I've sorted it out though :)

[Laura]

Ah good stuff - glad it worked :)

[The Lazy Reader]

Started it today and immediately started smiling. Cervantes has such a personable, honest, friendly voice that's apparent from the first page, like he already considers the reader a close friend and is choosing to confide all. If kafka was the anxious loner sidelined at the party, cervantes is it's cheerful, genial center. I can already tell I'm in for a fun ride!

[Shaina]

@Lazy Reader This sounds promising! I still reading the prologue. The introduction was quite long.

[Shaina]

Laura@ hope you got you hands on the Grossman edition.

[The Lazy Reader]

@Shaina for sure! bit of a digress from the main topic, but I notice that you're also reading Lovecraft and I plan to read him too! his paranoia/fear is going to be an interesting contrast to Cervantes' cheerfulness

[Shaina]

@Lazy Reader I'm happy to find a fellow Lovecraftian. I started Lovecaft last year (my introduction to the horror genre).
I plan to finish all 100 of his works this year (23 done so far since Oct).

[Laura]

The Lazy Reader wrote: "Started it today and immediately started smiling. Cervantes has such a personable, honest, friendly voice that's apparent from the first page, like he already considers the reader a close friend an..."

Sounds great! Glad you're enjoying it so far!

[Laura]

Shaina wrote: "Laura@ hope you got you hands on the Grossman edition."

Thanks Shaina - yep I did get a 2nd hand one through ebay. :)

[France-Andrée]

I didn’t read the intro because I was scared of spoilers, but I read the rest of the preliminaries and the first chapter. It’s interesting to see how the novel gave us words, in french we have a dulcinée for the one you love. I am reading it in English, Grossman, but I pronounce Don Quichote in my head because that’s how I’ve always called him.

[Storm]

I read the intro/prologue stuff according to the schedule and I'm excited to dive in. The translator seemed to have a great flow and good humor in her little blurb. The other intro compared our two main characters to Hamlet and Falstaff which are 2 of Shakespeare's best characters. And then the fun poems started showing the original author's humor.

[Aloysius221B]

Hi, I had to hand in my master thesis yesterday, so I'm a bit late starting the book. Read the prologue and the first 2 chapters last evening and I'm absolutely thrilled!
I allowed myself the bit more expensive new German translation which is highly praised for transferring the original atmosphere of the book. Alone the first book has over 80 extra pages of notes and reference explanations...not sure if I'm gonna read them all.

[Laura]

These chapter summaries are quite good: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Don-Qu...

How is everyone getting on?
I'll post some thoughts later.

[Jessica]

I'm starting Chapter 17. I've had a busy work week so I've had a lot of time to listen in the car. Our knight is....something special, thats for sure haha! ;)

[Shaina]

I laughed out loud during Chp 16 and 17. Hilarious!

[Storm]

This book is so fun. I just finished chapter Ch 16.

(view spoiler)[ I thought this would be like an Arthurian tale with a normal knight and so I'm loving the humor of this being an insane man trying to be a knight. I wonder how this will be almost 1000 pages of that though.

I loved Marcela and almost had to start clapping when she came to tell off the shepherds at the funeral.

I just finished the bit where everyone was fighting in the dark and the Holy Brotherhood man thought Don Quixote was dead and everything was a hilarious mess. I can't wait to read more about this inn (castle). (hide spoiler)]

[France-Andrée]

Just finished Chapter 15.

This is very funny, but it’s also sad because of Don Quixote. (view spoiler)[Every funny moments make me pause to think that man is lost, he is not himself and people around him mostly know about it. If mental illness is hardly understood now, it’s hard to know what Cervantes knew about it but I think he has the tragic and comedic side well balanced for now.

I loved Marcela what a “modern” woman, her speech has some truth in it that are still applicable to today. I did not expect to encounter characters that could be from now in something written in the 17th Century. (hide spoiler)]

I’m really loving this book.

[Laura]

I'm a bit behind my own schedule!
Still, here are my thoughts up to Chapter 11 - not in a very structured manner I'm afraid!

(view spoiler)[
Rough Summary of what's happened so far and my thoughts:

The Prologue and poems at the start of the book are a good introduction into the satire and style of the story. I enjoyed "hearing" Cervantes voice and appreciated the humour and intro to the chivalric customs that the poems provided.

In Chapter 1 when we initially meet our character I found him sympathetic and almost a little pitiable. He's obviously delusional and initially I couldn't imagine how he would get on at all with his Knight Errant ambitions.

As Don Quixote sets out I was surprised by the force of his convictions and how his madness almost became his strength or his shield. In his encounter at the Inn when he attacks the muleteers the Innkeeper advises that as he's mad he's be absolved of any charges. There is also a line:

"He said this with so much boldness and so much courage that he instilled a terrible fear in his attackers, and because of this and the persuasive arguments of the innkeeper, they stopped throwing stones at him, .."

This was the first inkling that he may not be as harmless as he seems at first. He's willing to believe he's justified in injuring others for any perceived insult - even although they don't understand what he's on about!

When he tries to intervene on the behalf of a beaten boy, he ends up making the situation much worse! His obliviousness to the lack of authority he really holds means that the farmer's promise is worthless but he can't see this. The poor boy is left in a worse state than when the Don encountered him. This episode shows Don Quixote's self-centredness. He is only concerned by seeming to behave like a Knight errant. He tells the farmer to stop beating and pay the boy and he deems that enough. he doesn't actually follow through or care about the fate of the boy he claims to have rescued.

His next encounter with the merchants doesn't go so well and he returns home injured. His neighbours and household can clearly see he's mad and they destroy his books in an attempt to prevent him getting worse.

The scenes of going through the books and deciding which to get rid of was interesting. Despite the priest and the housemaid etc believing these books were a "devlish" influence - they themselves seemed quite familiar with some of the stories! I was stressed imaging all the books being burned! I wonder whether Cervantes is trying to portray the Priest etc as being ignorant through their book burning actions. Although Don Q is mad - are they much better?

He then acquires his squire - Sancho Panza and they set off together. Panza is definitely a comical character so far: a bit rotund and inclined to a drink. I was struck by the contrast in his trying to reason with Don Quixote but yet easily being overruled by him. Panza can see the reality of situations but he lets Don Q carry on regardless. Even although he can see the foolhardy nature of Don Q he still believes he's going to get his wee island? Is he just as delusional as Don Q himself?

I was thrilled when the windmills appeared! I suppose that's the most famous association in the story - everyone knows Don Quixote tilts at windmills. His first attempt (despite Sancho Panza's warnings) does not go well. I can't imagine that the only instance of windmill-tilting we get - I expect more to come.

So I'm up to the point where they are sharing food and drink with the goatherds and enjoying some singing etc.

I'm enjoying it so far. I don't feel like I'm far enough in, or invested enough, to truly CARE about the characters yet but I can see that developing. At the moment I perceive Don Quixote as almost cartoonish - a Scrappy-Doo type character with delusions of his own ability but the inclination to fight with/about anyone or any thing.

We shall see how this works out for him!
(hide spoiler)]

[Cheryl]

I'm struggling. Though it's easy enough to read, I'm having trouble just skimming over stuff I don't know, like the particular book titles in the winnowing... I'm sure that there are reasons that Cervantes' contemporaries would agree or disagree with the different choices of what to burn, what to store for later, and what to treasure, but of course I don't know any of them.

Still, I liked the spirit of that chapter... I have the same difficulties with my own shelves, virtual and physical!

I'm also intimidated by just how long the book is. My paperback is hard to read in bed, and that's the only time I've made for it... maybe I'll have to shove some other reading obligations aside for awhile.

Or maybe I'll take the advice in Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits:

"Part I, Chapters I-VIII (getting to the windmills) and LII (the last chapter); then read Part II, I-V and the scenes of Sancho governing the 'island,' Chapters XLV, XLVII, XLIX, LI, and LIII. All told, that's less than two hundred pages."

[Storm]

Just finished Chapter 20. I wondered last time how we get such a long book from this and now I'm wondering how we justify Sancho staying. I am mostly enjoying it, but it doesn't seem like it should be so long a book.

^^@Laura He is so Scrappy Doo! That fits perfectly lol.

[Laura]

I am enjoying it although I must admit I'm finding it a bit sad and frustrating rather than funny. I almost feel like it's a Carry On film - especially the fight in the dark in the inn.

I LOVED Marcella's speech - I underlined almost all of it and had written "Yay Marcella!" in the margin. This was definitely a favourite scene for me so far.

I am also wondering how this book can be so long - if they just go from one misadventure to another, I'm worried it will get a bit same-y and boring?...we'll see...

I agree Cheryl about all the references to Chivalric texts etc - it's difficult to know how important it is to be familiar with these or not.

Anyway so far so good....

[Samuel]

Don't worry too much about the Chivalric texts, all that it's needed to know in order to understand everything in the book is that they were a extremely popular genre of books at the time of Cervantes and he made Don Quijote to satirize them. A feature of these books is that they usually pretended to be "lost stories written/found by a historian". This might explain something that will come further along in DQ.

The book is quite long, I think it should have been a bit shorter, but it has more than going from one misadventure to another. It's also important to remember that this was originally two books published several years apart, so individually their length is not that far fetched but when put together it makes for huge book.

[Cheryl]

It really is easy to read in many ways, at least in a modern translation (Starkie, in my case). I wonder how archaic the vocabulary and style are in the original Spanish.

I mean, Shakespeare is from the same era, and that's hard to read for many of us... in part because it's a play, not prose, but also because it could stand to be 'translated' in bits here & there. And so now I wonder what it's like to read Shakespeare in translation, say in modern Spanish...

Do we have anybody reading in Spanish in this discussion?

[Samuel]

I actually read Romeo and Juliet in Spanish in school. It was really bland without Shakespeare's style.

[France-Andrée]

Finished chapter 25

(view spoiler)[Shakespeare was inspired by this book to write a play (lost) about Cardenio? That’s a little awe inspiring. I wonder if we’ll get the ending of Cardenio’s story though I think it’s easy to guess. (hide spoiler)]

[Shaina]

I'm happy to know the book isn't entirely about these adventures or misadventures. @Thanks, Samuel. I really enjoyed Marcella's speech and the funny scene at the inn. I figured the author was using other text names to mock knight-errantry stories and chivalric themes and stories (quite a bold move).

I'm starting chapter 24 today. Listening to an audiobook by George Guidall. The narrator is really quite good. I don't think I would have managed with only the book.

[Storm]

Just finished Chapter 30

We suddenly have a lot more characters on the road now! Maybe some more depth coming? I wish I could read Cardenio's story written by Shakespeare; it has the levels of drama he loves and he would have done awesome stuff with it I think.

[France-Andrée]

Up to Chapter 32

(view spoiler)[it’s interesting how people have difficulty to distinguish between reality and fiction calling the latter lies. For Don Quixote, we have the reason that he is insane, but not for the innkeeper who thinks the books are historically accurate and it’s just that it’s not possible in their present. This reminded me of children not being able to to differentiate real life from movie or television (though here it’s adults, still innocents in a way), I really think it’s the same phenomenon going on and it does show that the human mind still is basically working the same way. This part spoke to me a lot. (hide spoiler)]

Am a little ahead of the schedule, I was on vacation and read 5 chapters a day, but with works I’ll probably slow down this week.

[Laura]

I'm totally behind! I've given myself some ambitious reading goals this month - I'll catch up this week though! Loving everyone's comments!

[Laura]

Also has anyone got an illustrated version?
I've found a subreddit reading Don Quixote in a year and each chapter they post links to the illustrations - I really love seeing them and wish I had some in my book.
Here's the link to the subreddit if anyone's interested:
r/ayearofdonquixote

[Jessica]

Starting 41 right now.

I find that I DON'T enjoy how many side stories there are. It's hard for me to follow all of the characters and each of their stories and goals and such. I'm hoping that the book comes back to more direct action with our main "knight" at some point:)

[Storm]

Yeah the history of the Moor was like a whole other book! I just finished chapter 46 and I'm glad we're back to Don Quixote again and have his story moving more.

[Laura]

I'm still behind but quite enjoyed the Cardenio story. I just finished the chapter now where they joined Dorotea.

I'm finding the parallels with The Pickwick Papers very interesting. the structure is similar - kind of episodic but with these diversions of side stories.

I'm planning a big catch up tonight and hope to be caught up by the weekend!

[Laura]

Storm wrote: "Just finished Chapter 30

We suddenly have a lot more characters on the road now! Maybe some more depth coming? I wish I could read Cardenio's story written by Shakespeare; it has the levels of dra..."

I agree - I really want to read Shakespeare's Cardenio now! I'm loathing Don Fernando too!

[Laura]

Thoughts up to chapter 31

(view spoiler)[
I'm finding it interesting that the "narrator" is referred to sporadically. We're kept aware that this is a story related at least 3rd hand.

The scene in the Inn when they're all fighting in the dark was ridiculous - I mean it was quite funny but they're so violent I find it a little disturbing as well as being comedic. How many beatings can Don Q and Sancho take?!

In Chapter 17 Sancho is described as having : " a good amount of trust and even greater optimism.." this fits him perfectly! While he sees the reality of situations and often tries to dissuade Don Q he ultimately ends up being swept along by Don Q's mad plots. Why does he keep believing Don Q? Is it blind optimism and he's so motivated by promised rewards that he's lots his ability to critically asses what is happening to them?
I'm confused by Sancho Panza's character at the moment.....

One quote I liked was:
" You should know, Sancho, that a man is not worth than any other if he does not do more than any other."
This is interesting. Is don Q measuring his feats against the characters of Chivalry or just against the other men of his age? Why does he have to be worth more than other men?

When Sancho calls Don Q The Knight of the Sorrowful Face - Don Q attributes this flash of inspiration to "the wise man whose task it will be to write the history of my deeds..."
This was pretty meta! It's interesting the awareness Don Q shows of becoming the subject of a written account about himself...it melts my brain a little!

I really enjoyed Cardenio's story and probably read through this the fastest yet. Now we're joined by Dorotea too and the Priest and the barber - I'm interested to see whether Don Q keeps his word and isn't diverted to another fight somewhere. Also will Cardenio and Dorotea avenge themselves and what will happen when they go through Don Q's village?

(hide spoiler)]
I'm a bit more invested now and although Don Q still annoys me quite a bit I'm interested to see how the story is going to play out....

[Jessica]

I got a bit behind over the weekend. Planning on catching up today and tomorrow (I'm off work for the holiday). Excited to start the second part of our story

[Samuel]

@Laura, using a fictional narrator was a cliche in chivalry novels. It was customary to pretend the adventures in them were uncovered by a supposed historian, like Cide Hamete does in DQ.

Before starting part 2,
(view spoiler)[
The first part of DQ was published in 1605 while the second part was published 10 years later. Sometime in between an unofficial second part was made by the pseudonym Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda.
This likely encouraged Cervantes to finish his second part and in the prologue to the second part he adresses Avellaneda's continuation.
(hide spoiler)]

[Storm]

@Samuel So, even though it's printed and considered one very long book we're basically reading a duology. That's cool! And it help explains the length of the story too. I'm interested to see if there's any obvious stylistic changes after the author's hiatus. I see that happen throughout series (like Stephen King's The Dark Tower). It might be harder to pick up on those due to translations though. I'll be starting Part 2 today!

[Cheryl]

Has it ever been hypothesized that Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda was actually Cervantes himself? I can see a few different ways that could be....

[Laura]

Samuel wrote: "@Laura, using a fictional narrator was a cliche in chivalry novels. It was customary to pretend the adventures in them were uncovered by a supposed historian, like Cide Hamete does in DQ.

Before s..."

Yeah I find that interesting and see the tradition.
I think what I found most interesting was the awareness Don Q had of being in a story that would be narrated. I guess that's is whole aim though - to be the ultimate chivalric knight errant - so of course he'd be the subject of a chivalric tale.