Don Quixote

[Jennifer]

I'm surprised that there isn't a discussion of this one on here already. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. But then, I've always been a fan of farce. I posted a discussion of it on my blog here: http://www.thelitwitch.com/?p=3447 .

Would love to hear others' thoughts on this one.

[El]

That's one of my favorite books, Jennifer. I too was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and how quickly I breezed through it. I highly recommend Fighting Windmills: Encounters with Don Quixote if you can find a copy - covers so much ground from Cervantes' life to discussion of later authors who were inspired by Don Quixote. Great stuff.

[Jennifer]

Ooo! Thanks for the recommendation. I will certainly check it out.

[Michelle]

Amanda, you are not alone. i tried to tackle this brick at ~17, for a high school english project. the book is divided into 4 sections, iirc, and i gave up after finishing just the first one. interestingly enough, all of the "supporting documents" i had to find to write that paper with referenced only things that happened in that same first section! i'm eternally convinced that the majority of people have only read a little of DQ!

[Silver]

I am currently reading the book right now, and I am having trouble getting through it. As said above it does have its moments, but I also find it a bit wearisome at times. I am getting a bit tired of all the little side stories of which so far all seem to relate to some sort of love tragedy. And I am left wondering just why the book has to be so long, as it is starting to get a bit redundant.

Just how many times can a person read about Inn's being mistaken for Castles, and innocent bystanders being taken for giants or armies of knights before it all becomes quite repetitive and leaves one thinking, "alright I get the point already."

The book is going to have to introduce something new if it is going to recapture my interest, but right now it just seems like the same thing happening over and over again.

There are times when it is tempting to just give up on it, but I am determined to see it to the end.

[Laura]

I really enjoyed this book, although I will say that the last quarter/second half did get rather repetitive and redundant. But, overall, I was glad to have read it.

[[deleted user]]

I love Don Quixote. It is hilarious! I did a review of it on my blog 1001everything.blogspot.com. Come check it out!

[Ana-Maria]

I gave up on the footnotes after the first 100 pages, but then I simply could not put it down. More hilarious than I would have expected.

[Lisa]

I wrote my longest blog post ever about this book. See it (if you dare) at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...

[[deleted user]]

Lisa wrote: "I wrote my longest blog post ever about this book. See it (if you dare) at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200..."

Hey! I read your blog post. Okay, so I skimmed some parts but I still read the majority:). You are right about the longevity of some of the books (Gargantua and Pantagruel was a nightmare for me). I love Don Quixote though so it only took me two weeks. I thought de Cervantes (I have been calling him the wrong name too) was really funny and I even enjoyed the novels within the novel. I also think it is interesting how many list books copy him after. I am reading Joseph Andrews right now and the characters are pretty similar. Sorry for the long post but I am sure you understand:).

[Lisa]

Bookbuddies wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I wrote my longest blog post ever about this book. See it (if you dare) at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200..."

Hey! I read your blog pos..."
Hey BookBuddies, I am so excited to meet someone who's actually read my Magnum Opus! (Just think, if I'd put that much time into writing a novella or short story, I could have been rich and famous by now LOL).
I'm interested in what you say about other authors drawing on this book, are there any in particular that you know of?

[[deleted user]]

Lisa wrote: "Bookbuddies wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I wrote my longest blog post ever about this book. See it (if you dare) at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200..."

Hey! ..."
LOL. Henry Fielding made direct references in his book to Don Quixote. I know there is a book called the Female Quixote but I am not sure who wrote that. Instead of being obsessed with chivalry novels the main character is obsessed with romance novels. I am excited to read it.

[Lisa]

Bookbuddies wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Bookbuddies wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I wrote my longest blog post ever about this book. See it (if you dare) at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200......" Hmm, I can think of quite a few books about obsessions now...

[Liesl]

I loved Don Quijote, by far one of my favorite novels. I read it while in Grad School for my masters in Spanish. Knowing some Spanish history helps and understanding the popularity of chivalrous novel which Cervantes then parodies and critiques yet admires is also helpful.

It's early metafiction especially part two when the characters become aware they are characters in a novel. Its commentary on the boundaries between reality and imagination, reality and representation - mirrors, stories within stories, fiction becoming reality and reality becoming fiction... A modern novel from the 16th century.

Also, remembering Spain's expulsion or forced conversion of Jews and Moors is important. Remember part of the fictional story if the narrator transcribing a book he has found, a book originally written by a Moor and thus most untrustworthy, yet the narrator constantly insists upon the truth of his material. How many authors are there to the book? Even in the second paragraph of the first chapter is the uncertainty of the protagonists name ... so what is truth? what is real? Why do all the other characters end up going along with Don Quijote if he is so mad? How does fiction or imagination relate to reality?

Don Quijote can be enjoyed without supplemental information or materials, but it becomes a brilliant book written by a one handed man with a quill pen when one can take the time and effort to read a little bit about it.

[Lisa]

Liesl wrote: "I loved Don Quijote, by far one of my favorite novels. I read it while in Grad School for my masters in Spanish. Knowing some Spanish history helps and understanding the popularity of chivalrous no..." Thank you, Nadia, that is very helpful! Now that you point it out I can see exactly what you mean and why this text is so important. I think I read it as I expect to read any other 'classic' not expecting such authorial cunning, and so missed a lot of what was going on.
It deserves a re-read eventually!

[Sofie]

I really enjoyed parts of it, but some of it was very tiresome.

I read it after seeing the musical and Massenet's opera. I was surprised at how satirical it is, I guess I didn't realize it was satire until I read it. The musical seems so much more allegorical to me.

I've been meaning to read Alonso Fernández's sequel, but I get the impression that nobody actually reads it. I would think it would shed more light on the second part.

[Chel]

Awesome and hilarious book.

[Kirsten]

The Huffington Post has an article comparing Don Quixote and Don Draper (Mad Men): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04...

[Linda]

Kirsten wrote: "The Huffington Post has an article comparing Don Quixote and Don Draper (Mad Men): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04..."

That was fun! I just read DQ last year, but some of the questions were still tough. I got 8 out of 12 correct.

[Feliks]

I made a serious attempt to love this legendary work of literature once--after all, it certainly seemed as if I should love it, it fit right in with everything else I was gobbling down at the time--unfortunately, it did not win me over.

In fact, today it is one of the few really 'great works of world literature' which I absolutely cannot take a liking to. As fine and wonderful as the writing may be--it riles my sensibilities.

I grew up reading too much chivalric literature, is the issue. I was weaned on it. Its under my skin. So I don't at all enjoy hearing it made mock of, or lampooned.