Dustin’s Comments (group member since Dec 13, 2013)

Dustin’s comments from the Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes group.

Shell wrote: "Dustin wrote: "Shell wrote: "Great to hear from you Dustin! That's fantastic that you finished DQ and that you enjoyed it so much. Sadly, I still have a long way to go, but I will get there eventua..."

Hopefully you can get some serious reading time in ASAP. We're all rooting for you!

No, I'm not really apologizing for my rating, I just had to get it off my chest, so to speak. All the books I've read since January are all kind of bottled up inside and I need to get them out!

Bryn wrote: "Me too. I've been wondering why it's so funny but don't know.
My sister was talking to me yesterday about 'early-modern post-modernism', is this it?"

I see it as an early post-modern novel, as well. There are certainly many examples of the movement here..

Mary wrote: "I'm soooo behind. Just read the windmill attack (ch9?)"

OMG, that's a hilarious scene!:)

Thank you, Jason. I see that you gave it 5 stars, that's awesome, man! I really wanted to give it that much, but being honest, I just couldn't do it.
Our Internet got shut off (due to lack of payment,) and only got turned back on recently. It's great to be back!

Shell wrote: "Great to hear from you Dustin! That's fantastic that you finished DQ and that you enjoyed it so much. Sadly, I still have a long way to go, but I will get there eventually :)"

Thank you, Shell! It truly does feel wonderful to have it under my belt, and more important, that I actually enjoyed it.. a lot. Are you still chugging along?

Good evening and long time no see, everyone! Jason- I am so sorry about my absence. We've had no Internet access for about 2 months now...:( There's a ton I've wanted to disccuss with the group, with seemingly no way of doing it. But I'm going to try to stay in touch for now on, via a library computer.


I just finished Don Q last night, and love it! 4/5 stars!!

Shell- I'm so happy to see your post! I also think Week 2 will give us a better feel for the novel. Surprisingly, I often find myself reading this for hours. It's rare that I read only 1 chapter at a time..

Carina wrote: "I really liked Marcela - I hope she comes into it again in the future. I really got into this book during these chapters so it will be interesting to see what you all think of them. They are defini..."

I'm still unsure about her, but am hoping to see more of her in the future, too! Her speech almost seemed ideal and not what the others expected. I wonder if Don Q is a little too trusting and naive..

Carina wrote: "Dustin wrote: "You're so welcome! I love long train/bus routes, as they afford many hours to read. I think the fact that you're wanting to stay in and read even more is a sure sign of the book's gr..."

That's great! I can't wait to find our where Don Q and Sancho's adventures will take them next. Agreed, it is more interesting when they're with other people, but I love the comradery between the two, and the on-going development of their characters/friendship.
Also, at the end of chapter 14, it was great to officially meet Marcella and get her take on things. (view spoiler)[And now he's in pursuit of her! What's everyone's take on her loonnnggg speech? (hide spoiler)]

Jason wrote: "Have you been reading the footnotes? I've been mostly ignoring them."

I skipped a few in the beginning, but read them all now. They provide context and insight which I find very helpful.

I only got one chapter into this week's reading, but boy am I relieved that the goatherd/funeral section is finally over. Don Q and Sancho are moving on!

Carina wrote: "Dustin wrote: "Carina wrote: "I'm now on chapter 30 or so and I will say that Bryn is right - the slapstick certainly doesn't stick around for too long."

Wow, you're way ahead of me.. and from the..."

You're so welcome! I love long train/bus routes, as they afford many hours to read. I think the fact that you're wanting to stay in and read even more is a sure sign of the book's greatness.

I'm really diggin' it, thank you for asking.:) How about you?

Wow, that's crazy, Jason! I don't really believe in coincidences, so I'd say you were meant to stumble upon the passage.. Very cool, man.:)

Interesting point, too. As I'm reading, I've been reminded of Moby-Dick, as well. There are certain similarities, not just in the writing style but parts of the stories, IMO.


For the most part, I'm really liking it a lot, too. Aside from the numerous footnotes and verbosity, the prose is surprisingly smooth and addictive.

Carina wrote: "I'm now on chapter 30 or so and I will say that Bryn is right - the slapstick certainly doesn't stick around for too long."

Wow, you're way ahead of me.. and from the sounds of it, most of us. I love your enthusiasm, Carina! I'm happy to know that it's moving away from the slap-stick soon and becoming serious.

Bryn wrote: "Mary wrote: "It's not going to just be hundreds of pages of Don Q beating up/getting beat up, right? Right??"

From memory, right. I remember that the early stages were a bit slapstick with him get..."

I'm so happy to hear this, Bryn. I was starting to worry about the book being more of the same. I'm all for bigger, wider concepts. Thank you!

Jason wrote: "Dustin, I just made you co-moderator of the group. Let me know if that's okay.

First rule of moderatorship: pick a mod title!"

Wow, really? I feel very honored! Thank you, Jason!!

I'll attempt to come up with an official title soon.:)

I'm happy to hear it!:)

Carina wrote: "I'm away for the weekend with only the Kindle for company so planning to start on next weeks chapters too. I'm planning it as a bit of an experiment though - this week I have been reading it on my ..."

That's a great point, Carina. I think you have to read more than a chapter at a time in order to enjoy it, as mot a whole lot is happening. Personally speaking, I can't stop after just one chapter (unless something comes up, that is..) It's quite addictive!

I've gotta agree with the general consensus here and Bryn in particular: these chapters with the goatheds are quite uneventful and tedious. I felt like strangling Cervantes and telling him to get on with the story already! A bit of an exaggeration, I know, but it can be frustrating to read 30 odd pages and have made little progress in the story.. you know? However, I'm loving the friendship between Don Quixote and Sancho. It has your classic western/fantasy feel to it!
Also, is anyone else as intrigued by Marcella's character as I am? Hopefully she makes an appearance later on, and that we learn more about her.