Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

This thread is for discussion of the content of our 3rd Qtr 2015 Long group read,
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Feel free to post spoilers for Part II in this thread.

I finished this book today. I have mixed feelings about this enduring classic. While I understand that it is considered the first modern novel and we have the word "quixotic" that derives from the name and actions of the main character, I simply did not enjoy this the way I feel I should. I did not laugh at the antics of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Instead I felt humiliated for them. The jokes played on them, even the ones in Part II which were not supposed to be hurtful made me angry.

I suppose it is a classic for the very reason that Cervantes succeeded in making me feel for DQ as a person. He was real enough for me to be mad that he was hurt and made fun of. The question has been asked if DQ was actually mad or if he was only acting. Fortunately that question is finally answered, but you have to read to the very end to find out.

Ultimately I am glad I read this classic, but I am also glad I won't ever have to read it again.

Wow, good job reading quick Laurie! I know what you mean about the humiliating jokes played on DQ & SP. Slapstick type humor at the expense of others has never been a favorite of mine.

Be sure to check in as others finish up the story and we can discuss the ending then.

I read this one outside of this bookclub's reading period but am hoping that there is no issues with me jumping in here to take advantage of your discussions.

Having done a bit of research (the OpenYale course linked in the Part I thread) I found out that inbetween Part I and Part II being written, there was a "False Quixote" that was written and published. This actually played a big part of Cervantes series of events. Cervantes had to modify the orignal plan for the characters as he didn't want to lend credibility to the "False Quixote" story which took the same plot arc that he was originally planning. This "False Quixote" also led to some of the hilarious self-referencing that we see in Part II.

All in all I think I enjoyed some of the antics, side-stories and slapstick of Part I better, but some of the creativity in Part II definitely stands out in my mind.

Cameron you are welcome in our discussions! I'm still in Part I, but should finish before October. No issues at all -- that is why we have 3 different threads for the book. So each may read at his/her own pace.

Laurie wrote: "I finished this book today. ...I suppose it is a classic for the very reason that Cervantes succeeded in making me feel for DQ as a person. He was real enough for me to be mad that he was hurt and made fun of. ..."

I think you may have hit part of the "classic" on the head here. To care about what happens to the characters does not happen in all the books I read unfortunately.

We have Cameron & Laurie finished. Anyone else ready for Part II yet?

I'm about 55% done and if I keep hitting my daily goal, I'll finish early.

It's still a slog for me.

Yes, it has been an easy book to put down and ignore for me also, Myst.

I am a bit behind -- but think I should finish. I may have to switch over to the Kindle edition (different translator than my dead tree copy) -- because I keep leaving town and I don't want to haul the big book with me.

We have several people now in Part II. What are the biggest differences that you notice between the two parts so far?

Ooh goody, I'm about 20 days from finishing, but if I manage 2 days worth (plus some) a day, I'll finish before september!

I just finished ch 28 prt II yesterday. I was out sick 2 days last week and made good progress.

One of the things that I notice is that DQ has more rational moments in his dealings with other people and he hasn't been beaten up yet.

SP is not as vocal in trying to correct DQs delusions. It seems as if SP has forgotten how cray-cray his worship was the last time they went out seeking adventures to the point that he would agree to go out with him again.

Also, DQ seems to have money to pay for his lodgings at the Inn where he destroyed that fellow's puppets--and to pay the poor fellow for his loss. though in DQs defense, he thought the Inns in prt I were castles.

Kathy wrote: "Yes, it has been an easy book to put down and ignore for me also"

That's exactly how I feel. I'm at 61%, just finished chapter 18. I'm enjoying it, but it seems to be hitting a lot of the same notes over and over. It doesn't feel like the sequence of events is building to anything.

Also, prt I & II seem as if they were written by different people.

I'm shocked to find myself at 71%--just completed ch 33/prt II.

I've from hopeless resignation that I couldn't finish by the end of the Q, to hope that it might be doable.

I agree that it seems like they were written by different people. But Cervantes changed his storyline to combat the false DQ sequel written by someone else that apparently paralleled what he intended to write. I like the second half characters better. They aren't always getting beat up or challenging everyone they meet to fight. DQ seems more laid back or less combative.

Laurie wrote: "I agree that it seems like they were written by different people. But Cervantes changed his storyline to combat the false DQ sequel written by someone else that apparently paralleled what he intend..."

I did not know that.

Prt II is terrible.

His time would have been better spent writing an entirely new book instead of writing this awful part II.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Prt II is terrible.

His time would have been better spent writing an entirely new book instead of writing this awful part II."

LOL

Part 2 is so much more readable than part 1. It's not stagnating in the same place for 10% of the book (or so it felt like in part 1 at times).

Kathy wrote: "Laurie wrote: "I agree that it seems like they were written by different people. But Cervantes changed his storyline to combat the false DQ sequel written by someone else that apparently paralleled..."

Yep, I read about it in Cliffs Notes which I looked at a few times while I was reading the book. Here's the link which gives very little information on the fake part two. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature...

Finished!

Now to move onto books that don't frustrate me!

Myst, I'm soo jealous!

I was going to try to complete it by 9/1, but I decided to treat myself to a romance this weekend since I don't have to work.

Myst wrote: "Finished!

Now to move onto books that don't frustrate me!"

Good for you. I'm jealous too -- this I think will be a book to just check off my list.

This thread has been quiet.

Have we all finished or given up?

I finished Wednesday.

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "I finished Wednesday."

Excellent Andrea!

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "I finished Wednesday."

Great!

I finished last Thursday. I thought Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were interesting characters. I wish Sancho's wife had had a more central role. I enjoyed the metafictional aspects of the novel and the ending was pretty redeeming, but the plot sucked. It was stagnant. No event seemed to have much bearing anything else and I felt like every scene struck the same emotional tone. It made a long book feel excruciatingly long.

I was also very impressed with the translation. Especially with Sancho. So much of the humor comes from plays on words that sound the same. That has to be tricky to translate in a way that conveys both the humor and the feel of the original Spanish.

Nathan, which translation did you read?

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Nathan, translation did you read?"

I read Edith Grossman's translation.

Oh dear! I think I read that translation too!

I'm still moving along...almost at 80% now. Just finished the several chapters where DQ and Sancho are with the duke and duchess, who create all sorts of crazy directed at the 2, simply for their own enjoyment and pleasure. I did not like this 'adventure' at all. The flying horse ride was too much, even though it leads to the profound statement from DQ about Sancho now having to believe all that happened in the cave, as he would hve to believe Sanchos tale of what he saw when he opened his eyes during the 'ride'. The rest of it I could have done without...and it did go on...and on...

ETA: I thought it was over, but the adventure continues with the duke and duchess...Sancho to get his island?
It goes on...and on some more... ;)

I envy you all who has finished this. I am giving up :( I really looked forward to reading this but it´s such a struggle that I really want to use my time to read other books. I usually don´t dnf books because it´s going to annoy me A LOT! But it´s such a long book and would take forever at this rate. (I managed 32%)

Why it was such a struggle; I didn´t like DQ or SP. I think DQ went against all his values for knight, being arrogant and violent. I had the impression (before reading) that DQ was some kind of sympathetic character. But I was wrong, nothing sympathetic about him.
And all these adventures felt tedious. I didn´t find them funny at all. Just boring.

Maybe I don´t see this in the right light or something. Or maybe I´m too serious!;) This just was not for me!

I too thought that DQ was supposed to be a sympathetic character.

What's even worse, I thought the author had some sort of diff message he wanted to convey. But nope, he just wanted to stop objectionable book on chivalry and knight errantry.

Susie wrote: "I'm still moving along...almost at 80% now. Just finished the several chapters where DQ and Sancho are with the duke and duchess, who create all sorts of crazy directed at the 2, simply for their..."

I really loved it when Sancho got the island! He meets with some very interesting people with unique problems. He solves these problems with wit ad wisdom.

I listened to the intro to this book by the professor at Yale (I gave the link earlier). He said that he first had this book read to him as a child. So I looked at this book differently than I would a Charles Dickens novel. I imagine that if you read it to a child as a bed time story you could enjoy it. I also think that reading it straight through was tedious at times.

Yes, I did like the part where Sancho gets his island...it showed him as so much more than a bumbling tag-a-long to DQ.

Totally agree about looking to read this as one would to a child...it's been a helpful approach for me. It's also why I didn't care for the first part of this 'adventure'...it seemed so mean spirited in how they made fun of DQ and SP, simply for their enjoyment. Can't see reading that to a child!

I finished!

So glad I stuck with it, but I think I agree with others...I liked Part I much better than Part II...
I gave it 3/5 stars...may have more to say after further reflection.
Now, just happy I'm done!!

Congrats Susie.

I too preferred part I to part II.

Susie wrote: "I'm still moving along...almost at 80% now. Just finished the several chapters where DQ and Sancho are with the duke and duchess, who create all sorts of crazy directed at the 2, simply for their..."

I'm about the same place at 83%. I agree with about not liking DQ's time with the Duke and Duchess. It all just seems very mean spirited to create all these senarios for him just for their enjoyment!!

I also liked part I better than part II.

Susie wrote: "I finished!

So glad I stuck with it, but I think I agree with others...I liked Part I much better than Part II...
I gave it 3/5 stars...may have more to say after further reflection.
Now, just h..."

Congrats Susie! I hope to be done within the next few days too!

Congrats to those that finished! And to those who have given up -- I wouldn't worry about it. Life is too short to spend on reads that are not enjoyable.

I finished this morning! I liked Part I better than Part II so I gave each a different rating! Part I 4/5 stars and Part II 2.5/5 stars.

It seemed to me that each part was written by someone else And DQ was a totally different character in each part. He was not so crazy in Part II and had much more saner moments. SP also had a larger role in Part II and the when he got his own island to rule showed him as compassionate and wise.

All in all it was an ok story, but if was to reread or recommend, I would advise just to stop at Part I.

Congratulations on the accomplishment! Good idea to rate the parts separately, as they were so different.

Fran, I feel as you do. It's as if two diff people wrote I and II.

In addition, I would also advise to stop at part one, if anyone wanted my opinion.

I find it kind of odd, that the two are always considered the same book, as they are two distinct works published 10 years apart. It's really more of a "Don Quijote" and a sequel "More about Don Quijote" isn't it.
I'm only in the first part of vol. 2, but all the references to the first vol. definitely makes it feel like a sequel.

I was looking to start rereading Don Quixote in the Grossman translationDon Quixote. I started to read the sample of the Grossman book compared to this one https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..., which I read. I thought her translation was not funny but tedious. Maybe too academic.

"practice himself all that he had read of as being the usual practices of knights-errant; righting every kind of wrong, and exposing himself to peril and danger from which, in the issue, he was to reap eternal renown and fame. Already the poor man saw himself crowned by the might of his arm Emperor of Trebizond at least; and so, led away by the intense enjoyment he found in these pleasant fancies, he set himself forthwith to put his scheme into execution." John Ormsby


"in everything he had read that knights errant engaged in, righting all manner of wrongs and, by seizing the opportunity and placing himself in danger and ending those wrongs, winning eternal renown and everlasting fame. The poor man imagined himself already wearing the crown, won by the valor of his arm,"
Grossman's translation


I wonder what translation you read andr what you rated this book?

I CONQUERED DON QUIJOTE!! It was a hard battle, but I won!

Anetq wrote: "I CONQUERED DON QUIJOTE!! It was a hard battle, but I won!"

Congratulations!

Anetq wrote: "I CONQUERED DON QUIJOTE!! It was a hard battle, but I won!"

Hooray & Congrats!

Anetq wrote: "I CONQUERED DON QUIJOTE!! It was a hard battle, but I won!"

For me this was a more difficult read than Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo or Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. It's probably the most difficult book I've read and actually liked. It's cool so many of us managed to finish it!