Reading the Chunksters discussion

Thoughts on this section?

I'm reading it today, but didn't want to hold anyone else up on commenting. I'll edit this post later to add a question for the week.

I'm on Chapter 19, so haven't quite finished the section...but I gotta say, man how can things get any worse for these poor guys? LOL...They have been beaten to within an inch of their lives, Sancho has been humiliated, they've had their belongings taken...DQ says it is the darkest before the dawn, and I hope he's right.

My jaw was on the floor at the scene where DQ and Sancho vomited all over each other. I just would never have expected such blatant "gross-out" comedy...Don't get me wrong, I laughed aloud -- It just caught me way off guard.

And then possibly even sadder than the treatment our heroes get, is the fact that Sancho finally seems to have lost faith in his master. I'm glad to see it happen, for Sancho's sake, but it's kind of sad at the same time. Even if they were both covered in each other's vomit at the time o_0

Still hoping to see Marcella again! She was a very interesting character and I think would round out the cast well, being a person who actually has her sh*t together :)

Will probably finish the section later today.

John wrote: "I'm on Chapter 19, so haven't quite finished the section...but I gotta say, man how can things get any worse for these poor guys? LOL...They have been beaten to within an inch of their lives, Sanch..."

Thanks for your descriptive summary. I will prepare myself for the "gross-out" section and make certain I am not enjoying a favorite snack during that time!! ;-)

Lisa wrote: "Thanks for your descriptive summary. I will prepare myself for the "gross-out" section and make certain I am not enjoying a favorite snack during that time!! ;-)"

Haha, well it turns out there's even more about body-functions later on in this section. Quite detailed. I think Cervantes would have gotten along well with my 7-year old! :D

But leaving aside the potty talk...how about the part where Sancho dubs DQ "The Knight of the Sorrowful Face", and Quixote basically says something like, "I think the narrator of our story gave you that idea"? Haha!

I agree, John that it is sad, but probably necessary that Sancho loses faith in his master.

As one not given to toilet humour, I found Sancho's relieving of himself hilariously funny. The description is perfect:

Continued ..."the main point was how to ease himself of this terrible burden without making a noise; to which purpose he clutched his teeth close, screwed up his face, shrunk up his shoulders, and held in his breath as much as possible: yet see what misfortunes attend the best projected undertakings! When he had almost compassed his design, he could not hinder an obstreperous sound, very different from those that caused his fear, from unluckily bursting out. 'Hark!' cried Don Quixote, who heard it, 'what noise is that, Sancho?' ...

This was one of my favourite scenes of this section too! The best about it might be that Quijote doesn't find out what was going on. He's is completely lost in his fantasy world.
If Pansa wasn't as avaricious he would have left his master, I guess. But he keeps on hoping for an aristocratic title and an island, of course. Indeed, his wishlist seems to renew while he learns from Quijote what to expect if his master succeeds in becoming famous.

Before, Sancho wanted to legitimately do well for his master to gain reward -- but (based on the interaction in the clearing -- with Sancho attempting to trick DQ into falling asleep, then tying Rocinante's legs together) it seems now that Sancho now fully realizes DQ's mental state, he is getting a little more cunning -- still hoping for the reward, but coming at the relationship from a more nefarious angle. His greed is the same, but the methods he's using to satisfy it have changed.

John wrote: "I'm on Chapter 19, so haven't quite finished the section...but I gotta say, man how can things get any worse for these poor guys? LOL...They have been beaten to within an inch of their lives, Sancho has been humiliated, they've had their belongings taken...DQ says it is the darkest before the dawn, and I hope he's right."

Ha ha! So I just came to this thread to basically post the exact same thing! I, too, am on chapter 19 (quite behind now...) but wanted to post about how I am wondering what else it going to happen with them? Is the rest of the book going to be more of them just getting beaten down again and again? DQ has already lost half an ear and a handful of teeth! How much more can they take?

As I've been reading, I keep thinking that I should underline the funny bits, but then I realize that I would end up underlining half the book. I'm constantly amazed at how often I'm laughing out loud. :)

John wrote: "how about the part where Sancho dubs DQ "The Knight of the Sorrowful Face", and Quixote basically says something like, "I think the narrator of our story gave you that idea"? Haha! "

Oh yes, I loved that part!! Funny DQ is directly referencing the narrator of his own life story! I wonder if he will, indeed, get his shield painted with a picture of a sorrowful face.

Linda wrote: "I wonder if he will, indeed, get his shield painted with a picture of a sorrowful face."
If Hollywood ever makes a "modernized" film adaptation, perhaps he would paint a bright yellow frowny-face on his t-shirt?

Speaking of which, it has occured to me many times now that I can really see why Terry Gilliam was so passionate about this story. The connections to his work and his sense of humor are pretty clear.

(For anyone who isn't aware, Gilliam tried for years to make an adaptation of Don Quixote, but the production was doomed -- the movie "Lost in La Mancha" documents the attempt, I have not seen it yet but will certainly watch it after reading DQ)

John wrote: "Speaking of which, it has occured to me many times now that I can really see why Terry Gilliam was so passionate about this story. The connections to his work and his sense of humor are pretty clear.

(For anyone who isn't aware, Gilliam tried for years to make an adaptation of Don Quixote, but the production was doomed -- the movie "Lost in La Mancha" documents the attempt, I have not seen it yet but will certainly watch it after reading DQ) "

I have been meaning to see if any DQ movies had been made, I don't remember hearing about any (although DQ had not been on my radar until this group voted to read it...). Terry Gilliam would be a wonderful director for such a movie!! I just looked up the plot and it sounds awesome. It sounds like a movie within a movie.

An advertising executive jumps back and forth in time between 21st century London and 17th century La Mancha, where Don Quixote mistakes him for Sancho Panza.

And now I will be sure to check out the Lost in La Mancha movie after reading DQ. Thanks for the info, John!

And I love the idea of a bright yellow frowny-face t-shirt for DQ. Too funny!

John wrote: "Linda wrote: "I wonder if he will, indeed, get his shield painted with a picture of a sorrowful face."
If Hollywood ever makes a "modernized" film adaptation, perhaps he would paint a bright yellow..."

Lost in La Mancha has been on my wishlist for ages! Now I almost forgot about it; I will set up a reminder to myself for autumn to buy the DVD ;)

Also, over at IMDb The man who killed Don Quijote has been set to pre-production again recently (May 12th)... So Gilliam might be giving it another try! The storyline sounds intriguing:

"An advertising executive jumps back and forth in time between 21st century London and 17th century La Mancha, where Don Quixote mistakes him for Sancho Panza."

I'd love to see this. But only with Terry Gilliam in the director's seat.

John wrote: "Haha, well it turns out there's even more about body-functions later on in this section. Quite detailed. I think Cervantes would have gotten along well with my 7-year old! :D"

Pretty funny. I read aloud the vomiting scene to MY 7-year old son and he was rolling with laughter. :)

All the scatology surprised me as well. I'm finding DQ's adventures slapstick funny, but also kinda sad. He is, after all, completely delusional. In the midst of all the high jinks is genuine mayhem, slaughtered livestock, and a guy who is getting the snot beaten out of him for being crazy. I know, I know. I need to suspend my belief a little further and go with the flow, but the reality is there for me beneath every scene.

John wrote: "Speaking of which, it has occured to me many times now that I can really see why Terry Gilliam was so passionate about this story. The connections to his work and his sense of humor are pretty clear.

(For anyone who isn't aware, Gilliam tried for years to make an adaptation of Don Quixote, but the production was doomed -- the movie "Lost in La Mancha" documents the attempt, I have not seen it yet but will certainly watch it after reading DQ)"

John - not sure if you had gotten to watching "Lost in La Mancha" yet, or if you were still holding off until you finished DQ, but I just came across this article in Salon about Terry Gilliam and he mentions resuming filming next spring:

http://www.salon.com/2014/09/19/terry...

I’m hearing rumors that you may finally make the Don Quixote film! What’s the level of truth or fiction there?

Yep. Well, we’ve postponed it. I was planning to shoot it in October this year, but because of the Python reunion show, I postponed it. The two lead actors, their agents and the producer are in discussion as we speak. And yeah, the plan is to be shooting it next springtime. We have locations in the Canary Islands already. I’m assuming we’re going to make it. I’m just suspending all my disbelief. [Laughs.]