Reading with E. discussion

I would be down for this if I didn’t just start a group read of House of Leaves :(

I am on board. Might push me to start reading again. Got it all downloaded.

Kristyn said I should do this. I’m a little scared. Is it a tough read? Also Kristyn now says she was joking. Lol

I am excited about this! I don’t know why I never finished it. I have read the first few chapters and enjoyed it, but there were always other books calling my name.

Hey there, I’m in. Actually started it a couple a weeks ago but am only a chapter in.

E, well technically I joined your group read of House of Leaves way back when, but I dropped out, lol.

I'm in! Excited - I think the last thing you and I BR'd was THE KITE RUNNER several.... several years ago lol

Sounds good, I have dug out my copy. ready and rearing to go!

Bought a copy for kindle. Is this one of those hopeless quest books that people start and don't finish?

Edward wrote: "Yay! Good to see you here, Nettles ❤️"
😘

Long time bookworm, 1st time buddy-reader. Curious as to how this will work.

Also. what editions are folks reading? Just curious. I’ve got the Penguin Classics version translated by John Rutherford.

Casey wrote: "Also. what editions are folks reading? Just curious. I’ve got the Penguin Classics version translated by John Rutherford."

My copy is part of the Viking Portable Library's THE PORTABLE CERVANTES, translated by Samuel Putnam.

Cackling at myself this morning - I'd taken the book off the shelf last night and set it on the stack with my other reads in preparation for Tuesday, and thought, "It's not THAT big."

Double-checked this morning and... I'd picked up Ivanhoe instead.

Swapping it for the proper book this time, I said, "Welp... yeah this is big enough."

And Tuesday sounds good! Gives me time to wrap up Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race tonight.

I also got the Penguin Classics version translated by John Rutherford.
Probably minimal difference in other translations.

Are we starting on the prologue or on chapter 1?

I apparently have the annotated version for kindle. It was .99 and I am broke, lol.

It is definitely a prologue that stands out, I liked the part of the sonnets, basically “just write them yourself and make up some names”

Was a bit surprised at how funny this is supposed to be. Always appreciate a good lampooning.

Yep, didn’t realize that till I read the forward.

Edward wrote: "Casey wrote: "Was a bit surprised at how funny this is supposed to be. Always appreciate a good lampooning."

This is, technically, a comedy, or so I've been told."

It is a satire of knight & adventure novels. In Spain, it is still a compulsory read in high-school, and I much liked it though some parts were pretty stiff, and my edition had around 20 footnotes / page. I don’t think I’ll be able to join in, I have a very long tbr list and the only edition I have is in spanish.

Cheers anyways!

Alas, my edition is abridged. We'll see how this goes.

I loved the sheer amount of references suggested in the prologue - "if you want this, talk about this!" and I have to keep reminding myself that Cervantes is pre-Shakespeare.

My copy did not have the prologue. :( I feel as though I am missing out!

Nettie wrote: "My copy did not have the prologue. :( I feel as though I am missing out!"

Nettie, you can find Don Quixote on Project Gutenberg's website, and the prologue (or Author's Preface, as it's called there) is included :)

Ashley Marie wrote: "Nettie wrote: "My copy did not have the prologue. :( I feel as though I am missing out!"

Nettie, you can find Don Quixote on Project Gutenberg's website, and the prologue (or Author's Preface, as ..."

Thank you for telling me this! I'm going to go look now!

E I think I might have been the only one in the house of leaves group read to finish. Lol. I hope someday you can finish it. It was amazing

I have the Edith Grossman translation

I just got the book so I’m one day behind. Chapter 1 today?

I just got my book today, but read chapters 1 and 2. I didn’t see a prologue. I guess I am a day ahead.

My favorite quote of chapter one, which I dog-eared for reference:

In short, our gentleman became so immersed in his own reading that he spent whole nights from sundown to sunup and his days from dawn to dusk in poring over his books, until, finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.

I feel like this could apply to so many of us, lmao

He spent a week making a faceguard out of cardboard for his helmet. a week!
He also takes a week for coming up with a name for himself. I am thinking he must be hell to play D&D with, character creation would take months!

Aldonza about to be vexed by a crazy guy. I await shenanigans.

Katrina wrote: "I just got my book today, but read chapters 1 and 2. I didn’t see a prologue. I guess I am a day ahead."

I didn't have a prologue either, but Ashley Marie mentioned Project Gutenberg and I was able to read it there.

First time around here, and first time doing a buddy read like this... first of all Hey! Just caught up and read chapter 2 - loving it so far, but could someone get this guy a helmet with a proper visor lmao

I’m having a similar reaction. Was expecting something a bit dryer but am finding it really funny and easy to read. It’s also a touch sad. I know it’s played for laughs and not tragedy but poor Don Quixote is so out of touch with reality it makes me feel a little sad for him.

I am finding this book very funny, not dry at all. Yes, a bit sad, but that's what happens when you read alot of romantic chivalry books!

That moment when the ladies of the district and the innkeeper collectively think, "The hell is this?"

And then they end up having to feed him bc his helmet won't come off.

He's got a very high-maintenance imagination lol

Ashley Marie wrote: "And then they end up having to feed him bc his helmet won't come off.

He's got a very high-maintenance imagination lol"

Pretty much!

You should never touch a man's armour!

So I like that the innkeeper was willing to play along, that was fun.

The two guys he knocked silly sure did not put up much of a fight. He is in for a rude awakening later on.

In todays chapter: his calculations of what the farmer owes the servant is off by 10. Don Quixote is not good at maths and he sure gets a beating.

Felt bad for the servant. I hope he gets revenge.

Also, got to this line and definitely read it as 'Murica.

"...on their way to buy silk at Murcia."

I'm crossing my fingers that the farmer/servant thing comes back to bite Don Quixote and the servant is able to track him down. I need that confrontation lol

Ok, they better not touch his books!

Oh, I thought mentioning burning the books was great. Illustrates the fear of the affects imagination and knowledge have on people. While it burning them seems like an overreaction, their friend has been missing for three days and arrives home beaten and bruised. So maybe their concern about the books is valid. I’d rather see them packed up and hidden than burned though.

I find myself wanting to read more than one chapter a day.
Quixote's antics are funny, but I am also starting to feel bad at the fragile state of his mind.

His insanity fades away in the 2nd part. Unless I’m misreading the footnotes. Will be interesting to see how he manages.

So, Sancho’s wife is not astute enough to be a queen, but he is perfectly capable? Didn’t he just ride off to govern an island on the word of someone who is suffering delusions?

The priest seems rather well read when it comes to the books they want to burn!