March 2, 2007
Having finished Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Educated Mind a few days ago, I thought this was interesting: Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote is the very first book on Bauer’s suggested reading list. Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered with Don Quixote (not yet, anyway), but Bauer’s insightful book actually made me excited to read it. But, thanks to Sam Jordison, all my fears about the book have come flooding back. Maybe I’ll wait, at least until I become obsessed with reading it.
One of the reasons I’m so sure that few people have actually got much beyond the opening stages of the book is the fact that the only episode anyone ever quotes—the famous incident of the tilting at windmills—is in the very first chapter. Are there really no memorable incidents in the ensuing 900-plus pages? Or is it just that no one else has managed to read them, either?
I think the latter: especially since after the windmills episode there just seem to be hundreds of pages involving dozens of complex (but singularly unfunny) retellings of the same joke viz: Don Quixote is deluded so he gets beaten like a gong—repeatedly—by bullies in every part of Spain. Oh, and his horse is sick and old. Boom, boom.
[...]
However, as I’ve already noted, I still haven’t finished the damn thing. On this second attempt I initially stalled because I went on holiday and the great slab of a book was just too heavy to carry with me. Then six months passed before I remembered to take it up again. The next time, I’m sad to admit, I just grew tired. I reached a 110-page digression about a mad hermit who was starving himself on the side of a hill for the sake of lost love … and I lost the will to continue.
Another six months have gone by, and when I recently flew off for a break in America I was glad to leave Cervantes on the shelf. Even so, the book still plays on my mind sometimes. I don’t like that feeling of defeat and I’m seriously considering taking it up again when I get back. …
Actually, maybe things aren’t as discouraging as you might think: Jordison writes, “[T]he book still plays on my mind sometimes,” which is usually a good thing, even if you don’t necessarily like the book (or think you’ll ever finish it). One of the things that drives me as a reader is my search for the truly memorable books. Some books I finish with a sigh of relief and the feeling that I’ve just been allowed to breathe; others I simply turn the last page and set aside without giving it another thought; then there are those rare books that lodge in my brain, that conjure up certain images and emotions with the mere mention of a title, plot, or characters. That’s a lot more than most books can accomplish.
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1.
Ted | March 2, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I have to disagree. I just finished reading Don Quixote and I found that the entirety of the book was absolutely delightful. Some parts are less exciting than others, but it’s all wonderful.
2.
Stefanie | March 2, 2007 at 4:18 pm
I agree with Ted. Don’t be frighened off from DQ, it is worth the time and effort. There are slow parts for sure, but over all, it is one of those books you don’t forget.
3.
Danielle | March 2, 2007 at 8:02 pm
I am planning on reading this one this year. I think there will be a group reading it, if you want to join in! I’m not sure I could read this on my own for some reason, but I guess I will be finding out.
4.
Nonanon | March 2, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Hmm. Can’t say I ever gave a whole lot of thought to reading Don Quixote, I must admit. It’s really more than 900 pages? Hm. I think I know what I’d remember about it…way too long! Perhaps I should stay away from it.
Of course the truly memorable books are few and far between, and it’s a good thing. Can you imagine how much of life we’d stop living if every book encounter was that rewarding? I already want to quit my job…if every book reliably conjured up images and thoughts and stayed with me, why bother leaving the house? I mean, ever? (Consider that my long-winded ode to World Book Day.)
5.
Brandon | March 2, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Ted: That’s a great review! Thanks for me letting me know about it.
Stefanie: Thanks for your input. I groaned inwardly when I read this blog post–the last thing I need to hear is that “Don Quixote” is boring and unfinishable–but now I think I’ll tackle it sooner rather than later.
Danielle: You’ll have to let me know about the group reading. Sometimes it helps to have others reading with you, sharing insights and pushing each other along. And “Don Quixote” seems like a book that would require more than self-motivation to get through.
Nonanon: I agree that it’s good that the great books only come along every now and then. Reading a bad or a mediocre book helps put things into perspective. I find that light reading is a good way to give my brain a rest; when I finish a dumb, brainless book, it makes me more excited to get to the really good stuff. You can’t appreciate the REALLY good, expensive restaurants without second-rate and fast-food restaurants to compare them to. That’s why I like variety in my reading diet: I cant live entirely on gourmet cuisines any more than I can live on McDonald’s. I like them both for different reasons.
6.
Dorothy W. | March 3, 2007 at 6:38 am
I’m planning on reading DQ this summer — I may do a quick post about getting a group together — do join in!
7.
Andi | March 3, 2007 at 9:03 am
I’m probably in a distinct minority, but I’ve never had any inkling to read Don Quixote. No urges, no ticklings of want. Nothin’. And I have an M.A. in English. Perhaps something is wrong with me.
Oh well.
8.
Brandon | March 3, 2007 at 9:37 am
Dorothy: I’d love to join in. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for your post.
Andi: Like you, I’d never been interested in reading “Don Quixote.” I always thought, “Eh. If I do, I do. If not, no loss here.” But after reading Susan Wise Bauer’s “The Well-Educated Mind,” a book I’d recommend for any reader, whether you have a PhD or a just a high school diploma, I’m not as afraid of the Great Books as I once was. Bauer’s book did a lot of dispel the trepidation I’ve had concerning “Don Quixote,” Herodotus, and poetry (among other genres and books). Of course, I’m not saying you HAVE to read it–for me to read any book, especially a book like “Don Quixote,” I have to be obsessed with it. I can’t approach books like this thinking, “Okay, I’m going to read it just to say I’ve read it.” But hey, it looks like there might be a “Don Quixote” group, so maybe reading some posts on it will get you interested!
9.
jess | March 5, 2007 at 1:18 am
As always, I’m late with this comment, but I would love to join in a Don Quixote read this year. I’ve often thought about tackling it but I think I need the motivation of a group to get all the way through!
10.
Adam S. | March 5, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I own a copy of Don Quixote, I have for years. Along with The Illiad and Great Expectations: classics I want to read but can’t because I fear it’ll take me a month and I’m a ‘one book at a time’ type of guy.
11.
Brandon | March 6, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Jess: Do join in! I just ordered my copy (the Walter Starkie translation) and I’ll be diving right in. Dorothy is going to be setting up the blog sometime soon.
Adam: I understand how you feel. I can’t read more than two or three books at once and if a book takes me longer than a month (like “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” has for me), I start getting restless, feeling like I’m not accomplishing much. But “Don Quixote” seems like one of those books that takes more than self-motivation to get through, so I’m glad that so many are interested in reading it together. I hope you’ll join us.
12.
Adam S. | March 7, 2007 at 1:36 am
Oh, if we’re doing a book group reading of Don Quixote that’d be interesting. I don’t know if I should stick with my translation, though (Penguin Classics, I believe).