Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Don Quixote
Book Review: Humanities Crowning Literary Achievement
Summary: 5 Stars
No other writing encompasses as much ground as this novel. It is the story of bravery in the face of unsurmountable odds.
Alonso Quixano was a man who loved to read. He particularly loved books on Knights and their passion for helping others. The Don took his stories of Knightly heroism so seriously that he believed that he too could right society's wrongs and revive humanity. He followed the ethical codes of Knighthood and convinced a local man, Sancho Panza, to join him in his quest.
Throughout the first part of the novel, they come across many adventures where they valiantly attempt to help others. He travels thoughout Spain to help all he comes across, in the name of his fair maiden Dulcinea del Toboso, who is really a peasant girl who the Don has never seen, but understands that all Knights must have a woman who they fight for, and he has created this imaginary woman as a result. They fail many times in their adventures, and during those times when they do succeed, they are rarely ever appreciated, and ridiculed as a result.
The second part includes similiar adventures, but is also more serious, especially with the conversations between the Don and Sancho. Their downfalls are more painful, and because they have become well-known in Spain as a result of their adventures being printed, the people they come across pretend that they need rescuing, with terrible results, or knowingly play tricks on them to deride their cause.
The Don's good friends begin to see that he has suffered greatly with his efforts, and one of them challenges the Don to a duel. The loser is faced with permanent retirement of Knight-Errantry. Because a Knight never backs down from a challenge, the Don accepts this match and is defeated. The Don admits defeat, and sorrowfully retreats home.
The Don becomes ill, but it is not said as to why. Cervantes himself is unsure, but nonetheless, the Don Quixote becomes very sick and is bed-ridden. Sancho never leaves his side, and the Don regains his, "sanity", realizing that his adventures were futile. He apologizes to a weeping Sancho for causing him to follow his, "illusional" quest for righting wrongs. The Don says goodbye to all and perishes in his bed.
The novel is so vast, that many interpretations and meanings can be concluded as a result.
It is a comedy, a love story, an adventure, a mystery, and ultimately, a tragedy all in one. It comprises every human emotion known to man. It is incredibly detailed with well-defined characters and a contemplation of the present and it's meaning throughout.
Don Quixote went from a man who was laughed and scoffed at in the beginning of the novel, into a man who was well-respected and admired for his bravery. Only in his death did everyone realize that the Don had a great vision. His vision was to help humanity and those who were in need. The greatest gift the Don possessed was the gift of honor. His moral code never wavered, no matter how dire the circumstances.
Finishing the novel, you realize that humanity as a whole is often quite cynical, and rarely does it attempt to change the things which are wrong in the world. When one encounters someone who tries to help others, they are laughed atm like the Don. The greatest moral one can take from this book is to appreciate the Don's bravery, and see that even though the Don may have believed deep-down inside that his many adventures would not be victorious, it was his attempt in the face of defeat that makes him the hero he was.
Book Review: I Think I Might have the 21st translation
Summary: 2 Stars
The reviewer says there are 20 translations of the original, but I think I may have found another one on my bookshelf. I probably won't get past the first few pages since a synopsis told me he ends his life a "sane, but broken man". Literature is great, but I would rather not stick this one out for the ending.Book Review: Important Literature...
Summary: 3 Stars
I must apologize in advance for giving such an important work of literature 3 stars. This book is unquestionably one of the greatest works of literature. I have no criticism for the book in that regard.
This book was entertaining at times and very innovative. It was full of humor, drama, and bits of wisdom. However, it left me bored after the first few hundred pages. I kept with the book to the end, but it was hard to keep trucking since it seemed to be much of the same thing over and over again. Also, I ended up enjoying Don Quixote's sidekick, Sancho Panza more that Don Quixote himself. This is definitely one case where I'd recommend an abridged version over the full version. For this book, there is no need to read the full 940 pages as half that much would do the trick.
Book Review: Introduction's Disappointing
Summary: 4 Stars
Don Quixote's an incredible tale and the translation is good. However, Bloom's introduction does no service to this edition. I'd hoped for a literary host to open up the tale to me in new ways, and frankly expected such from Bloom. Alas, it's an obfuscation rather than an introduction. If you're needing a quality introduction look elsewhere. If you don't need one, then Grossman's translation will delight you well enough.
Book Review: Medieval Borat
Summary: 1 Stars
"Don Quixote" is a classic in it's own right and incredibly well written. From that perspective it is a novel worth reading and I don't want to discourage anyone from giving it a try, especially if you're one of the few people who thoroughly enjoys reading as I do. Cervantes is a very gifted writer.
I guess I just don't get it. Yes, I understand the book has a much broader meaning than the literal adventures of a deranged "knight" (i.e. exposing social customs as learned, trivial, and sometimes fragile when challenged, all this accomplished through an 'out-of-period' character). What I don't get is the "humor" everyone keeps talking about. I didn't find this book to be in the least bit amusing. In fact, I found it to be incredibly lame and borderline offensively stupid. I don't care if the book is a witty social satire; there are plenty of other writers who accomplish the same goal by far less annoying and more clever means. Each adventure is tedious, repititious, and inane...and there's over 500 pages of it! Half-way through the novel I wanted someone to kill Don Quixote to end the "adventure" - he deserved it. Throughout the novel he accosts innocent bystanders, spews chivalric nonsense to them, and then carries out some ill-contrived, stupid and predictable plot on them - and in some cases causes them physical harm. Does this sound funny to you? I guess if you think jacking with people who mind their own business is funny then you would - like all those a-holes who thought "Borat" was so hysterical. I don't mean to compare a piece of classic literature like "Don Quixote" directly to a piece of garbage like "Borat", but there are similarities in that vein. Quixote's most famous "adventure" is when he charges a windmill, which he believes is a giant. Yes, he charges the windmill and the sail, predictably, knocks him off his horse. Yeah, that's it. That was an exciting page and a half out of 500+..and Clark W. Griswold stepped on wooden planks in his attic, which repeatedly struck him in his face..again..and again. Pretty hilarious.
This novel was not for me - maybe you'll think it's funny. I don't.