Product Description

Cervantes' tale of the deranged gentleman who turns knight-errant, tilts at windmills and battles with sheep in the service of the lady of his dreams, Dulcinea del Toboso, has fascinated generations of readers, and inspired other creative artists such as Flaubert, Picasso and Richard Strauss. The tall, thin knight and his short, fat squire, Sancho Panza, have found their way into films, cartoons and even computer games. Supposedly intended as a parody of the most popular escapist fiction of the day, the 'books of chivalry', this precursor of the modern novel broadened and deepened into a sophisticated, comic account of the contradictions of human nature. Cervantes' greatest work can be enjoyed on many levels, all suffused with a subtle irony that reaches out to encompass the reader.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8185 in Books
• Published on: 1992-05-01
• Original language: Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 800 pages

About the Author
Translated by Charles Jarvis, and edited with an Introduction by E. C. Riley, Professor Emeritus of Hispanic Studies, University of Edinburgh

Customer Reviews

Ultimately satisfying
I came to this book knowing very little, and at first found it quite hard going. But once I got into it, I became determined to make it to the end, and I was glad I did. It's split into two volumes, and the second is quite different in style and content to the first. Whereas in the first part we follow Quixote & Sancho on their misadventures through Spain, with LONG diversions into the lives of minor characters (almost like mini-novels within the full text and filled with outrageous coincidences), the second part deals mainly with characters who have actually read the first volume and decide to play along with the duo's delusions and have some fun at their expense. Both Quixote & Sancho change a lot through this second volume, going to some truly unexpected places (especially Sancho on his "island").

By the time the final chapter came to a close, my opinion was one hundred percent positive, and I shall definitely re-read it one day (when I have a lot of free time!)

The original comedy double act
'DQ' is the story of an old man (Don Quixote) who, having read one too many books about knights of old, goes a little potty and starts believing that he is a knight. He ropes a hapless neighbour (Sancho Panza) into service as his squire and together they go off seeking adventure and fortune. Quixote's madness turns windmills into giants and flocks of sheep into armies, and a peasant woman into the princess for whom he performs his deeds. Along the way they meet a series of people, most of whom exploit Quixote's madness by playing practical jokes and sending him on fool's errands. All the while his friends and family try to entice him back to his home and away from his madness.
Quixote and Panza are the original comedy double act (stupid but thinks he is clever, and stupid but knows it, respectively), and the pair's exploits are genuinely funny. Much of the comedy is slapstick (them getting beaten black and blue) with a good dose of toilet humour thrown in. In addition there is some great dialogue, largely centring on Sancho's attempts at wisdom. This is not merely funny for a four hundred year old book, it is just plain funny. Sancho in particular is a brilliant creation, and the book becomes more about him than Quixote by the end. The first book describes their initial sorties, the second describes their travels after they had become famous (due to the publication of the first book). I like this blurring of fiction and reality, and 'DQ' is the earliest example that I have come across.
However, there are flaws in this book. Cervantes frequently uses the introduction of new characters to get side-tracked into unrelated narratives, which starts to get annoying because they add little or nothing to the book. Cervantes, to his credit, seems to have realised this because in the second book he chastises the fictional author if Quixote's history (called Cid Benengali Hamed) for these mistakes. In addition, the book is very long and it is sometimes hard to see what some of the episodes add to it. Cervantes style improves immeasurably in the second book, probably due to the criticisms of the first book that he himself outlines, so it is definitely worth persevering if you are struggling. By the end he even introduces a tragic element, which is beautifully told; well enough to leave a lump in the throat. Although it is largely comic, the novel definitely has some depth, largely due to the utter believability of its two main characters, who feel very familiar by the end. (In addition I would recommend the translation by Tobias Smollett, which is very accessible but retains the Olde Worlde feel of the setting very nicely). It is an excellent read, funny and vivid, and not at all intimidating despite its size and age. Go on, try it.

A must.
Don Quixote's adventures are a must read by almost anyone. The book is one of the masterpieces of world literature: funny but full of bitter moments, simple but full of interpretations and second meanings... However, all potential readers should be aware of the fact that it was written centuries ago: A reader form NYC found it "boring"... Well, he probably has the same thoughts about Shakespeare's Hamlet, that is also written in a "peculiar" form of English and with a different tempo to, say, Crichton's novels :-).