GROUP READ: Don Quixote - Part 1, Book 1

This thread is for comments/discussion related to Part 1, Book 1. It should be 8 chapters long and we're hoping to complete it in January.

Discussion Questions:
#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.?

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing?

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? ;-)

#4 Initial impressions of the first book.

#5 I am curious what other people thought of the incident with the library and how the niece and housekeeper explained it to DQ. Couldn’t they have handled that a little better? (from message 15)

#6 my impression is that Cervantes means for this to be a satirical complaint against books of chivalry (in other words, I'm under the impression he disapproves of them?). In that case, do you think he meant the burning to be a sensible act performed not nonsensical people? (from message 17)

Links:
A discussion of different translations: http://quixote.mse.jhu.edu/Translation.html
Daily Lit: http://www.dailylit.com/authors/miguel-de-cervantes
The Polyglot Project: http://www.polyglotproject.com/books/Spanish/don_quijote

I had read that Don Quixote was funny but I did wonder if some of that would be lost on me given that it was written so long ago. I read the first two chapters today and though I did not laugh out loud enjoyed the content greatly.

I decided to make Chronicle of Don Florisel de Niquea the first book on my never read list after the quote below from Chapter 1

"The reason of the unreason that afflicts my reason, in such a manner weakens my reason that I with reason lament me of your comeliness"

I think I would rather taken on Finnegans Wake

Ow! That quote made my brain hurt.

fmgee - Agreed about that quote! I can see how pondering sentences like that would make one insane!

I thought I'd encourage everyone to add any questions for the group, links to outside articles (I know there are tons on DQ), favorite quotes, comments, etc.

I set up the threads since I suggested the group read, but I'm not a good discussion leader so I'm hoping everyone will help the group along! I'll post questions as they occur to me to stimulate discussion and I'm sure we'd all love it if others would do the same. If you have a specific discussion question that you'd like to propose that relates to the section in the thread, please number it so that we can refer to the number in our post. I'll keep a spot open at the top of each thread to catalog any questions and links that occur throughout the thread.

Thanks!

#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.?

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing?

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? ;-)

#4 Initial impressions of the first book.

1. This is my first reading. I was afraid that the language would be an older style that would slow me down, making a dauntingly large book even more daunting. One day I opened the book to a random page and was pleasantly surprised to find out it wasn't.

2. I downloaded the Ormsby version for free on my Kindle. I planned to switch to the Grossman version if I didn't like the Ormsby but I'm doing well with Ormsby.

3. DQ has been a slight niggle in the back of my brain since the first time I saw the movie version of Man of La Mancha. The Grossman book is in my library and has beckoned me with its bright red cover for a couple of years.

4. It's not as difficult to read as I feared and I am enjoying it. I only wish that the Kindle dictionary could define all of the archaic words that I come across. For the most part I can understand without knowing exactly what a word might mean but it would be nice to know. I had to take a break when I came down with a cold and my brain filled with unmentionable mush. I think I'll let everyone catch up now.

I am pretty much on the same page as Mamzel.
1. My 1st reading--it's easier to read than I thought it would be.
2. I am also doing the free Ormsby on the Kindle. I sampled the Grossman on my Kindle, and actually found the Ormsby a wee bit more readable.
3. I always loved They Might Be Giants (the Movie) and so have wanted to read DQ for that reason.
4. It's pretty funny, I really loved the scene in the inn.

You'll have to forgive me for answering some of the questions before starting the book...

I tried reading Don Quixote when I was a teenager. I remember really liking the story and thinking it was funny, but the book was so long that I finally gave up about half-way through. I've always regretted that. A few years ago, I came across the soundtrack to the musical Man of La Mancha and absolutely loved it. That made me want to read it again. I'm happy to participate in this group since we'll take a year to read it. :)

I did some research into why people prefer the Ormsby or the Grossman translation. It seems that literary historians hate the Grossman version because she is "ignorant and naive." There are several versions of the original book in Spanish and she apparently chose the wrong one. On the other hand, her translation is (apparently) into "modern" English and is therefore more readable to the inexperienced modern reader. However, since both mamzel and banjo123 think the Ormsby version is very readable, I'm sure it is! I have a sneaking suspicion that the copy I started years ago was Ormsby, so I think I might just go with Grossman just in case. Anyway, I own a Nook, and Ormsby costs ME a whopping 99c.

I seem to be a little behind in my reading, so hopefully I'll catch up soon. I'm reading too many books at once. I definitely remember laughing at that scene at the inn, though. :)

1. I attempted to read DQ a couple of years ago. I got through the first part, but I wasn't very engaged and barely remember what I read. My expectations for this time around are that I will find parts engaging and funny and parts to be a bit of a slog to get through. I'm hoping a different translation helps.

2. I've only read a couple of chapters, but I like the Grossman translation so far. In her introduction, she says that when Cervantes wrote DQ, he used very modern, vernacular spanish, so she thinks (and I agree so far) that a modern english translation is appropriate. The previous translation I read (smollett) definitely had an older english feel (it was done in the 18th cent) and I think it really held me back. I am considering downloading the Ormsby translation on my kindle to compare/contrast occasional passages. If I'm going to read this over a year, I might as well really think about it!

3. DQ has only been on my radar to read for about 5 years. Before that I thought of it as something written a long time ago that people talk about but don't really read. LT has changed my opinions on lots of books for the better!

4. I haven't read enough yet to say initial impressions!

Anyone else have any questions/comments springing to mind?

When I was in high school, they finally had enough of us interested to offer a Spanish III class. It was mostly Spanish literature. We read Don Quixote back then and loved it. We would discuss the sections as we read them. It was a lot of fun doing it that way.

#1 Yep this is my first attempt. I seemed to know that the book was funny and also older than everything I read so I was a little unsure about the readability.

#2 I have the Putnam translation for the simple reason that I liked the book. Hardcover, good font size and with some space between the lines as well as reasonable paper quality. I figured if I was going to take the plunge I needed something easy on the eyes. Odd that I did not think about translations but I am certainly happy with what I got.

#3 this is odd but DQ has only just arrived on my TBR pile. I knew of the book but did not know a lot until I read about it in The Novel 100 where it ranked as the greatest novel of all time. I was impressed by what I read there (unlike some other "greatest novels") and decided to get a copy to weigh down the shelves for a few years until I was ready. This group read meant it never actually got to the bookshelf as I decided to jump straight in.

#4 I am please with how easy it is to read. I know it might be a bit of a slog at times (like some of Chapter 6 that I just read today) but that in general it should go well.

A couple of interesting ways to read DQ:
DailyLit.com
The Polyglot Project

I found the Ormsby translation at Project Gutenburg, and grabbed a Spanish version, too.

I've enjoyed other books with Daily Lit. I also took a class in French history from them.

#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.? This is my first reading of Don Quixote. I've always been wary of starting this book because of its thickness. I've always assumed it would be a slow and dull read.

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing? I've chosen the Grossman translation and I like it so far. It's not overly flowery. Before choosing this translation, I did some research online for the "best translation of Don Quixote" and this was the version most recommended by others.

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? ;-) Don Quixote has been on my TBR pile since high school essentially (when I first learned about it), so almost 15 years. Yikes.

#4 Initial impressions of the first book. After spending the past week with my ailing grandmother (she's 93), I think my perspective is a bit biased. Instead of finding DQ's exploits humorous, I seem to be finding them sad, like an elderly gentlemen with Alzheimer's being abused by the society he lives in. And on that sad note, I'll put the book aside til next month when I hopefully have a clearer head.

>14 Jacksonian: Yeah, I think it's sad that people are taking advantage of DQ's insanity...but (if you look at it in a "realisitc" light instead of a "satirical" light) also note that DQ is behaving very dangerously. If he weren't so clumsy he'd likely kill a lot of people. He's also endangering himself and Sancho. He's a dangerous insane person and needs a clear-minded and loving individual to take care of him. It keeps me happier to think of it in a satirical light. :)

Are we allowed spoilers yet?

I am curious what other people thought of the incident with the library and how the niece and housekeeper explained it to DQ. Couldn’t they have handled that a little better?

Are we allowed spoilers yet?

My opinion is that any discussion pertaining to book 1 is fair game on this thread and not to worry about spoilers. That way we can have good discussion as we go.

I haven't read much of DQ yet since I'm also reading The Count of Monte Cristo which is also really long. I will definitely get to it before the end of january though!

Ah! Well in that case I just want to say that I cringed when they burnt up all those books. Ouch! But I bet I'm not the only one who cringed about that. ;) I wondered when I read that, though: my impression is that Cervantes means for this to be a satirical complaint against books of chivalry (in other words, I'm under the impression he disapproves of them?). In that case, do you think he meant the burning to be a sensible act performed not nonsensical people? I would like to think he believed it was as horrible as I did!

While book burning brings out outrage in a community such as ours, they were responsible for D.Q.'s break with reality. We wouldn't be so upset about removing a moldy wall, asbestos insulation, or poisonous plants if they were endangering our family. I thought it was cool that they kept some of them.

Cervantes was against all those books of chivalry but obviously thought that some should be kept, maybe to remind people about how dangerous they were.

Yes, but it seems that if their object was to remove DQ from the fantasies which endangered him, then it was rather ill-advised to THEN tell him that a wizard had swooped down and taken his library--room and all. So they may have been performing a sensible act in Cervantes' mind, but they clearly weren't sensible people. :)

I thought they were very flippant with how they chose the books to burn and quickly grew bored of what they were doing. The_hibenator makes a good point that they encouraged Don Quixotes madness by telling him a wizard was involved. He then goes on to blame the wizard for turning the giants into windmills in the final chapter of this section so if anything the burning of the books may have encouraged Don Quixote! I think the book burning was there to set out what Cervantes planned to do by providing examples of what he was going to mock.

I am enjoying Sancho's dialogue and the fact that he tried to get the spoils he deserved in the battle with the monk.

I think that the niece is very annoying. Cervantes is great at creating characters--she feels exactly like someone I've met.
I can't believe the windmills were so early in the book. It's a great scene, but kind of a letdown to be through it already.

DQ really gives a reminder of how often we all pay more attention to what is going on in our heads than to the real world.

Just read this MLK quote, it seems apropos of our O and C discussion:
When we take a look at modern man, we are forced to face the fact that modern man suffers from a poverty of the spirit that stands in glaring contrast to his scientific and technological abundance.
We've learned to fly the air like birds, we've learned to swim the seas like fish and yet we haven't learned to walk the earth as brothers and sisters.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Discussion Questions:
#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.?
I'm enjoying it more than I thought. It's enjoyable to read. I wish I wouldn't have read all of the intro material, except for the author's preface.

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing? This didn't play into my decision. I just picked whichever version was free on my Kobo.

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? I had it on my list from last year, so not too long.

#4 Initial impressions of the first book.

It's lighter than I expected. I haven't seen any musicals or movies based on this, so I don't know just how over the top DQ is supposed to be. I thought he went from having a grasp on reality to insanity (or complete dedication to his quest, whatever you want to call it) very quickly.

I'm still just starting, but I am amused by the thought that reading books could make you mad. I hope I'm not in trouble! I occurred to me to wonder if there could be a modern-day parallel with playing violent video games or listening to violent music and the correlation to violence? It's interesting to think that media could actually alter a person's mind but is not something that I really believe in. Of course, I believe Cervantes is using the image for humor and satire and not to preach against reading, but still, it got me thinking.

Late to the party - managed to finish book 1 this evening so maybe not quite so late..... more fashionably on time! ;-)

Discussion Questions:

#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.? Yes. I am finding it to be more entertaining and easier to read than I had imagined it would be. It is a bit of a page-turner as I suddenly realized I had finished book 1 and read the first two chapters in book 2.

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing? I originally purchased a copy of the Motteau translation in a second hand bookstore. When I received an iPod Touch as a gift, I downloaded the Ormsby translation. I started reading the Ormsby translation because I was stuck in a line-up and it was handy in my purse. As it is easy reading, I will probably stick with the Ormsby translation.

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? ;-) It wasn't there at all.... it was acquired specifically for this group read!

#4 Initial impressions of the first book. Witty, satirical and colourful.

#5 I am curious what other people thought of the incident with the library and how the niece and housekeeper explained it to DQ. Couldn’t they have handled that a little better? (from message 15) Interesting hidden agenda on the part of the niece.... just couldn't understand why she was so against the library. Probably upset he spend all his money on books and wasn't leaving it for her. In my mind the housekeeper is probably a lot older than the niece and suspicious of the written word.

#6 my impression is that Cervantes means for this to be a satirical complaint against books of chivalry (in other words, I'm under the impression he disapproves of them?). In that case, do you think he meant the burning to be a sensible act performed not nonsensical people? (from message 17) Hum, I see it more as being a satirical poke at the learned professions and their closed viewpoints.... pretty flippant way to decide which books are kept and which are burnt!

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One thing I am enjoying about DQ is how much the overall feel of the story reminds me of Voltaire's Candide. I am looking forward to see what else our illustrious knight errant will get up to!

I'm a little late starting but have managed to catch up with the Jan and Feb segments in the past couple of days.

#1 Is this your first reading of Don Quixote? What are your expectations about how the reading experience will be, i.e. expecting it to be funny, serious, adventurous, page-turner, slow-read, etc.?
Yes, this is my first read of DQ. I'm expecting it to be in parts lots of fun and witty and in other parts slow going.

#2 How do you like the translation you've chosen? Did you do any comparing of translations before choosing?
I've got the Edith Grossman translation and read her preface, but in order to catch up on the group read I've been listening to an audio version narrated by Robert Whitfield which I'm enjoying tremendously. I envisage doing a combo of audio and book. I'm fairly sure that the audio is the Grossman translation.
I also have a couple of other versions of DQ, but getting the Grossman version was what swayed me to tackle the book.

#3 How long has DQ been on your TBR pile? I've only thought of reading DQ these past couple of years, I think a previous group read of DQ in the 75 book challenge group sparked my interest.

#4 Initial impressions of the first book. I'm really enjoying it.

I am reading DQ for the first time though I think I read the section of the Windmills in school. I am listening to an audio version narrated by Roy McMillan and also using the translation by J. M. Cohen to read sections as well.

#5. I thought it was so sad that books were destroyed.

#6. Yes, I do think it is a satire but I wonder if the author really would support destruction of written works? It seems a drastic response.

A bit late in the game and am now playing catch up.

I came here after lkernagh's recommendation in a different thread. She mentioned the year long group read and the fact that despite its length this is one book that can easily be read in short bursts which suits my current life situation quite well.

Been meaning to read Don Quixote for ages though I can't say that it really was on my To Read Pile.... simply because I surprisingly didn't own a copy. I could have sworn I had one of those cheapo Wordsworth editions around but couldn't find it anywhere (if I ever had it in the first place).

So I now downloaded the Gutenberg version on any digital device around and have started making my way through it whenever I have a spare minute. It's definitely a good way to go through this classic as I managed to finish reading this January section over the last two or three days. So maybe I will be able to catch up with all you guys over time.

Welcome, I'm set to start the June section in the next week or so.

> 28 - Great to see you have joined us! I am slowly working my way through Book 4 (the April/May reading) by reading a chapter a night as I nod off to sleep.

It's grat to have you! How are you liking DQ so far?

Great to have more DQ readers! I'm just starting part 2, but I'm still keeping an eye on the previous threads and I'm sure others are too, so feel free to keep posting on them!