It works! My latest resolution is now fulfilled! Thanks to this blog of mine and my quixotic belief that I have got readers to whom I am answerable. Needless to say, it means I have finally finished reading Don Quixote. The quest had begun somewhere in the beginning of the year, and ends in futility now. Okay, now enough about me; this post is supposed to be a book review.
Very frankly, I am yet to figure out what is so great about this book. Right, it’s been written in the 16th century and is one of its kinds and all. It’s about a dreamer called Don Quixote who reads volumes of books about knighthood and fairy-tale endings and foolishly begins to believe in them. He adorns himself with armor, takes his skinny horse, and an assistant (or squire) and sets out in search of adventures. His first one happens to be a combat with windmills – which he supposes to be cruel giants – he even convinces his squire that those are indeed monsters masquerading as windmills, and ends up getting badly bruised. Obviously. Many such misadventures follow culminating in the breaking of many bones and teeth and subsequently his squire christens him as Knight of the Ill Favored Face.
Like all the heroes he has read about, Quixote feels he should also acquire a lady for whom he would pine (unnecessarily) and (attempt to) write sonnets. He idolizes a village girl as his damsel, names her the Lady Dulcinea and seeks greater adventures – like assuming an inn to be a castle (an ‘enchanted’ castle to top that), lamenting like a madman in the forest for his lost love (which is never acquired at the first place), fighting with bottles of wine in a slumber dreaming of enemies, assuming a herd of sheep to be opposing armies approaching in a battlefield (and is in dilemma on whose side he should be), and so on. His aim is to accomplish as many adventures as he has read of or even more, so that he would then be able to win his lady. Interesting thought.
But we have heard so much about Don Quixote at the windmills and it is so extensively referred to in various art and literary forms that actually reading the book (or rather, its translation – the actual book is written in Spanish by Cervantes) does not enrich you much. It also does not really entertain (unless 16th century Spain interests you) with its lords and ladies and inns and castles. There are many tales within tales about all the people who are gathered in the inn (the enchanted castle) – and many dramas unfold about the supporting characters. If you have read Shakespearean dramas, these again would not interest you. One character actually reads out a totally unrelated story from a book of knighthood in his curiosity to discover what has veered Don Quixote from the reality so very much. Imagine. Another issue is that I read an old translation which was very difficult to read with its wherewithals and thereofs and thous and other artistic (aka artificial) words.
No more old times classics for me please. That is, till I can resist the temptation (to add another feather in my cap) or till sify delivers my order for Treasure Island.
Very frankly, I am yet to figure out what is so great about this book. Right, it’s been written in the 16th century and is one of its kinds and all. It’s about a dreamer called Don Quixote who reads volumes of books about knighthood and fairy-tale endings and foolishly begins to believe in them. He adorns himself with armor, takes his skinny horse, and an assistant (or squire) and sets out in search of adventures. His first one happens to be a combat with windmills – which he supposes to be cruel giants – he even convinces his squire that those are indeed monsters masquerading as windmills, and ends up getting badly bruised. Obviously. Many such misadventures follow culminating in the breaking of many bones and teeth and subsequently his squire christens him as Knight of the Ill Favored Face.
Like all the heroes he has read about, Quixote feels he should also acquire a lady for whom he would pine (unnecessarily) and (attempt to) write sonnets. He idolizes a village girl as his damsel, names her the Lady Dulcinea and seeks greater adventures – like assuming an inn to be a castle (an ‘enchanted’ castle to top that), lamenting like a madman in the forest for his lost love (which is never acquired at the first place), fighting with bottles of wine in a slumber dreaming of enemies, assuming a herd of sheep to be opposing armies approaching in a battlefield (and is in dilemma on whose side he should be), and so on. His aim is to accomplish as many adventures as he has read of or even more, so that he would then be able to win his lady. Interesting thought.
But we have heard so much about Don Quixote at the windmills and it is so extensively referred to in various art and literary forms that actually reading the book (or rather, its translation – the actual book is written in Spanish by Cervantes) does not enrich you much. It also does not really entertain (unless 16th century Spain interests you) with its lords and ladies and inns and castles. There are many tales within tales about all the people who are gathered in the inn (the enchanted castle) – and many dramas unfold about the supporting characters. If you have read Shakespearean dramas, these again would not interest you. One character actually reads out a totally unrelated story from a book of knighthood in his curiosity to discover what has veered Don Quixote from the reality so very much. Imagine. Another issue is that I read an old translation which was very difficult to read with its wherewithals and thereofs and thous and other artistic (aka artificial) words.
No more old times classics for me please. That is, till I can resist the temptation (to add another feather in my cap) or till sify delivers my order for Treasure Island.
Sampada, just why not think about quixote, like this, there is a day dreameer in each one of us, aka the donquixote,it highlights the human tendency to day dream, resulting in better understanding about us.
ReplyDeleteshashidhar.
yes of course Shashidhar, there exists a quixote in each one of us, we are just not courageous enough to accept it as fact, and just not foolish enough to put it in practice :)
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