Don Quixote (Penguin Classics)

Excellent introduction by Robert Echeverria and translation by John Rutherford. Also a very good translator's note that makes for interesting reading. Type face rather small, but inevitable for a huge volume.

Don Quixote has the humor of Nacho Libre and a weird blend of fantasy and reality that I can only compare to Galaxy Quest. I. Loved. This. Book. I was surprised how funny it was. Like laugh-out-loud funny with crude potty humor (my favorite) and violence that the Three Stooges would love. For example, Don Quixote does something absolutely crazy until I can’t stand him but then he gets the crap beaten out of him so I felt sorry for him and kind of liked him again until, of course, he does something crazy again. It actually takes a while to get tired of that cycle because it manages to be funny every time. By the time I was tired of it, Don Quixote started to change and develop more. The story is tragic, too, so it has some depth (but even the tragedy manages to be kind of funny). If you read this novel in high school and feel like you didn’t read the same book as me, YOU DIDN’T. You need to read the Edith Grossman translation. It’s amazing. It flows well. It’s modern enough to understand yet she worked hard to keep as much of the context of the time period and language as possible. The style feels similar to reading Jane Austen. It’s not totally modern but not old enough that it’s hard to understand. Edith’s footnotes in this novel were great. They gave context when needed. They pointed out plot holes that I didn’t even notice like someone in the room talking even though the author never mentioned them coming in. She also did her best to explain the word play humor that sadly didn’t translate to English. If you’re still not convinced to read it because it’s long, I can tell you that the reason it’s so long is because there are chivalric novellas inserted into the narrative. They’re good stories but if you are intimidated by how long it is, you could skip these novellas.

A must read for everyone that loves classic literature. This is truly one of the greatest books of all time.

This is a classic. Everyone has heard of Don Quixote. I was a bit surprised of how much of a comedy this book is. It's like a spoof for all romantic books about knights and its adventures. Whereas it is funny in regards to the adventures, and most of the dialogue involving the central character (Quixote), it seems to be overly serious on romantic stories. The book is stuffed with ridiculous adventures as it is with romantic tales. Thinking on understanding the main story, this is not a difficult read. What makes it a bit harrowing is the fact that it is long (almost 1000 pages) and that all characters, even the most ignorant, speaks as he was a fine scholar and from a school of politeness and good manners. So, for example, instead of saying, "I don't agree with you" you will probably read "I beg your pardon, but I don't agree with you at the least, and I will present my case to you. Please have the patience to hear me out. First, what you said is wrong for so, and so reasons. Second, you should also consider these other reasons ... And lastly, we must not forget the tale of bla, bla, bla. In this tale, bla, bla, bla... And I almost forgot, another reason you must change your mind is due to bla, bla, bla...." So there you have it. If it weren't for all these unnecessary dwellings in each and every dialogue (and maybe this happens due to the fact it is a satire of all these other knight books that exists or existed in the past), the book would probably be 350 pages long and a much, much, more swifter read. And yes, I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of this. For the ones that are obsessed with romance and romantic stories: they will probably not find fault in what I pointed out due to the fact that they will be able to enjoy every little detail of romantic thought and dialogue.

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This is a classic book that I recommend to people to read.

Wonder fully written. A beautiful tale with incredible characters. The banter between Don Quixote and sancho is remarkable, timely and humorous. Take your time reading it. You will quickly understand how brilliant and well read Miguel De Cervantes is. Remember this was written in 1609.

This is probably the single most celebrated novel of all time. I got it for a grandson who is headed for Miguel de Cervantes territory. He already loves it.

I always love the story since I was young! You have do lots of thinking, he actually stubborn? Or his dream will never been broken with his strong will?

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- Haven't read it yet. But the book itself, the pages are super thin, ink on one side shows through to the other. Not a huge issue. It is a large book after all. Also, received the book in poor condition. Looks like it's been previously used as a page was earmarked.

The book: In perfectly good condition. The Story: (speechless)

The book may be over 1000 pages, but it's a lovely story. Such a beautiful message. A definitely read if you like classic literature.