Rating: 
Summary: Witty and Humoruous tale that will warm your heart
Review: This book is what great works are all about. Cervantes' classic is timeless, bringing to life all human emotions, often at once. The book swings between absolute optimism, tragedy, despair, humor (a ton of wit everywhere), love, all within the realm of an insane (?) character.Don Quixote is a nobleman who, after reading for years about chivalry (the middle ages type), decides to set on a journey to right the wrongs in Spain. He is accompanied by Sancho Panza, his squire (and sane companion), to who he promises the governorship of the first island they conquer. Cervantes obviously pokes fun at the middle ages concept of nobility and chivalry, as he pits Quixote in battles against monsters (who are actually windmills), All of Quixote's battles are in the honor of his love, Dulcinia, who never makes an appearance, and seems to be an idealized character, also similar to the idealized dames of the middle ages. Cervantes' wit vis a vis the chivalry concept is even more interesting when taken in the context of who Cervantes was: a wounded soldier who spend a good portion of his life as a captive in prison. It seems he may have been driven to war by the ideals of chivalry, but was soon rebuffed by the realities of the world. It is clear he seeks to unmask it. In Quixote's insanity, however, we can see through the strange magic that creates emotions such as love and hatred. Irrationality is not something that can be dismissed, as so much of human activity (and Quixote's in particular) is not driven by pure rationality. Though written in 1605, the insight into the human soul is timeless.
Rating: 
Summary: Timeless
Review: This book is what great works are all about. Cervantes' classic is timeless, bringing to life all human emotions, often at once. The book swings between absolute optimism, tragedy, despair, humor (a ton of wit everywhere), love, all within the realm of an insane (?) character. Don Quixote is a nobleman who, after reading for years about chivalry (the middle ages type), decides to set on a journey to right the wrongs in Spain. He is accompanied by Sancho Panza, his squire (and sane companion), to who he promises the governorship of the first island they conquer. Cervantes obviously pokes fun at the middle ages concept of nobility and chivalry, as he pits Quixote in battles against monsters (who are actually windmills), All of Quixote's battles are in the honor of his love, Dulcinia, who never makes an appearance, and seems to be an idealized character, also similar to the idealized dames of the middle ages. Cervantes' wit vis a vis the chivalry concept is even more interesting when taken in the context of who Cervantes was: a wounded soldier who spend a good portion of his life as a captive in prison. It seems he may have been driven to war by the ideals of chivalry, but was soon rebuffed by the realities of the world. It is clear he seeks to unmask it. In Quixote's insanity, however, we can see through the strange magic that creates emotions such as love and hatred. Irrationality is not something that can be dismissed, as so much of human activity (and Quixote's in particular) is not driven by pure rationality. Though written in 1605, the insight into the human soul is timeless.
Rating:
Summary: the best novel by a Western writer ever
Review: this masterpiece should be required reading for everyone. no film will ever do this book justice. the complexity of the characters, the wonder of the stories, all add up to the best reading. if you can read it in Spanish, even better, but this is probably the best translation available. part 2 is not as good as part 1, but it is the best conclusion possible to the adventures of the hidalgo from la mancha...but even if u read only part 1, it still is very enjoyable. every page is funny, every adventure relevant. this book is the first of the modern western novels, and still the best.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: This translation of Don Quixote fearlessly brings everyday language, bawdiness, and poetry to the timeless tale. Although the choice of using current slang may be a controversial one for some readers, it succeeds in giving the story an immediacy and restores the humor that was missing from more genteel translations. The novel is interesting because the two parts, written at different points in the author's life, have distinct styles and narrative structure. Just when the reader begins to fear that the plot will involve an endless string of ill-fated choices on the two protagonists' part, the second half of the novel introduces some devilish supporting characters to stir up trouble. Although this edition of the novel is nearly 1000 pages long, the chapters fly by quickly.
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