Rating: 
Summary: 4 and 1/2 Stars
Review: One of the great classics of world literature, Don Quixote is very often called the greatest novel of all-time. Many also see it as the first modern novel, the precursor to all novels that have come since; some, indeed, even call it the first true novel ever written. Certainly, it is both world-famous -- almost all people, whether they've tackled this 1,000+page monster or not, seem to know about the "terrifying and never-before-heard of adventure of the windmills" -- and extremely influential upon all literature that has come since. The great Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky thought it was the best thing ever written; it was clearly one of Mark Twain's primary inspirations for Huck Finn.The book has endured and remained popular and influential for four hundred years for several reasons. For one, the character of Don Quixote himself is immortal. One of the most famous characters in all literature, he has appeared in various forms throughout the centuries -- on the page, on the stage, on the screen. Clearly a huge influence upon a multitude of subsequent literary characters, he is one of the great archetypes in literature. Also, the story itself works on several levels. On one level, it is a highly comic adventure that can be read and enjoyed by everyone; a hugely-popular both upon release and still today, this is probably the main reason why it has lasted four centuries. Even at this later date, the book contains scenes that are laugh-out-loud funny, its jokes running the gamut from the most base level of slapstick to ringing burlesque and satire. Despite the novel's length, it is a very entertaining book and rarely slow: it can actually be an exciting and fast-paced read, if one chooses to view it merely as an adventure. However, on a deeper level, the novel, fascinatingly, does several different things at once, and all very well. To begin with, it is a truly immortal satire, both on the outdated and hopelessly idealistic chivalric code itself and on the romantic books of knight-errantry that proclaimed their virtues and were extremely popular at the time Cervantes wrote this work. Wit is abundant and ever-present. As an author, Cervantes clearly had several tricks up his proverbial sleeve when writing this; he employs literary devices so charming, amusing, and inventive that they have never been equaled since. Indeed, this book was so very far ahead of its time that it makes many of the supposedly revolutionary post-modern novels seem mainstream and absolutely traditional by comparison. For, after all, this is a book about books; it is, thus, the ultimate self-reflexive text. As the introduction in this edition points out, the book actually tells two stories: that of Don Quixote, and that of the novel's composition itself. The number of self-references made in it can only be called ingenious. Several circumstances informed this. The mammoth book, as we know it today, was originally published in two halves, over a decade apart. Throughout, Cervantes constantly reminds us that the book is a book; in the second part, even the characters are aware of this, making for an intensely amusing and clever read. Also, before Cervantes published the second part, an impostor author released his own spurious sequel. Cervantes, responding in kind, changed the course of the book and wrote the apocryphal sequel into his own sequel, in addition to the first part of his own narrative! It isn't as confusing as it sounds -- indeed, it's quite delightful and inventive -- but the author himself, infamously, lost the course of his own narrative several times and lapsed into error. Of course, this, too, is noted later on in the book and commented upon as well. Literature as a whole is also commented upon. The author, in the second part, even addresses the criticisms of the first part, such as its digressions (which he defends, but stays away from in Part II) and its loose ends. The scene where the curate is selecting which books to burn and which to save is one of the most satirically-amusing ever written. The book, for all of its burlesque and even occasional lack of seriousness, also brings several important questions to light. What is reality? What makes one noble? If one does noble and brave deeds only because one is deluded, is one then noble in reality, or merely a poor farce and a walking joke? For these, and many other reasons, Don Quixote is a classic that deserves to be read by all.
Rating: 
Summary: Marvelous book - much better than the movies and play
Review: The play Man of La Mancha was uplifting in its way, but was also very depressing. The movie versions of Don Quixote were also downers. But the book ... this is a winner! It's beautiful. It's also really funny. There are no major villains in the book. The rich and powerful people who mock the old man do it gently, in fun, almost lovingly. Even the man who defeats Don Quixote isn't evil - he's just trying to help. In the end, his supposed enemies are by his side, encouraging him to continue his quest. Don Quixote is a man who actually lives out his dreams. That's one thing I'll never do. He's very brave, although that starts to slip in Part Two. He's a dear man. His squire Sancho Panza is a riot. Sometimes it's hard to tell which of the two is the star. This book is a love story, not between Don Quixote and Dulcinea, but between him and his friend Sancho, between him and most of the characters he meets, and between Sancho and his donkey. It can also be a love story between the reader and the characters. There are some faults. Every book is a product of its time and place, and this book was written in an offensively authoritarian and antisemitic place and time. Somehow even though Cervantes soaked up the faults of his society he still wrote a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the great novels
Review: This is a mammoth of a book. Spanning about 750 pages of small text in my edition, Don Quixote tells a story of how the Don became crazy from reading too many knight-romances and imagined the world to really be like that. Together with his faithful squire Sancho Panca, they traveled through Spain getting into adventure after adventure and beating after thrashing. That's the basic story. But the book has long ago been heralded as a profound one. Indeed, the two main characters are one of the strongest western archetypes. Firstly, it satirises texts like epics and romances which were very popular in the Middla Ages. Secondly, it presents Quixote's misguided idealism juxtaposed with the pragamatism of the world at large. As a result, we grow to love him and empathise with him. There may be no damsels in distress to save from monsters in Quixote's Spain but we still think of him as a noble spirit. This, I think is one of the main points of the book. Thirdly, the book being so long and complete gives so many details about life in Spain that it's an interesting feature in itself. The translation I read (Motteux) is ok but at times quite hard to follow. Be warned that the text is not an easy read! But the way it's told is rich with stories within stories and everything has a both a point and satiric value. The only reason I don't give the book 5 stars is that it really IS too long. I know Cervantes had all this to say but it gets a little counterproductive to have the Don struggle through sooo much. Still, I don't recommend abridged versions as so many incidents contain a gem that will get you to either smile or shudder that it's worth struggling through the masterpiece. All must read this amazing book. Funny, tragic, great.
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