Halfway through Don Quixote

I just finished the first part of Don Quixote, which means I am about halfway through the entire book. I am taking my time, reading one chapter a day, more or less, and reading it alongside other books. This turns out to be the perfect way for me to read this classic. I am reading the recent translation by Edith Grossman and she has done an excellent job, I must say. I like how she uses explanatory footnotes to point out that Cervantes is mocking someone or something or referring to some event or person or how some part of the story relates to something in Cervantes’ own life.

Generally, I am enjoying myself very much in the company of Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza. I find some parts very dull, especially the ones where someone or other is holding a speech that goes on and on and on and….. But for the most part the book is keeping me interested and it certainly is not a chore to read a chapter each day. On the other hand, I do think that limiting myself to a chapter per day is making sure that I don’t kill my enjoyment with an overdose. I think that if I’d read the book in larger sittings, I would get bored a lot faster. As it is, I am enjoying it.

Like most people probably, I only knew that the story was about a crazy knight who goes out searching for adventures with his not-so-bright but more down-to-earth squire Sancho Panza. I had never really given thought to reading Don Quixote. After Edith Grossman’s translation came out a few years ago, I started hearing good things about the book and somehow the idea took hold to actually read the book. I think last year or the year before quite a few bookbloggers were taking up the challenge of reading it and this got me thinking. Book bought, but it stayed put on the TBR-stack. The time never seemed right. A few months ago, I read Covergirl’s review and I left a comment saying something like I should take it up for my summerreading project. After leaving that comment I kept thinking: “I actually should read it.” This thought simmered for a few weeks before I actually started. I am not wildly crazy about the book, but I am certainly glad I picked it up and I won’t regret reading it.

While reading, some of my preconceived ideas about the story got shattered. I never realized that the entire first book takes place in only a month or so. For some reason I always thought Don Quixote’s wanderings took place over several years. Also, the famous scene where Don Quixote is fighting with windmills takes place somewhere in the beginning and it only lasts about a page and a half. When I finished reading that chapter, I was in a weird way somewhat disappointed: “That’s it? Only a page and a half? For something that turned into a proverb in our modern language?” I know this sounds funny and slightly irrational, but that’s how I felt. I guess in some subconscious way I expected something more epic. But then again, epic is not really Don Quixote’s style.

I love how Cervantes uses all kinds of writing techniques to introduce the many characters, give them a history, and tie them together. One of the things I liked most was the use of stories within the story. In Dutch we use a word that literally translates into English as window-narrative, I don’t know what the English name for this technique is. If you do, do leave a comment to tell me – I’d love to know. These stories make up a large part of the novel and they were actually my favorite parts.

Despite enjoying the book, I keep feeling distant, I don’t feel connected to the characters. That is probably in part because of the writing style, after all the book was first published in the 16th century. But also, I find the way some characters behave and react very irritating. Don Quixote’s madness at times made me think: “It cannot be THAT bad!” But then again, he is mad after all. What irritated me even more at times was Sancho Panza’s change between being sensible, realistic and down-to-earth and behaving like a complete idiot, believing everything that Don Quixote promises he will get once they are successful in their adventures. Sancho Panza’s daydreaming about “insulas” got very annoying after a while.

One of the female characters, Dorotea, pissed me off to no end. Basically, she is a beautiful girl and not entirely dumb either, who is tricked by Don Fernando into having sex with him (this being a 16th century novel, the word sex is not used, but this is what it boils down to). He promises to marry her despite their difference in status, but after the hot and steamy night he disappears and ends up infatuated with and marrying another beauty against her (this other girl’s) wishes. Long story short, Dorotea unexpectedly runs into Don Fernando and his new wife. Despite his dumbo-act, Dorotea is still madly in love with Don Fernando and still wants to marry him. I know this is the 16th century and by sleeping with Don Fernando Dorotea lost her virtue and loses her value as a marriage candidate and all that. But still I got very angry at her for still drooling over Don Fernando like she has no self respect (which I gathered from the earlier part of the story, she did have) and still being set on marrying him. Even though he really was an a**. Why would she still want this idiot of a womanizer after what he did to her?! That part of the book made absolutely zero sense to me.

Can you tell how strongly I feel about this? I honestly even surprised myself with this rant. I apologize for the strong language I used in the previous paragraph. I considered toning it down a bit, but I decided to leave it like it is, because I guess it bugged me more than I initially thought and it is part of my experience of reading Don Quixote. I think it has to do with the fact that initially Dorotea was portrayed as a woman with something going for her and with character, but eventually she ends up being some dumb girl running blindly after the first guy who promises her mountains. Aargh!

I was thinking about putting the book away for a bit before reading the second part, but I think I will just keep going. I am into the story and the writing style now. I have a flow going now, so I guess I should use that. So on I go, one chapter a day.