Don Quixote Reading Group

[Dori]

Welcome back, Virgil.

I am taking a brief break from Don Quixote to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. But I suspect on returning in a couple of days. Tuesday or wednesday, perhaps.

[Virgil]

Well, Grace, I find it such a pleasure to join this thread here. A Chinese verb goes like----it is a pleasure to enjoy a piece of music alone; yet even a greater pleasure to share it with others. I've been reading alone so far but now I take more delight in sharing the interesting passages with you all. (I wonder if the habit of proverb-quoting made its way around from Sancho who somewhat in part 2 suddenly becomes full of wisdom and quotes whenever he can...)

Don Quixote has something of a professor indeed. He delivers speeches so seriously that sometimes what he talks about is really of great importance.
When I came to the following quoted passages, I got suddenly awakened that the mother tongue is so important to me, for recently I indulge very much in European languages learning and their culture, which is good for me too. Lorenzo likewise indulges himself in the Greek and Roman literature and
Don Quixote reminds him of the Spanish culture by such a reasonable speech that nobody would find any trace of his being insane.



Looking back to the previous readings, the scene that most impresses me is that of the adventure with the two flocks of sheep whereafter Don Quixote, badly injured, lying on the ground, asks Sancho to find how many teeth are left in his mouth.



Cervantes intended to let the balsam out of Don Quixote's stomach at the moment when Sancho is examining into Don Quixote's mouth.

Welcome to lit net Drone. I'm glad you joined us and I share your appreciation of those scenes. I think the funniest for me was the scene where Don Quixote and Sancho get beat up by the Yanguensans.

By this time Don Quixote and Sancho, who had witnessed the
drubbing of Rocinante, came up panting, and said Don Quixote to
Sancho:

"So far as I can see, friend Sancho, these are not knights but
base folk of low birth: I mention it because thou canst lawfully aid
me in taking due vengeance for the insult offered to Rocinante
before our eyes."

"What the devil vengeance can we take," answered Sancho, "if they
are more than twenty, and we no more than two, or, indeed, perhaps not
more than one and a half?"

"I count for a hundred," replied Don Quixote, and without more words
he drew his sword and attacked the Yanguesans and excited and impelled
by the example of his master, Sancho did the same; and to begin
with, Don Quixote delivered a slash at one of them that laid open
the leather jerkin he wore, together with a great portion of his
shoulder. The Yanguesans, seeing themselves assaulted by only two
men while they were so many, betook themselves to their stakes, and
driving the two into the middle they began to lay on with great zeal
and energy; in fact, at the second blow they brought Sancho to the
ground, and Don Quixote fared the same way, all his skill and high
mettle availing him nothing, and fate willed it that he should fall at
the feet of Rocinante, who had not yet risen; whereby it may be seen
how furiously stakes can pound in angry boorish hands. Then, seeing
the mischief they had done, the Yanguesans with all the haste they
could loaded their team and pursued their journey, leaving the two
adventurers a sorry sight and in sorrier mood.

Sancho was the first to come to, and finding himself close to his
master he called to him in a weak and doleful voice, "Senor Don
Quixote, ah, Senor Don Quixote!"

"What wouldst thou, brother Sancho?" answered Don Quixote in the
same feeble suffering tone as Sancho.

"I would like, if it were possible," answered Sancho Panza, "your
worship to give me a couple of sups of that potion of the fiery
Blas, if it be that you have any to hand there; perhaps it will
serve for broken bones as well as for wounds."

"If I only had it here, wretch that I am, what more should we want?"
said Don Quixote; "but I swear to thee, Sancho Panza, on the faith
of a knight-errant, ere two days are over, unless fortune orders
otherwise, I mean to have it in my possession, or my hand will have
lost its cunning."

"But in how many does your worship think we shall have the use of
our feet?" answered Sancho Panza.

[Virgil]

Welcome back, Virgil.

I am taking a brief break from Don Quixote to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. But I suspect on returning in a couple of days. Tuesday or wednesday, perhaps.

Thank you Dori. I don't know if I've welcomed you to lit net. But glad you are here and I hope you will enjoy this forum and this discussion.

[grace86]

Virgil you're back!

I did take a break from Don Quixote to read Harry Potter as well, which I am now done with.

I am very early on in the second book, so I think we are pretty much on the same level.

Good thing you scribbled notes.

[Virgil]

Virgil you're back!

I did take a break from Don Quixote to read Harry Potter as well, which I am now done with.

I am very early on in the second book, so I think we are pretty much on the same level.

Good thing you scribbled notes.

Oh good. Are you in on the To The Lighthouse discussion? I also haven't seen Janine around since I've been back. Has she been away?

[Dori]

Thank you Dori. I don't know if I've welcomed you to lit net. But glad you are here and I hope you will enjoy this forum and this discussion.

I'm not sure you have, but thanks for the warm welcome.

I have about 30 pages left until part II.

[Drone]

Hello everyone! Thank goodness I've gone through the terrible cold where I slept 18h of the 24 for yesterday and the day before yesterday and now I'm quite recovered. Thank you, Grace and Virgil, you are so sweet and careful in welcoming me to this thread.

Grace, I'd like to add something new to the discussion on the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho.

The part where you talk about how badly Quixote treats Sancho at times is something I too noticed. He doesn't do it often, but he does it more than once. I am still not far after the beginning of the second part...but Quixote treats Sancho badly again when they are about to depart on their third sally. Sancho wasn't too sure he wanted to go, and Quixote tells him it is okay, because he will find another squire...because after all who wouldn't want Sancho's place? Remember Quixote had Sancho at such tears when that other guy....I cannot remember his name, was willing to take his place...so Sancho finally decided to go.

I am not sure if it is when Quixote is in his sane or intelligent moods that he treats Sancho so poorly.

I'm still not sure what causes Quixote to be cruel to Sancho, but fortunately I find somewhere in Part 2 Don Quixote confesses his preference for Sancho as the best squire that he would not like to part with. I'm so glad that they feel the same way with each other and go through adventures together.

Welcome Dori, I feel exactly the same way with the Maritornes scene you quoted. I feel sorry for it but at the same time laugh at it. And I think Grace does too(Are you Grace? )and he described it to be "slapstick humor" which I think is a very approriate definition. I'm very happy, Dori, that you also like the vomit scene. I think this two scene belong much to the same category.

Virgil, I also take great delight in reading the Yanguesans adventure and I found their dialogue following this adventure very interesting too. Don Quixote is so good at defending himself with the rules of knight errantry

"For myself I must say I cannot guess how many," said the battered
knight Don Quixote; "but I take all the blame upon myself, for I had
no business to put hand to sword against men who where not dubbed
knights like myself, and so I believe that in punishment for having
transgressed the laws of chivalry the God of battles has permitted
this chastisement to be administered to me; for which reason,
brother Sancho, it is well thou shouldst receive a hint on the
matter which I am now about to mention to thee, for it is of much
importance to the welfare of both of us. It is at when thou shalt
see rabble of this sort offering us insult thou art not to wait till I
draw sword against them, for I shall not do so at all; but do thou
draw sword and chastise them to thy heart's content, and if any
knights come to their aid and defence I will take care to defend
thee and assail them with all my might; and thou hast already seen
by a thousand signs and proofs what the might of this strong arm of
mine is equal to"- so uplifted had the poor gentleman become through
the victory over the stout Biscayan.

[grace86]

Virgil I've seen Janine posting I think, I don't know if she is participating in To the Lighthouse much lately. She hasn't been online lately for IMing.

I took my copy of To the Lighthouse back to the library. I couldn't hold onto it for much longer, I think I will have to go back to the library later on and get it.

I'm still not sure what causes Quixote to be cruel to Sancho, but fortunately I find somewhere in Part 2 Don Quixote confesses his preference for Sancho as the best squire that he would not like to part with. I'm so glad that they feel the same way with each other and go through adventures together.

I remember reading that scene too Drone and I thought it was sweet. They seem to be very good companions. I read somewhere...I will have to post it when I remember where I read it, that Don Quixote was one of the first examples of the "side kick" idea.

And I think Grace does too(Are you Grace? )and he described it to be "slapstick humor" which I think is a very approriate definition.

I am not quite sure I understand what you mean in the parentheses Drone. Oh...and just a side note, I'm a she. That's actually the first time someone thought I was male.

Glad we are all on virtually the same part. Happy reading everyone. I will pick it up again perhaps this evening. (That means hurry up with To the Lighthouse Virgil... I'm just kidding!)

[Drone]

I am not quite sure I understand what you mean in the parentheses Drone. Oh...and just a side note, I'm a she. That's actually the first time someone thought I was male.

Dear me, Grace, I made a terribly mistake on the verb and forgot to put a comma there. It should be "Do you, Grace?", simply for making sure whether you agree to that point. I'm really sorry for confusing you. Hope that you are not angry. By the way, I take you as a she since I'm acquainted with you, indeed.

[grace86]

Dear me, Grace, I made a terribly mistake on the verb and forgot to put a comma there. It should be "Do you, Grace?", simply for making sure whether you agree to that point. I'm really sorry for confusing you. Hope that you are not angry. By the way, I take you as a she since I'm acquainted with you, indeed.

No worries! I wasn't trying to come off angry, I just thought it was interesting. I do agree with what you said previously as well. We all make typing errors at some point!

Glad you know I'm female!

[Drone]

Grace, I'm so glad you are not angry with me. I'm a male, by the way. Recently, I've began reading The Picture of Dorian Gray and from both novels I find some very illuminating and comforting ideas concerning life.
In Dorian Gray, life is often taken to be a piece of artwork. So, one's sufferings and misfortune can be, despite of its pains, appreciated as a beautiful tragedy. That's what comforts Dorian Gray when he hears the news of his lover's suicide. He annihilates the guilty and sympathy for his lover so that he could move on without burdens. There is something cruel in it, for acting this way, Dorian must be taken a cool-blooded animal. But in fact, that's the way many people get over the crisis and misfortunes in their life.
Don Quixote adopts a different outlook of life. Life is a journey of adventures for him. He suffers a lot in his expeditions, his left ear cut off, his teeth knocked out, continuous fasting and without sleep. Just imagine, he is at the age of 50! How could one undergo so many physical trials and harms with delight? However, our Don Quixote does! It seems once he takes himself as a knight the pains make less effect on him and he moves on from one adventure after another with great pleasure. I tumbled over this point the other day and I almost envied Don Quixote seeing the stillness of my life compared with his. But I really benefit a lot from this awakening. When I opend my eyes the next morning, I felt happy and hopeful in the conscious and imagination that a whole pack of adventure is in store for me in the upcoming day! I feel so grateful.
These are the ideas I came across these days, welcome for any comments or responses

[Virgil]

Virgil, I also take great delight in reading the Yanguesans adventure and I found their dialogue following this adventure very interesting too. Don Quixote is so good at defending himself with the rules of knight errantry

Yes! Sometimes I think he's making the rules up. But you make an important observation. I think the way he defends himself in debates is an attribute of the narrative.

[grace86]

Tried to respond as soon as I saw your post, Drone but been a bit busy. The Picture of Dorian Gray is definitely of a different attitude than Don Quixote and I appreciate your observations, you are reading two very different attitudes...I found Dorian Gray to be so heavy when I read it...kind of like I adopted the emotions in the novel. It seems to me that Don Quixote, because of the way it is written and the way the characters live that it is just easier on my spirits and an easier read.

Got to Chapter XXI in Part II, the part with Quiteria marrying the rich guy and with Basilio the Poor...I like that part. Sancho is so cute in how simple he is, running towards the food always.

[grace86]

Guess I will try to revive the thread a bit, since all of us here have been a bit busy with other literary endeavors. My reading is a bit slow right now too with the move. At least I hope to finish Don Quixote by the end of the summer.

Awhile back I read the chapter with Don Quixote and the Cave of Montesinos. He came out of the cave after only thirty minutes and told Sancho and the cousin about his adventures.

Why is it Sancho considers these events a blatant lie and not the other insane adventures they go through? Sancho knows Quixote is crazy but participates in the craziness. The cousin seemed to come to Quixote's defense when usually all outsiders are the ones criticizing the poor knight. I'm just curious if anyone else has noticed this.

Sancho continues on throughout the story accusing Quixote of lying...and I think....sorry if this is a SPOILER, that Quixote even says later on that he lied. That brings me to question...did he lie about other adventures, or did he really see such things as windmills, or, if Don Quixote is not prone to lying, why would he say later on that he lied about Montesinos.

I got the previous idea or thought from an article/essay I read on Don Quixote from a fellow LitNetter (Just giving credit where credit is due). If anyone else is interested in a pdf of the essay, PM me.

[NickAdams]

I love it! I will read the first volume and then get back to Midnight's Children.
I can see the impression Quixote left on modern literature. It's all still fresh. Now I know why Faulkner read it every year.

I wonder why there hasn't been a modern film as a retelling. Instead of chilvary books, maybe noir and pulp.