This book has definitely set some new records for me. I started reading Don Quixote in my enthusiasm for this new goal of reading through Rory's books. That was April of 2015. Now we are in March of 2016 and I just finished it.
It had been a book that I was interested in, and had actually purchased from Barnes and Noble from a previous "I'm going to read classics" stage. But this book is intense. My copy has 891 pages, with little words.
Added to my trouble with this book is that unlike modern novels, for most of it there wasn't a huge draw to the story. It really had nothing hooking that made me desperate to read it, but was comprised of lots of little vignettes, sometimes funny, usually interesting, but not too connected to other parts.
For my own sanity, it wasn't the only book I was reading. I read a bunch of other books throughout the course of the year, but continued to force myself to keep putting some time into this super classic, determined to finish it.
As 2016 rolled around, and I still wasn't done, I decided to make a final push to get this book finished. I have never even come close to taking a year to read a book, even thousand page books, and I wasn't about to not finish this one in a year. So, I downloaded the audiobook, and started listening to it.
Not only did it really help it get read while I did dishes, folded laundry or drove somewhere (without the kids in the car, I don't think they could handle this book), but it helped me understand it better, and gave an amazing voice and depth to the characters which I hadn't picked up on my own.
The funny thing is that once I finished, I decided it deserved four out of five stars. Sure, it isn't hooking, but there were a lot of great things about it.
The friendship of the two main characters is genuine, and is proven time and again through the rough trials they go through together. When Quixote isn't being crazy, he has really good advice and wisdom, which I literally wrote down to remember later- it was that good.
My favorite is, "Always remember who you are, and endeavor to know yourself... pride yourself on performing worthy actions."
Even though he does ridiculous dumb things, when people started to give him flak for it, he immediately can go into "wisdom mode" and talk about how his illusions only lead him to try to travel the world searching for good to do, and how that isn't a bad thing.
There were scenes that had me cracking up laughing, which is really impressive considering that it is a book hundreds of years old, not the modern humor at all.
As hard as it was to get through, as long as it took me to get through, it is hard for me to say that everyone should read this book. But at the same time, I can say that I am glad that I read it. It might not be as high as a "go read this book" but it definitely wasn't a dislike either.
For the record, I do think it is worth noting that listening to the Yale (go Rory) lectures on itunes U really helped me understand the backstory more, and caught things that I missed just reading through.
