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BrianShupe t1_j9zy97s wrote

Just started it last night. Read 2 chapters!

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plaidtattoos t1_j9zyna4 wrote

Is there a particular edition or translation that gets recommended most often?

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Comprehensive_Tap_63 t1_ja01bie wrote

I did the same, mainly so I could leave a review on Goodreads: “quite long”.

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faeofca t1_ja064x0 wrote

I wish I’d done this, I’m kind of a stickler for reading things all the way through in a shorter timeframe and I don’t think it’s meant to be enjoyed that way.

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ElSinchi t1_ja0a5l4 wrote

The thing about Quixote is that it's actually two books. The second one is the really brilliant one, but it builds upon the first (and also mocks the faux one in the middle by a different author)

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FormalWare t1_ja0bcad wrote

Your "strategy" to get through Don Quixote reminds me of mine, to get through War and Peace. I read it piecemeal, in the bathtub, over two years (nearly).

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ElSinchi t1_ja0c9jz wrote

Replying to SkepticDrinker (#2,005,874)

Part 1 was written by 1605 and it's the first 52 chapters (there even an "ending") The second part is the remaining and it was written 10 years later and on this one Quixote is aware he's a character on the first publication.

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YourMILisCray t1_ja0g32e wrote

There is a subreddit for that! r/yearofdonquixote

Also reading the Edith Grossman translation made the experience for me. I started reading it once with the version free on Gutenberg and got nowhere fast.

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kdbooooks t1_ja0ke76 wrote

Having read it twice, I would say a few chapters a day is adequate, otherwise it does get a tad tedious. Keep on trucking with it 💪 Just know Part 2 is very different to part 1, and you’ll smash it

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svevobandini t1_ja0ldpu wrote

I felt is was redundant until part two, then it became incredible. Just work your way there and you'll be rewarded.

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tangcameo t1_ja0qcit wrote

Got an advanced copy of the Grossman translation while working at a bookstore. Still collecting dust on my bookshelf.

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devequt t1_ja0xki0 wrote

Coincidentally enough I just ordered the book to arrive on Tuesday, so here's hoping to start it at some point!

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tke494 t1_ja17vy5 wrote

Really, the only thing I thought that was dated in it was how episodic it was.

I was surprised by how funny it was, given the age.

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lapsedhuman t1_ja182b1 wrote

That's what I did, as well. It took me over two years to finish but it was worth it (I can't read just one book. I'm normally reading three or four books at any time, and I've found myself to be a bathroom or nighttime reader in my middle age).

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maxxwuzhere t1_ja1aen9 wrote

My favorite book My first BIG Book too And an annual read

I love how the chapters were short and I was able to push and keep making progress.

The story is fabulous.

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-Prontissimo- t1_ja1ebne wrote

Just finished it last month--a pretty enjoyable read, especially Part II. But, man, the wanton cruelty of the "humor" was a bit of a downer. (For a funny, unworshipful analysis of the book, I highly recommend Nabokov's "Lectures on Don Quixote".)

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apocalypschild t1_ja1phdy wrote

I’m assuming you’re reading it in English? In Spanish it’s a bit of a harder read because of the archaic language but that doesn’t take away from the amazing story! I had to read it in grade school so I guess I bare the scars of being forced to read it but I have definitely learned to appreciate it more as an adult.

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thepibkmoose t1_ja238hf wrote

I did the audiobook and absolutely loved it from the start. Stayed up late to listen, had no tv/other distractions and worked a puzzle while listening and laughing.

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JasiNtech t1_ja259i6 wrote

OMFG I read this book while taking a class dedicated to it in college. Honestly if you could find a class with someone who could help you analyze the book, it would be amazing.

I absolutely loved it. It has so many layers, and there's so much additional historical significance layered in at times, that it's nice to have a scholars input as you go. I can't understate how fun a time this was. I think an alternative would be as part of a book club? It's just so good.

So stoked for you and I hope you keep enjoying it!

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The_Red_Curtain t1_ja2bc0p wrote

Replying to ElSinchi (#2,006,105)

There probably wouldn't have even been a part 2 if someone else hadn't written a terrible fake sequel that Cervantes felt compelled to expose as fake and replace in everyone's minds with a "true" sequel.

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Solar_Kestrel t1_ja34709 wrote

Yeah, that's pretty much the best way to approach any "novel" that either began as serial fiction, or is structured like serial fiction. Great Expectations, Catch-22, Outlaws of the Marsh, Taiko, etc.

The thing to keep in mind is that this is a format where the presumed reader would only be getting one chapter every month or so. Binging can be... unpleasant.

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