"Don Quixote" - Cervantes

[p.falk]

Sorry - thought you were taking aim at my reading abilities.

But, in fairness, aim could be rightfully taken at them.

[Doom]

Sorry - thought you were taking aim at my reading abilities.

But, in fairness, aim could be rightfully taken at them.

No, it just seemed that, as long ago as you first posted this, you would be further along, but it seems you haven't devoted much time to it yet. It is a very difficult book to get into. Once the pace picks up, it gets a little easier, but even so, especially in part 1, there are still occasional long passages where you can't wait to get it over with, and you start to think "Well, perhaps an abridged edition wouldn't exactly be the worst thing ever". Or at least that was my experience.

As for me, I am often reading 10 or more books at a time, so if you ever ask me for an update on a book I started 6 months ago, the answer might be "oh, I am on page 40."

[Highlander]

...As for me, I am often reading 10 or more books at a time ...

Wow! I commonly do 4-5 and have gotten up to, maybe, 7.

BTW, I read Moby Dick. It took me over 20 years.

[p.falk]

Sorry - thought you were taking aim at my reading abilities.

But, in fairness, aim could be rightfully taken at them.

No, it just seemed that, as long ago as you first posted this, you would be further along, but it seems you haven't devoted much time to it yet. It is a very difficult book to get into. Once the pace picks up, it gets a little easier, but even so, especially in part 1, there are still occasional long passages where you can't wait to get it over with, and you start to think "Well, perhaps an abridged edition wouldn't exactly be the worst thing ever". Or at least that was my experience.

As for me, I am often reading 10 or more books at a time, so if you ever ask me for an update on a book I started 6 months ago, the answer might be "oh, I am on page 40."

That is impressive.
I struggle to read 3 books at a time. I have my devotional/prayer reading and 2 others. It's one of those 2 that usually suffers from want of attention.

[Doom]

It's not impressive so much as it is a sign of a complete lack of focus. As I get older, I am finding it more and more difficult to fully concentrate on what I am reading; my mind starts to wander. I bring a book to lunch, and I might get 10 minutes of reading in before my mind starts to wander and I have to put it aside.

[p.falk]

The character of Sancho Panza is one of the funniest characters I've come across. At one moment he's enthralled by the promises of Don Quixote to make him governor, no... king...., no emperor of an island. But at other turns he's calling Don Quixote out for constantly leading them into frays where they come out bruised and beaten.

In one section they're staying at another Inn, misbelieved by Don Quixote to be a castle, after a severe beating that all 3 of them (horse included) got at the hands of some muleteers. DQ, Sancho, and a 3rd housemate (another muleteer) are sleeping in the attic. A nightly visitor (a 'loose' woman named Maritornes) comes to meet the 3rd man.

The description of Maritornes was hilarious:

an Asturian lass with broad jowls, a flat-backed head, a pug nose, blind in one eye and not very sound in the other. It's true the loveliness of her body offset her other shortcomings: she didn't measure five feet from her head to her toes, and her shoulders, with something of a hump of them, made her look down at the ground more than she liked.

I'd say... that native loveliness sure does cancel out ol broad jowled, pugged nosed lady

Well, during the attempted tryst between humpback and the 3rd man a brawl of multiple people ensued. The room is very dark and it's hard to make out who's who....Maritornes was pulled into DQ's bed because he assumed she was coming up there to see him, given he's a dashingly handsome knight. His delusions also led him to see Maritornes as a beautiful woman. DQ starts showering Maritornes with high chivalric praise... all of which falls on deaf ears because she can't understand a word of it. The 3rd man sneaks in the dark room and punches DQ so hard his mouth fills with blood. Later DQ states that he believes giant moors live in the Inn (castle) and were jealous of his ability to land such a beauty as Maritornes.

The Inn keeper hears the commotion, and knowing that his helper Maritornes is a bit of a tart, assumes it's all her doing. She hears the inn keeper approaching and jumps under the covers with sleeping Sancho. In turns into a 4 way brawl with the muleteer punching Sancho, Sancho punching Maritornes, Maritornes punching Sancho, and the Inn Keeper punching Maritornes... but it's dark, and there's uncertainty among the combatants of who's getting what done to them.

Sancho has this very funny comment after everything dies down and he's alone with DQ. DQ is lying in bed with blood in his mouth but relaying to Sancho how a heavenly beauty that was in his bed moments before he got punched in the mouth. Sancho reflecting on that fact that all his adventures with DQ have simply led to him getting repeatedly beaten up:

"But tell me, sir, how can you call it a curious and celebrated adventure, when we've ended up like this? You didn't do so badly, because you got your hands on that incomparable beauteousness you've just been on about, but what did I get out of it apart from the worst hiding I hope I'll ever be given in my life? Oh, what made my poor mother give birth to this miserable sinner? I'm not a knight adventurer and I'm never going to be a knight adventurer, yet I get more than my fair share of all the misadventure!"

[Doom]

Keep reading, the story takes some unexpected turns. I don't want to spoil the story, but if you think about it, there is really only one way a story that begins with one crazy person in a sane world could develop.

[Highlander]

My only reference was the movie, Man of La Mancha. Well, and reading the first page or two several times. Your accounts indicate a texture and tone of which I had no idea. Thanks.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

It's all fun and games until the ship hits the iceberg.

[p.falk]

I've read quite a bit of PG Wodehouse and some Jerome K Jerome... but the section where Sancho drinks the "Balsam of Fierbras" had me laughing out loud. When time permits I'll post. Up there with "The Song of Songs" by Wodehouse.

[p.falk]

Keep reading, the story takes some unexpected turns. I don't want to spoil the story, but if you think about it, there is really only one way a story that begins with one crazy person in a sane world could develop.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm closing in on page 200 with quite a bit to go and it's been such a painful adventure for those two. It simply can't be hundreds of more pages of this type of interaction. They'd be dead before page 300 at this rate.

I can only assume there has to be some narrative shift coming up. It was pretty much page 3 where DQ is already charging forth into the open lands, eyes set on deeds of chivalry.

[Doom]

My only reference was the movie, Man of La Mancha. Well, and reading the first page or two several times. Your accounts indicate a texture and tone of which I had no idea. Thanks.

There are some significant deviations, but the basic structure of the story is accuate.

[Riverboat]

That movie - The Man of La Mancha. Does it still exist? I watched that once, and considered it penance for a wide array of sins. They should remake it, and bury forever that hideous version with Peter O'Toole attempting to sing.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/man ... ncha-1972

[Highlander]

I'm not a Peter O'Toole fan. I see him as the pinnacle of the affected and overwrought school of British acting, where the stage is transferred directly to the screen. IMO, he ruined Lawrence of Arabia. HST and with the times I cringed watching him in Man of La Mancha, I think he did bring a poignant nobility to his performance. I think it is his best role; but there may be others as I generally avoided him.

Sophia Loren was very good, as was James Coco.

Peter O'Toole's singing was dubbed. Sophia's wasn't. I agree that even the dubbed O"Toole's singing was poor.

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Lion in Winter? Beckett? Sometimes scenery-chewing is what's called for. (Cf. Branagh in Chamber of Secrets.)

[Highlander]

I think we are in the area of taste. There is something about some British stage actors that, for me, doesn't translate. Richard Burton is another.

There are affectations of manner and affectations of voice and delivery. O'Toole was affected overall. With that said, I find myself defending O'Toole in La Mancha. Perhaps it was the contrast between the tired, desperate, nearly beaten Cervantes and the noble, hopeless, mad knight. As Don Quixote, I venture that his affectations were essential. As much as I hesitate to use the word, O'Toole transcended the limitations of reality and made us believe that sometimes someone should pursue an impossible dream. I think Loren was essential; she was us, a drab moved from seeing a relentless reality to thinking that maybe there could be a better one.

Akin to faith?

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

I think we are in the area of taste.

We have never disagreed in this area before!

[Riverboat]

Peter O'Toole's singing was dubbed.

You're sure of this? Ebert says otherwise. If it was dubbed, was Howard Keel too busy to do it? I mean, even Audrey Hepburn got Marnie Nixon.

[Highlander]

I think we are in the area of taste.

We have never disagreed in this area before!

Chocolate?

[Highlander]

Peter O'Toole's singing was dubbed.

You're sure of this? Ebert says otherwise. If it was dubbed, was Howard Keel too busy to do it? I mean, even Audrey Hepburn got Marnie Nixon.

Well, Ebert.

From Wiki:

Simon Gilbert (born 6 October 1937 in Hendon, London) is an English actor and tenor....

In 1972, he was contracted to be the singing voice for Peter O'Toole in The United Artists film, Man of La Mancha, specifically to sing "The Impossible Dream" for O'Toole.[4] In comparison, O'Toole's opposite number, Sophia Loren sang her own parts.[5] He sang the complete part for O'Toole,[2] who had realised that his voice 'was not up to the task of singing most of the songs'[6] (he described his own voice akin to Coca-Cola bottles being 'crushed under a door').[7] ...