on Don Quixote 13

I have finished the book. It was long and arduous, but possibly the most worthwhile read of my life. I absolutely loved it, Ive been telling almost everybody I know (who reads) about it. Even though Dr. Sexson read the ending in class awhile ago, i was still rather sad when i read it again, I have invested months into this book so it was sad to see Don Quixote die. Here's some final thoughts on the book.

- the second part is better than the first. The windmill story is the most famous (probably because lots of people dont read the whole book), but I found others like the wooden horse, the puppet show and the the talking bust at the end to be just as comical. There's a lot more in the way of literary criticism in the second half I think too, because there are so many little stories that can be taken so many different ways.

- I found it interesting that Cervantes made so much mention of the fake Don Quixote by Avellaneda. He missed no opportunity to refute it and call it crap. He even let it become part of the story because it persuaded DQ to not go to Zaragoza just so he could prove the story wrong. You can definately see Cervantes' feelings coming through DQ whenever the book is mentioned. It's mentioned alot too, when the two gentlemen are reading it in the inn, when DQ goes to the printing house in Barcelona, and when Altisadora says the devils are playing with it in hell. It's kind of a backhand way form of intertexuality, because Cervantes made the fake DQ part of his book.

- Sancho having to whip himself and get slapped by the duennas was one of the funniest things in the whole book I thought.

- I was disappointed that DQ's defeat, which should be one of the biggest events in the story, takes roughly 2 pages. Some stories like the Roque Guinart, or the noble people acting like shepherds take up much more space. Even the preparation for his staged fight against the footman in front of the duke took longer and they didnt even end up fighting. The Knight of the White Moon shows up and defeats DQ in much less time than it deserved. I wish Cervantes would have made a bigger spectacle out of it or at least didn't make it seem so sudden.

- If I ever own a horse I'm going to name it Rocinante.