So much has been said about this book by so many people much smarter than I will ever be - so I will focus on this single point: Don Quixote is considered 'mad' by everyone - yet he is the only one who always tells the truth - and those who label him 'mad' take advantage of this. To me the central question is this: must one be mad to tell the truth in a world of liars? Highest recommendation.

Lectura obligatoria durante la educación secundaria. Me encantó leerlo y estudiarlo.

n  

"طوبى للعهد الذي ستذاع فيه أفعالي الجريئة الرائعة الخليقة بأن تنقش على البرنز، وتحفر على المرمر، وترسم على الخشب، لتحيا أبداً في ذاكرة الأجيال المقبلة. وأنت أيها الحكيم الساحر، أياً من كنت، يا من قدر لك أن تكون مؤرخاً لهذه الأحداث الرائعة، أتوسل إليك ألا تنسى فرسي الطيب روثينانته، رفيقي الدائم في جميع أسفاري."

n
n  n

تعود بي الذاكرة إلى أيام طفولتي حين كنت أشاهد مسلسلاً كرتونياً يكون يكون بطله فارس جوّال يريد أن يحقق الأعمال المجيدة ويغيث المستضعفين، لكن ما يحدث معه هو العكس تماماً، وكان هذا الفارس هو دون كيشوت أو دون كيخوته. كبرت وعرفت بأن المسلسل الكرتوني مأخوذ عن رواية بنفس الاسم لميجل دي ثربانتس سابدرا. كنت متخوّفة من البدء بقرائتها لأنني كنت أظن بأنها ستكون صعبة ودسمة المحتوى. وأخيراً كسرت حاجز الخوف واقتنيتها ووضعتها على قائمة القراءة لهذا العام، وحمداً لله الذي وفقني لإتمام قرائتها.

تبدأ هذه الرواية العظيمة مع النبيل ألونسو كيخانو من إقليم المانتشا، الذي كان مولعاً بقراءة كتب الفروسية، مما أثر على عقله وجعله يتخذ قراراً غير مجريات حياته كلها؛ أن يصبح فارساً جوالاً يغيث المستضعفين ويدافع عن النساء، ويحارب الأعداء الأشرار، وأن يقف في وجه الظلم وأن ينصف المظلومين ويرد لكل حق حقه. وبالفعل غيّر اسمه لدون كيخوته دي لا مانتشا وتجهّز بعتاد كامل وبخوذة ورمح، وجهّز فرسه روثينانته لبدء انطلاقته الأولى، وبالتأكيد لم ينس أن يتخذ محبوبة كعادة الفرسان الجوالة، وهي دلثنيا دل توبوسو منقطعة النظير. لكنه عاد إلى منزله بعد مدة قصيرة، واتخذ سائساً لخيله، وهو جاره الساذج، سنشوب نثا الذي طمع بالحصول على حكم جزيرة ينعم بها عليه مولاه دون كيخوته حين يربح مغامراته ويهزم الأعداء. وانطلقا ليبحثا عن المغامرات. وبفضل جنون دون كيخوته المستحكم الذي يصوّر له كل شيء على عكس ما هو حقيقة، وسذاجة سنشو، تحدث لهما الكثير من المغامرات والوقائع العجيبة، الأليمة، والخطيرة، والمضحكة، ويتعرفا على أشخاص كثر: رعاة، وفرسان، وحاملي شهادات، وهاربين من العدالة، ونسوة عاشقات، وممثلين، وحكّام، وإلخ.

n  n
n  

"إن أعمال دون كيخوته العظيمة لا بد أن تلقى الإعجاب أو الضحك."

n
يُقال أن ثربانتس ألف هذه الرواية ليهاجم بها كتب الفروسية التي كانت واسعة الانتشار في كل أوروبا الغربية، وليس في إسبانيا وحدها. وكذلك حياة ثربانتس الحافلة بكل أنواع المصائب والنوائب والمظالم، مما جعله ييأس من الدنيا والناس، ولهذا لم يجد خيراً من السخرية والتهكم يستعين بهما على احتمال الحياة. ولهذا هاجم الناس جميعاً في روايته البديعة هذه. وهكذا كان "دون كيخوته" سخرية من البطولة الزائفة، والعدالة المموهة، والحقارة الاجتماعية. والنفاق الذي ساد في ذلك العصر. فكان "دون كيخوته" كما أراده ثربانتس، مرآة للعصر بكل مخازيه الاجتماعية، والسياسية والإدراية، ما يعج به من ذرائع ونفاق ودعاوى زائفة في الآداب والأخلاق. وقد تناول هذا كله بسخرية ليست حزينة، بل مبهجة، تنظر إلى العيوب بأفق وتردد بين البسمات والعبرات. بالإضافة للعلاقة الجدلية بين شخصية دون كيخوته وسنشو بنثا، حيث يمثّل دون كيخوته المثل الإنساني الأعلى، الذي يصطدم بالواقع الكالح فينتهي بالإخفاق. وسنشوب نثا الذي يمثّل القيم المادية والرغبة في الامتلاك.

رواية بديعة بكل ما في الكلمة من معنى. وبالتأكيد لن أنس الإشادة بروعة ترجمة الدكتور والفيلسوف الكبير عبد الرحمن بدوي، رحمه الله رحمة واسعة وجعل مجهوده هذا في ميزان حسناته.

n  

"الإنسانية لم تتقدم على مدى الزمان إلا بفضل نماذج قليلة من أمثال دون كيخوته تألقت في سمائها الملبدة بالغيوم في لحظات صحو وصفو نادرة."

n
----------------
n  

"هنا يرقد النبيل الباسل
الذي بلغ الغايات بشجاعته
ولوحظ أن الموت لم يستطيع
أن يقهر حياته بالهلاك
تحدى الدنيا بأسرها
وكان مثار الخوف والرهبة
في العالم في ظروف مواتية
حتى إن ما أمن له السعادة
هو أنه مات عاقلاً بعد أن كان مجنوناً"

n
n  n

...

Ah, I am not yet done with the reading but while I am on early pages of this mammoth book (well, certainly a bit of exaggeration in the style of Don Quixote), I have just reached to this chapter where our world-renowned Knight is wandering in the Sierra Morena (Black Mountains), being one of the rarest Adventures in this authentic history…

So, there is this Perfect timing to have this new amazing adventure posted on the internet, just one day ago, and I cannot help thinking how Don Quixote would have approached it, especially that he was keen to always see behind the real actuality:

https://youtu.be/4tySWLqrYRo

…of course, my reading journey is to continue :D

So, now (I mean today 3rd April) that I have finished reading the stories of Don Quixote I have realized these are my stories too. Ah, not ad-litteram, of course. But my mind is nothing but a Don Quixote. Now I finally know it. Thank God for this book, otherwise I wouldn’t have figured it out.
Fortunately, I watched the cartoons when I was a child and I loved them immensely. Thus, I thought that those stories were written to entertain children. But, ohhh, I was so wrong! Now, at a much later stage in my life, I acknowledge that I am doing the same twenty-four hours a day. That is my slumber. That is my sleep. I seem to be outwardly awake, but inside great dreams are floating around. Now it’s easier to see that I am just covered by layer upon layer of dreams, of the same quality of Don Quixote.
I have enjoyed tremendously reading this book. In a sort of a way, I could say that my mind was in ecstasy. This allowed for the elixir to flow continuously and, strangely, there was no need to speak, I became absolutely silent. I guess I was meditating what would have meant for me to be in the company of a master as Don Quixote. Certainly that would mean to be in the company of seekers, in a place where good and kind people are gathered, where good and noble thoughts are being talked about. Well, to be in such a place, where noble thoughts are discussed and to listen to them, is of immense value. But, but, but understanding them is possible only when you arrive at the same state they are in…
Meanwhile reading this book you can experience the elixir that flows from its words, and you can allow these words to penetrate you, if you be receptive and keep an open mind. For my part, Don Quixote is a great master from whom one can learn how to be ecstatic, and if so, you have learned it all :))

I have been accused all my life of being odd. I was the studious nerd in school. I am the cool professional at work. I am one who generally shuns attention. I am a solid rock in my family life. Except when I’m not those things. Sometimes I am a 44 year old going on 14. I get drunk with my 20-something year old friends, play pranks on people at work, put on a show during karaoke night, and exist for days on things that are only called food if you stretch the definition by a good bit. Adulting can get boring; it isn’t at all what I thought it would be and I feel the need to be someone else from time to time. Anyone else.

Literary scholars still argue today about whether Don Quixote was insane or was rebelling from a tedious boring life and was fully aware of what he was doing. I truly believe that it is the latter. The proof is right there inside the book.

On the incident with the windmills:

n  “What giants?” said Sancho Panza.
“Those you see over there,’ replied his master, “with the long arms; sometimes they are almost two leagues long.”
“Look, your grace,” Sancho responded, “those things that appear over there aren’t giants but windmills, and what looks like their arms are the sails that are turned by the wind and make the grindstone move.”
“It seems clear to me,” replied Don Quixote, “that thou art not well-versed in the matter of adventures.”n

On the incident with the sheep:

n  “Senor, may the devil take me, but no man, giant, or knight of all those your grace has mentioned can be seen anywhere around here; at least, I don’t see them; maybe it’s all enchantment, like last night’s phantoms.”
“How can you say that?” responded Don Quixote. “Do you not hear the neighing of the horses, the call of the clarions, the sound of the drums?”
“I don’t hear anything,” responded Sancho, “except the bleating of lots of sheep.”
And this was the truth, because the two flocks were drawing near.
“It is your fear, Sancho,” said Don Quixote, “that keeps you from seeing or hearing properly, because one of the effects of fear is to cloud the senses and make things appear other than they are.”n

On Dulcinea, the name DQ gives to a peasant girl whose actual name is Aldonza Lorenzo, and who is beloved above all things by DQ even though he has never met her and she doesn’t know he exists, because all knights must have a maiden to whom they dedicate all their great works:

n  “And therefore it is enough for me to think and believe that my good Aldonza Lorenzo is beautiful and virtuous; as for her lineage, it matters little, for no one is going to investigate it in order to give her a robe of office, and I can think she is the highest princess in the world. Because you should know, Sancho, if you do not know already, that two things inspire love more than any other; they are great beauty and a good name, and these two things reach their consummation in Dulcinea, for in beauty, no one is her equal, and as for a good name, few can approach her. And to conclude, I imagine that everything I say is true, no more and no less; and I depict her in my imagination as I wish her to be in beauty and in distinction…”n

On Quixote’s otherwise intelligent demeanor:

n  “The canon looked at him, marveling at the strangeness of his profound madness and at how he displayed a very fine intelligence when he spoke and responded to questions, his feet slipping from the stirrups, as has been said many times before, only when the subject was chivalry.”n

On reading books of chivalry:

n  “And your grace should believe me when I tell you, as I already have, to read these books, and you will see how they drive away melancholy if you are so afflicted and improve your spirits if they happen to be low.”n

On playing the fool:

n  “…the most perceptive character in a play is the fool, because the man who wishes to seem simple cannot possibly be a simpleton.”n

On telling tall tales:

n  “Sancho, just as you want people to believe what you have seen in the sky, I want you to believe what I saw in the Cave of Montesinos. And that is all I have to say.”n

On what happens when you force people to adult:

n  “Oh, Senor,” said Don Antonio, “may God forgive you for the harm you have done to the entire world in wishing to restore the sanity of the most amusing madman in it! Don’t you see, Senor, that the benefit caused by the sanity of Don Quixote cannot be as great as the pleasure produced by his madness?"n

On what to do when you can’t pretend to be a knight errant anymore:

n  “I should like, O Sancho, for us to become shepherds, at least for the time I must be retired. I shall buy some sheep, and all the other things needed for the pastoral exercise, and my name will be Shepherd Quixotiz and yours Shepherd Pancino, ….pleasure will give us our songs; joy, our weeping; Apollo, our verses; love, our conceits; and with these we shall make ourselves eternal and famous, not only in the present but in times to come.”n

Trust me, Don Quixote, I get it. The world needs more people who see unicorns where there are donkeys, or rainbows where there are storm clouds. The world needs people who think they are Beyonce on karaoke night. The world needs more dreamers. We aren't crazy; we just might be tired of the boring ass world everyone else lives in.

Υπάρχουν βιβλία στα οποία γίνεται συχνότατα αναφορά, αλλά εξίσου συχνά δεν έχουν διαβαστεί από το ευρύ κοινό και των οποίων η αξία είναι αναμφίλεκτη. Ο "Δον Κιχώτης" είναι σίγουρα το πλέον αναγνωρίσιμο από αυτά. Ο τίτλος του "1ου σύγχρονου μυθιστορήματος" προσδίδει ιδιαίτερη αξία σε ένα κείμενο που χρονολογείται τα σωτήρια έτη 1605-1615.
Η πλοκή και οι ήρωες είναι ως επί το πλείστον γνωστά, οπότε δεν έχει νόημα να αναφερθώ σε αυτά. Θα σταθώ σε κάποια μόνο σημεία, εν τάχει, τα οποία με ενθουσίασαν:
Εν αρχή, η μεταφορά σε πεζό λόγο του έμμετρου έπους με σκοπό την αποδόμησή του. Εν προκειμένω, η χιουμοριστική αποκαθήλωση ενός ολόκληρου είδους (ιπποτικό μυθιστόρημα) μέσω της κριτικής ματιάς στο ηρωικό και στο ένδοξο, όπως μπορεί ταυτόχρονα να ιδωθεί ως ιλαρό και τραγικό, "σκιάζοντας" με γκρίζους τόνους τη μέχρι τότε -μα και μετέπειτα- μανιχαϊστική οπτική.
Ακόμα, η χρονική αποστασιοποίηση, απαράμιλλη για την εποχή εκείνη (αλλά και όποια εποχή τελικά), η οποία τοποθετεί έναν καθρέφτη μπροστά στο οικείο, μετατρέποντάς το σε κάτι ανοίκειο και τούμπαλιν, υποχρεώνοντας τον εν γρηγόρση αναγνώστη να σταθεί με αυτοκριτική διάθεση απέναντι στα ειωθότα, θεώμενος εξ αποστάσεως τα δρώμενα.
Και βέβαια, τεχνικές όπως η συμπερίληψη άλλων βιβλίων εντός του αρχικού κορμού του "Δον Κιχώτη" και η υποκατάσταση του συγγραφέα από άλλα "προσωπεία"-συγγραφείς, η οποία υποσκάπτει καθ' εαυτήν την έννοια του πανταχού παρόντος Δημιουργού αποδομώντας την εξουσία του, αποδεικνύουν τη μεγαλοφυία ενός συγγραφέα Προ-Μηθέα σε σχέση με την εποχή του.
Ακόμα και στο τέλος που ο "γνωστικός" πλέον Δον Κιχώτης αποσύρεται άδοξα και δια παντός από τη σκηνή της "Ανθρώπινης Κωμωδίας" που ο ίδιος βίωσε ως "Ηρωικό Δράμα", η σκιά του πλανόδιου ιππότη, η "Δύναμις και η Δόξα", θα συνεχίζει να περιφέρεται στον "απομαγεμένο" κόσμο της Νεωτερικής λογοτεχνίας, "στοιχειώνοντας" δημιουργικά τους επιγόνους.
Εν τέλει, στην αναπόφευκτη ερώτηση (κάθε φορά που τη διαβάζω εξοργίζομαι!): "Μα τι έχει να προσφέρει ένα τόσο παλιό βιβλίο στον σύγχρονο αναγνώστη;" η απάντηση σε αυτόν που την κάνει είναι ξεκάθαρη: "Απολύτως τίποτα!" Όχι γιατί -θυμίζω ξανά τον Χέγκελ- ο ήρωας δεν είναι ήρωας, αλλά γιατί ο υπηρέτης είναι υπηρέτης. Οι λοιποί ενδιαφερόμενοι, δεν χρήζουν νουθεσίας - έχουν ήδη προστρέξει.

1001 Libros que hay que leer antes de morir: N.º 198 de 1001

¡Señoras, señores, que es el Quijote, qué voy a decir yo a estas alturas que no hayan dicho miles de eruditos mejor! ¿Es la mejor novela de la historia? HOMBRE QUE SI LO ES.

Voy a hacer mias las palabras de un tercero, famoso por la vehemencia de sus sentencias, pero "nadie tiene un Quijote, no lo podréis tener jamás. En el mejor de los casos podéis tener un traductor inteligente para haceros ver, de lejos, más o menos, lo que es el Quijote". Y Amén.

YouTube kanalımda Cervantes'in hayatı, Don Kişot ve kronolojik okuma sırası hakkında bilgi edinebilirsiniz:
https://youtu.be/FgMisPxqTFk

https://i.ibb.co/K5SWZMj/IMG-7568.jpg

Don Quijote : Herkese merhaba, ben Don Quijote, namıdiğer Mahzun Yüzlü Şövalye! 400 küsür yaşındayım. Yani şu an bu yazıyı okuyan herhangi birinden çok daha yaşlı bir kitabım. Bu 400 yıl içerisinde benden sonra çok şey değişti, içimde silahtarım Sancho Panza ile yaşadığım serüvenleri anlatmama rağmen bütün romanların başlangıcı sayılabilirim.

Derken, o anda bu incelemenin esas yazarının Seyyid Hamid Goodreadscani olduğu anlaşılır. Fakat Don Quijote'nin asırlar boyu konuştuğuna kimse inanmayacağından ötürü ve yakılıp sansürlenmesinden korkulduğu için Don Quijote'nin serüvenlerini kendi ağzından aktaracağız. Şimdi onun serüvenlerine geri dönelim.

https://i.ibb.co/89LbNPQ/IMG-7570.jpg

Don Quijote : Sizler de kimsiniz, yoksa yel değirmenleri büyülendi ve size mi dönüştü?

Kitaplar: Pek de öyle sayılmaz, sevgili Don Quijote. Aslında senden sonra yel değirmenlerine saldıran pek çok kitap yazıldı. Sen 17.yy'da engizisyona ve sisteme tek başına kaldırdın, bunun da adını yel değirmenleri koydun. Bizler de 19. ve 20. yy'ın yel değirmenlerine baş kaldıranlarız. Sen, tek başına yel değirmenlerine saldırınca bir şey olmamış olabilir. Ama kırmızı sakallı topal karıncalar içindeki şarkıyı keşfederse, Winston Büyük Birader'i sevmezse, Katip Bartleby pasif direnişte bulunup ona edilen dikteleri yapmayı tercih etmezse, gecenin sonuna doğru yolculuk ettiğimiz besini militarizm olan bu hayatta silah ve kalem arasında kalırsak, biz de bir gün içimizde yel değirmenlerine karşı birlik olma inancını taşıyabiliriz!

https://i.ibb.co/gd0N27C/IMG-7572.jpg

Don Quijote : Sizler de kimsiniz, yoksa sizler de benim gibi olmayan sevgiyi, benle birlikte Dulcinea'mı aramaya mı geldiniz?

Kitaplar: Tam olarak üstüne bastın efendim. Sen olmasaydın biz de olmazdık. Çünkü Aylak Adam olmayan sevgiyi arıyordu, Atılgan'ın dediğine göre öyle bir sevgi dünyada yoktu. Dostoyevski erken dönem eserlerinde sürekli ulaşılamayan Rus kadınını anlattı. Marcel Proust, Kayıp Zamanın İzinde serisinde bir insana mı yoksa bir zamana mı ait olduğumuzu araştırdı. Onun da senin gibi vaktini kaybettiği olmayan bir sevgisi vardı. Biz de aslında senden sonra, seninle birlikte kendi Dulcinea'mızı arayanlardanız!

https://i.ibb.co/TcrqmZ6/IMG-7573.jpg

Don Quijote : Dostum, aslında seni de tanımıyorum ama nedense sana karşı içimde bir sıcaklık oluştu. Neden dersin?

Fareler ve İnsanlar : Çünkü içimde anlattığım George ve Lennie adlı karakterlere çok benzeyen karakter tasarımları kullanmışsın! Sen ve Sancho Panza arasındaki akıl-delilik, zeka-fiziksel güç, zenginlik-fakirlik karşıtlıkları aynı benim kitabımda kullandığım gibiydi. Çünkü sen Sanayi Devrimi'nin getireceği ve toplum hayatına etki edeceği o bütün tez ve antitezlerin başlangıcısın!

O anda bu incelemenin yazarı olan Seyyid Hamid Goodreadscani Don Quijote'yi kendisinden sonraki domino taşlarının yanına götürür.

https://i.ibb.co/sRmF2Xk/IMG-7574.jpg

Don Quijote : Aman, aman, aman! Devriliyorum, neler oluyor?

Sefiller, Suç ve Ceza, Niteliksiz Adam : Edebiyat da bir domino gibidir Don Quijote. Sen ise roman dünyasının dominosunun ilk taşısın. Belki de sen olmasaydın Sefiller'deki devrim ruhu, barikat direnişleri ve Jean Valjean karakteri olmazdı. Sen olmasaydın Raskolnikov baltayı indiremezdi belki o kadına ya da Niteliksiz Adam'da Ulrich bir toplumun çöküşüyle birlikte insanların da kendi içindeki çöküşlerine şahit olamayabilirdi. Yazarların bir döneme ışık tutması gerektiğini biz senden öğrendik!

https://i.ibb.co/LYgJZV3/IMG-7575.jpg

Don Quijote : Sizler de kimsiniz, yoksa sizler de beni yazan Seyyid Hamid Badincani gibi sizler de el yazmalarından mı oluşuyordunuz? Sansürden ve yakılmaktan mı korktunuz?

Gece, Ses ve Öfke : Tam olarak öyle değil, Don Quijote. Aslında postmodernizmin oluşmasını da bir nebze sana borçluyuz. Çünkü Cervantes yerine kitabını yazan başka bir isim kullanman aslında senin roman dünyası ile gerçek dünya arasına bir katman koyduğunu, yani üstkurmacayı yansıtıyor. Metinlerarasılık, üstkurmaca ve postmodernizmin başlangıcını biz senden öğrendik!

https://i.ibb.co/zGLGcBs/IMG-7576.jpg

Don Quijote : Sizler de kimsiniz, Sancho sen tanıyor musun bunları?

Sancho Panza : Hayır efendim ama gözüm bir yerden ısırıyor açıkçası, bu kitaplar da büyülenmiş olabilir.

Dava ve Şato : Yok, yok. Biz büyülenmiş olanlar değiliz. Büyülü olan kitaplar birazdan gelecek. Sancho, aslında senin bizi tanıman gerekirdi. Çünkü biz de senin yaptığın valilik gibi içimizde ideal bürokrasi ve devlet düzenini, insanın bu siyasi düzen arasında kaybolmasını ve insanın kendi davasını bir ruh şatosunda aramasını anlatmıştık. O yüzden Seyyid Hamid'i Max Brod'a çok yakın görüyoruz diyebiliriz.

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Don Quijote : Size kanım çok ısındı, neden oldu bu sizce?

Cardenio : Ben zaten senin içindeki Cardenio karakterinden esinlenme bir oyunum, sevgili Don Quijote. O yüzden olmasın?

Sis : Benim de yazarım aslında senin gibi ana karakterim olan Augusto ile konuşmuştu. Sen de içinde Don Quijote'nin iki cildinden ilk kitabı okumuştun, hatırlasana Don Quijote! Hatta Unamuno'nun kendi yazdığı türe "nivola" demesi ve o güne kadarki türlere tamamen eleştiri sayılabilecek bir tür ortaya koyması gibi, sen de şövalye romanlarına, Doğu öykülerine, Bizans romansına ve çağın edebiyat anlayışına tepki olarak bu kitabı yazmıştın!

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Don Quijote : Dostum Sancho, işte bu kitaplar gerçekten de büyülü. Bu kitaplardan bana aşırı büyü geçiyor şu an!

Yüzyıllık Yalnızlık, Sevgili Arsız Ölüm : Tam da doğru noktaya bastın Don Quijote, atın olan Rocinante'yi o noktadan çek! Çünkü bizler, içimizde, büyülü gerçekçilikle birlikte tuhaf olanın sıradanlaşmasını anlattık. Senin mağaraya inme serüveninde yaşadığın gerçek ile hayal arasındaki uçları, biz de karakterlerimize yaşatmak istedik. Edebiyatın büyüyle ve halklar arasında anlatılan batıl inançlar, efsanelerle birlikte daha yükseğe ve özgünlüğe kavuşabileceğine inandık!

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Don Quijote : Ah, offf! Ne yapıyorsun, sen de kimsin? Niye bana vuruyorsun??

Otomatik Portakal : Ben şiddeti anlatmayı senin sayende öğrendim Don Quijote. İçimde anlattığım şiddet kültürü ve senin girdiğin her mekanda sana atılan dayakları tamamen senden çektim aldım ve içimdeki karakterlere uyguladım. Çünkü bunu çok sevmiştim.

O anda bütün kitaplar : Sen bize modernizmi, postmodernizmi, distopyayı, büyülü gerçekçiliği, Kafka'yı, Dostoyevski'yi, Robert Musil'i, Marcel Proust'u, Marquez'i, Unamuno'yu, Yaşar Kemal'i öğrettin Don Quijote! Sana çok şey borçluyuz. Senin bu yaptığın iyiliği hiçbir zaman unutmayacağız.

O anda Seyyid Hamid Goodreadscani, bu incelemenin sonunun gelmesi gerektiğini anladı. Çünkü Don Quijote, bütün bunları duyduktan sonra amacına ulaştığını anlamıştı. Bütün o şövalye romanlarına ve engizisyona korkusuzca karşı çıkan bu Mahzun Yüzlü Şövalye artık huzur içinde uyuyabilirdi.

Don Chisciotte non poteva che andarsene in una sera di pioggia. Ironia della sorte, la prima sera di primavera piove. Il cavaliere è stato quasi un nonno: all’inizio sempre pronto a divertire, a raccontare storie, ad accrescere meraviglia e fantasia; poi in corso d’opera come un adulto con un adolescente, un po’ fastidioso, apprensivo, si scaccia ma si sa che c’è e gli si vuole bene per questo; e quando le pagine corrono verso la fine il pensiero diventa malinconico, l’adolescente diventa adulto e realizza la pienezza della vita e l’importanza degli affetti.
Tutto è doppio in questo romanzo. Don Chisciotte e Sancio, Ronzinante e Babieca, Dulcinea e Teresa, realtà e immaginazione, amore e morte. Anche i personaggi delle storie parallele si muovono in doppio a sottolineare quello che è forse uno degli intenti dell’opera: fantasia e realtà sono due facce della stessa medaglia, a dividerle solo il bordo. E allora è facile che nel cavaliere dalla trista figura coesistano don Chisciotte e Alonso Quijano il Buono, e che in Sancio si ritrovi il rozzo scudiero e il governatore accorto. Due amici che si prendono cura uno dell’altro, Sancio a vegliare sulla pazzia del suo padrone, e don Chisciotte sulla condotta di Sancio. E poco importa se chi attorno a loro li derida e li schernisca. Loro fanno scudo, spiazzano con la loro verità/fantasia, con i loro incantamenti fino a raggiungere quello che nella burla è di fatto ciò che conta: il cavaliere viene riconosciuto come un eroe e come tale accolto. Quella che vale è la sua bontà d’animo, che da sola abbatte le barriere dell’indifferenza e della reticenza di fronte alla sua pazzia e addirittura lo eleva agli occhi di chi lo guarda.
L’immaginazione non si può dominare, cavalca a briglia sciolta nonostante la ragione la voglia pressare, comprimere e ricondurre fra righe perfette. Don Chisciotte è un grande sogno e ci si risveglia nell’ultima pagina.
Onore a chi con la sua fantasia è riuscito a tenere il filo di tante sete e creare un arazzo bellissimo.

Can I tell you a story - only it may take a little time because sometimes a thousand trifles have to be recounted, as irrelevant as they are necessary, for the true understanding of a tale.

Chapter I : Regarding what befell the narrator on visiting a theatre

The comic operetta Don Quixote was being performed at my local theatre and I was amongst the audience at the first performance. It was a lively and entertaining re-enactment featuring the knight errant Don Quixote and his erring squire Sancho Panza, and many of their adventures were recounted. As I sat in the theatre watching the performance I found myself more and more drawn towards the happenings on the stage. I continually shifted in my seat, and half-rose from it many times. I kept wanting to intervene, to give Don Quixote a fine new coat of armour, for example, and to exchange the old shaving bowl he wore on his head for the real Helmet of Mambrino which, as an avid reader with a large library, I knew exactly where to find.
I wanted to give his horse Rocinante a good feed so that he would have some flesh on his poor bones (though I also knew that his and his master’s bony condition had saved them already from being eaten by a hungry lion).
I wanted to give Sancho Panza an even larger role in the story, with longer speeches, more proverbs, and greater opportunity to influence events.
I wanted to go backstage and meet with the producer - and perhaps get a glimpse of the man who wrote the libretto.
But most of all I wanted Don Quixote to finally meet the Lady Dulcinea.

Chapter II : In which the diverting adventure of a puppet master is recounted, along with other things that are really worthwhile.

The operetta had reached the scene where Don Quixote is sitting in an inn along with other customers watching a traveling puppeteer’s production of the tale of a beautiful princess held captive in a castle. In the course of the puppet show, the puppet princess escapes from the castle and is pursued by her captors. Before anyone realised what he intended, Don Quixote sprang from his seat intent on rescuing the princess. He swung his sword at the hoard of cardboard figures, reducing them, and the entire puppet theatre to smithereens within minutes. Pandemonium ensued.

Don Quixote’s reckless actions were just the example I needed. Though it wasn't easy to move fast in my long opera gown, I ran towards the steps at the side of the stage, heedless of the whisperings and murmurings of the people I’d disturbed on the way. Before anyone knew what I intended, I had joined the actors on the stage where the puppet master was loudly bewailing the destruction of his puppet theatre. Don Quixote was dreamily contemplating the havoc he had created when he glanced up and noticed me standing near him. The Knight of the Sorrowful Face never looked so happy.
“The Lady Dulcinea at last, freed from her enchantment,” he said, dropping to one knee and covering my hands with kisses.
Everyone was stupefied.
“If that's the Lady Dulcurea”, muttered Sancho Panza, looking me up and down, “I’ll eat my packsaddle!”
“Curb your tongue, you jester and longtime nuisance,” responded Don Quixote, “does it seem right to dishonour and insult a duenna as venerable and worthy of respect as she? Consider and reflect on your words before they leave your mouth.”
I wasn’t terribly pleased to be described as a ‘duenna’ but I didn’t have time to debate the point because at that moment, the producer emerged from the wings and began to propel me from the stage.
“The Lady Dulcinea will appear at the proper time, dear Don Quixote,” he whispered consolingly, “and those words you’ve just uttered about the duenna belong in a later scene. This is the scene with the puppet theatre in the inn. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Then he signalled to the puppet master to carry on with his speech and pushed me into the wings - though I struggled a bit. I’d quite enjoyed being addressed as the Lady Dulcinea, duenna or no duenna.

Chapter III : Which continues the tale of The Reader who was Recklessly Meddlesome

“What do you think you're doing interfering in my production in such a ridiculous fashion?” the producer hissed into my ear, pushing me down a corridor and closing the door to the stage.
"It's all so entrancing I just couldn't stay in my seat," I insisted excitedly, “and I want to help Don Quixote, and Sancho Panza too, I want to arrange things better for them."
"What would you do for Sancho Panza?" he asked, standing with his back to the stage door and stroking his pointed beard thoughtfully.
"I'd give him a lot more speeches," I said eagerly, seeing that he'd calmed down a bit. "Speeches that would show him to be cleverer than he appears at the moment because I'm certain he is really very clever."
"And what would you do for Don Quixote?"
"I would give him success in a tournament, and I'd like to think he might sometime meet the Lady Dulcinea, even if only briefly."
He didn’t answer immediately, just continued to stroke his beard thoughtfully. It seemed that he might be considering my request.
“Can I examine your spectacles,” he asked suddenly, holding out his hand.
I was so surprised that I handed over my glasses immediately.
“Tortoiseshell, I see,” he said, tapping the frames with his index finger, “I've only ever seen it used for peinetas. Can I borrow these spectacles?”
“Absolutely not,” I cried, “I can’t see a thing without them and I’ll miss the rest of the play—I’m missing enough as it is.”
“Hmm, if you won’t lend the spectacles, perhaps you’d lend your person?” he said with the trace of a smile. “After the interval there’s a short scene involving a duenna called Doña Rodríguez who wears spectacles, and since you want so much to be involved, you could take her place. She only appears once, and only has a couple of lines to deliver. But you must remove that ring,” he said, pointing to a ring I wore on my left hand.
I was thrilled to be given a chance to take part and agreed immediately, especially when the director said he might tweak some of the later scenes to allow Sancho Panzo to have a greater role, just as I had requested. He went off to consult with Cide Hamete, the librettist, while a costume person brought me a long and elaborate headdress to wear, complete with a peineta. The whole thing resembled a nun's veil. I donned it unwillingly. What can't be cured must be endured, after all, and the habit does not make the nun.


Chapter IV : Which deals wth matters related to this history and no other

Immediately after the interval comes the scene where Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are being welcomed to the castle of a wealthy duke. All the duennas in the service of the duchess stand in line to greet them. This was my big scene. Each duenna is supposed to be accompanied by a daughter so I also had a daughter whose job was to hold the end of my long headdress. As I stood with all the others, the two heroes passed so close to me I could have reached out and touched their sleeves. Just as they were about to enter the castle, Sancho stopped as if he'd forgotten something, and then he turned to me and said,
"Señora Gonzalez, or whatever your grace's name may be..”
"Doña Rodriguez de Grijalba is my name,” I responded, settling into my role, "How can I help you, brother?”
I was ready to oblige him in whatever way I could until I heard what he wanted. I was to go outside the castle gate and find his donkey and take him to the stable because the donkey apparently didn't like to be left alone under any circumstances. I didn't think this was at all the kind of duty a duenna was supposed to undertake, and so I told Sancho—in a slightly raised voice. Then we traded a few insults in which the word 'old' was mentioned. The duchess and Don Quixote overheard and the Don castigated Sancho severely. “Curb your tongue, you jester and longtime nuisance. Does it seem right to dishonour and insult a duenna as venerable and worthy of respect as she? Consider and reflect on your words before they leave your mouth.”
Then the duchess explained that although I was wearing spectacles and a wimple, I was in fact still quite young. I was mollified and Sancho went on his way, muttering something about the need for duennas to show more generosity towards donkeys.

Chapter V : Which recounts the second adventure of the Duenna, also called Doña Rodriguez

I watched the next few scenes from the wings. It seemed to me that the Duke and Duchess were organizing some very elaborate entertainments at the expense of the two heroes, entertainments in which a fair amount of trickery and deceit was involved. The more I watched, the less I liked it, especially when Don Quixote was clawed by a bunch of angry cats he thought were demons. He was recovering in his bed from this attack when I decided to creep into his chamber during the night and warn him about what the Duke and Duchess were up to. To get his attention, I had to pretend there was a damsel in distress who needed his help, so I told him that my daughter had been forsaken by her lover and would he please challenge the lover to a duel. That was exactly the right way to get him onside and he began to pay attention to the rest of what I had to say. I had just begun to explain about all the trickery that was going on in the castle when some figures dressed in black appeared and began to spank me unmercifully. “Ouch,” I cried, "help, help!", but to no avail (see update status: page 772) because Don Quixote was also being attacked, and since Sancho Panza was far away, he couldn't comfort either of us with his soothing proverbs. And so ended my unfortunate and embarrassing mid-night tête à tête with the noble knight.

Chapter VI : Regarding matters that concern and pertain to this adventure

Back stage, everybody was complaining about my foolishness and audacity in meddling in the plot and generally making a spectacle of myself. The director said he regretted letting me play the part of the duenna. I was forbidden to step on stage again, and more or less thrown out of the theatre. But I didn't want to leave without speaking further with Don Quixote, and even with Sancho, who'd suddenly begun to deliver some of the best speeches of the entire opera, filled with juicy proverbs like pears in a wicker basket.
I reckoned I might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb, and how would an omelette get made if we didn’t break a few eggs, so I hid behind a windmill prop in the wings and waited my chance. As the Don and his squire were taking leave of the Duke, I stepped onstage once again and had the most interesting of my encounters with Don Quixote and the wise squire Sancho.
When we had finished conversing, I withdrew to a seat at the back of the theatre to watch the rest of the operetta, completely satisfied that my interventions had been useful and were achieving some effect.

Postscript: Which recounts what will be seen by whoever reads it and other matters which will be understood if the reader reads with attention

So now you've heard the story of how Doña Rodriguez, who was only supposed to have one scene in the opera, ended up having three, and of how this crazy reader, who recklessly entered the story, brought this mischief about. If you don't believe any of this could have happened, read Chapter LVI of Don Quixote, Regarding the extraordinary and unprecedentedly successful battle that Don Quixote of La Mancha had with the footman Tosilos in defense of the daughter of the duenna Doña Rodriguez.
And when you’ve read that, read Chapter LXIX : Concerning the strangest and most remarkable event to befall Don Quixote in the entire course of his history which features not just one spectacle-wearing duenna but four!
My tortoiseshell glasses had started a craze.


When the performance was finally over, I left the theatre, pleased that my recklessness had lead to such a satisfying outcome, but thoughtful too about some of the things that had happened.
Why had Don Quixote addressed me as the Lady Dulcinea?
Why had the director asked me to remove my ring? I took it from my pocket and examined it. It's an old ring, in fact it's been in my family for a long, long time. I had picked it to wear to the theatre because it has a heraldic design, showing a gyron or triangular shape inside a coat of arms.
What all that signifies however, I cannot quite grasp for the moment, but I’m hoping some attentive reader will soon tell me..

At its best this long story resonates and is most eloquent. After reading who can ever forget the incomparable duo of the knight errant, Don Quixote, and his squire Sancho Panza. Considering the book was written in 1605 it has, at times, an almost modernistic feel to it with witty observations and humour on the human condition. It can be uproarious and the ending is most sad. As the story progressed, I did find Sancho of greater interest.

It is a road journey with the most powerful, whimsical and hilarious encounters featuring the knight errant misconstruing out of proportion, all that he comes across, causing havoc to all, particularly his hapless squire.

Don Quixote takes on the persona of a knight errant believing as truthful all the assorted adventures, fables, romanticisms, and mysticisms of his large collection of knight errant books that he has read. His aim is to put all their “teachings” into practice when he sets off on his adventures to make the world a better place. There are endless quotes in the book from the many knight errants that he has read of (possibly like individuals today who can quote verbatim from all the Star Trek episodes they have absorbed over the years). He is a man possessed and deluded by these books. Sancho, becomes, in some ways, the straight man on these quests; trying futilely to dissuade our knight from these encounters with supposed monsters and evil armies. By the end of the book, I became more absorbed and sympathetic to Sancho and his endless proverbs, than the rantings of Don Quixote on his mission from God (or his blessed books).

However, the book is way too long. It is repetitive. I started to groan when coming across another endless passage of Don Quixote expatiating on the glories of knight errantry and reciting at length various knights who had set forth and describing their endless accomplishments. The same for his professed love and devotion to the beautiful, Dulcinea, whom he has only glimpsed from afar. This unfilled love quest is a constant throughout the story.

The women they meet on their journey are always the most beautiful, the most virtuous (a word used frequently throughout), and the most modest in temperament – until the next woman they meet.

There are passages that are stirring and very well written. It can be superb story-telling – but at times it bogs down into sheer tediousness and endless inconsequential detail. I would recommend an abridged version.

I walked into bar a week back and was served a beer by a 20 something girl with a strong accent. What part of the world are you from I asked. Spain she said. After a bit of small talk about her backpacking etc I mentioned I was nearing the end of Don Quixote. Why would you read that she asked? Forced to read it at school and hated it. Interestingly I had had the same conversation a while back with a friend of mine who had been made to read it at school and had bad memories.
I know I too would have hated it back in the day. So now into my fast approaching old age I can honestly say Don Quixote has been a long but enjoyable adventure and I understand its place in literary history but yeah, glad I did not read it at school. Reckon I would have detested it.

But what do I write after 400 years of everyone else writing about it? I suppose I could put it into a modern context.

Don Quixote suffers from a delusional form of mental illness, lives in the past. Old white males of my generation in western society seriously suffer from a form of this by pining for their youth. His attacking windmills, as one example, was a form of mad slapstick that I read took the Spanish speaking world by storm. Think the same with say Charlie Chaplin at the turn of last century. Recently in South Australia windmills were blamed for the entire power blackout of the state. Maybe they needed to call their massive storm Don Quixote.

There is a hint of sexual liberalism that back when written would have been the equivalent of say the 60's cultural revolution. An aghast older generation and a younger reader know that sex sells. The tale of Anselmo, Lothario and Camilla would have been a sensation I would have thought, a wife swapping tale for the times. It has certain Soap Opera connotations that parallel modern life, everything from Dallas through to Neighbours. Did I say wife swapping? Forget that, this is the journey into the world of asking your best mate to shag your wife.

A few others? The Captive tells another tale that would have taken in the religious tensions of the time and are not far from being, again, a parallel for our times. Love conquering all with an enthralling adventure of religious intolerance. But then we go to the other extreme of a journey into sado-masochism by a couple of wealthy aristocrats mistreating the mentally ill for their own personal kicks. This gets lots of columns in the tabloids nowadays. I even read an item by an economist talking monetary theory within this book.

Something for everyone it seems.