Who is madder? (Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes)

Name: Caroline R

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Product:	Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
Date:	14/12/00 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, excellent characters, interesting events

Disadvantages: Can be affected by translation

The ardent idealism of Cervantes’ celebrated hero has often been interpreted as madness, but is it necessarily less sane than pessimism and a fatalistic acceptance of the evils of society? In setting off on his quest to reintroduce the ideals of chivalry to the world, Don Quixote certainly appears slightly ludicrous. His devotion to his lady Dulcinea, whose imagined perfection is based on the memory of a peasant girl he has only met a couple of times, seems at best funny and at worst downright stupid. The dangers and hardships he encounters on his journey might provoke the response “Is it really worth it?” but it is difficult not to admire Don Quixote for his courage and unwavering conviction that he can change the world.

Reading the book in translation does mean that to some extent its humour is reliant on the translator’s chosen way of wording the text, and quotations from it often differ from one source to the next. It is a very amusing read, however, and although there is some affectionate satire directed against the hero himself, much of the story’s comedy centres on events of the plot and the down-to-earth attitude of Sancho Panza. As the knight and his squire set off on their journey it quickly becomes apparent that they are extremely likeable characters. Their affection for their animals, their banter and the contrast between their reactions to events places the reader on their side rather than on the “rational” view that Don Quixote should be forced to stay at home.

Written before the form of “the novel” became established, The Adventures of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de La Mancha is better described as a picaresque, or story of a journey. It is a series of isolated adventures rather than one developing plot, and minor characters move in and out around the central focus of the hero. The Adventure of the Windmills is perhaps the best known, pitting Don Quixote as a lone warrior
against what he perceives to be “giants” on the horizon. His behaviour can be interpreted as stupidity, madness, rashness or just a mistake – but his willingness to battle single-handedly against a formidable danger is the most impressive aspect of the episode, and a quality of his character which increasingly comes to the fore as the adventures continue.

I have known some people to say that they can’t get on with this book, or that it is heavy going, but I would sincerely recommend it for its humour, originality and dynamic characters. In terms of entertainment value, it is often hilarious and always enjoyable, affectionately portraying the follies of the characters without ultimately condemning their beliefs.

By the end of the book, there is no question that the reader’s sympathies lie with Don Quixote in his unquenchable desire to return humanity to a more chivalrous age. How many of us accept the world’s mediocrity and decline to waste energy in making the effort to change it? If the courage, strong principles, chivalry, perseverance and idealism of Don Quixote constitute madness, then ‘twere a good thing did madness become catching.

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