Brian’s
Comments
(group member since Aug 19, 2012)
Brian’s
comments
from the Reading the Classics group.
Showing 21-40 of 325
You're welcome Tina, and thanks for the feedback! If you're using the calendar, I linked to a free copy of an early edition there. Here's a link for convenience:https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00073550/00001/1j
There is definitely a free Gutenberg version as well.
Here's the calendar:
https://bit.ly/3dGOFS2
Cervantes must have read a bunch of chivalric novels, not just as research, but in the course of his lifetime. Books were still rare at the time, a privilege of the wealthy, and I'd bet he read everything he could get his hands on.Monica, welcome! And thank you for joining the discussion.
I agree with you! Much easier to reference specific passages.
W1 - 7/1-7: C1-4 (~56pp)W2 - 7/8-14: C5-8 (47)
W3 - 7/15-21: C9-11 (51)
W4 - 7/22-28: WEEK OFF
W5 - 7/29-8/4: C12-15 (62)
W6 - 8/5-11: C16-18 (55)
W7 - 8/12-18: C19-20 (63)
W8 - 8/19-25: WEEK OFF
W9 - 8/26-9/1: C21-23 (50)
Erratum:
- The pagination varies, as there have been some 700 separate editions of this novel. As such, it is difficult to know what a reasonable pace should be. We will learn more as we go, and if necessary I will adjust the schedule, so please don't be shy if things are moving too slowly or too quickly.
- I am, for now, electing to stick with 3 weeks on/1 week off. Feedback on that is welcome.
- I am also electing to stick with a reasonable weekly reading schedule, which means that, for now, most books will be scheduled as bi-monthly reads, or more as selection length requires.
Let us know which edition you have chosen! The reading schedule will be posted and the calendar updated shortly.
W9 - 8/26-9/1: C21-23
Discussion thread for the beginning of Robinson Crusoe.
I don't think you're necessarily imagining things. We know that Cervantes sold the rights to the 1st book about a year before publication, so he earned nothing from its almost immediate widespread popularity. That was a major motivation for him in writing the 2nd book. He may have incorporated that into the story... I wouldn't be surprised. So good sleuthing!As for the Middle Ages, they more or less ended in the late 15th century, or 100+ years before these novels. But while Europe was no longer in the middle of what we refer to as the Middle Ages, I'm sure it was fresh enough in people's minds (as chivalry and knighthood was in those of Cervantes and therefore Quixote) that your explanation still makes sense to me!
Tina wrote: "Is he that mad, or is enchantment an easy way to explain what would otherwise punch holes in his whole outlook? I feel like enchantment is an great excuse for most of the inconsistencies he would o..."Is that not a mark of madness? Explaining away reality as some sort of enchanted conspiracy?
Anyone still with us? :)Don Quixote's continued insistence that any contradiction to his observations is due to enchantment has me convinced still that he is mad as a hatter, but the observation that 'it is better for a knight to err on the side of courage than on the side of cowardice' makes me wonder if that's such a bad thing, even tho what led to it was his foolish bravado against the lion: DQ was lucky it wasn't hungry or angry.
I recall in B1C18 Quixote's argument for the value of arms over letters, so his discourse with Don Lorenzo about the value of poetry is a bit confusing. Then again, Quixote is more than a bit confused.
Random observations...
Darshana wrote:>rational thought is freedom from all forms of bondage. That, in my opinion, is a true power -- it is human but it rises above, "the soul is given wings"
Agreed, and I wish it were more prevalent!
Tina wrote: "I have not read Robinson Crusoe, and would be willing to. By the comments already I think it will be a provoking read. I do find myself wanting to know more of the historical background for many ..."
For me, part of the reason for studying history and reading books which reflect it is to know where we came from and to internalize the lessons of the past so as to better understand where we are now, and where we might be going. I wouldn't criticize anyone else's decision about what to read, not to read or why... but I don't feel like reading about something I disagree with is an endorsement of it. In many ways I prefer to read about people and places and practices I dislike and disagree with. I am by definition unfamiliar, and by allowing myself to become familiar, I feel like I better understand myself, the world and my place in it.
Enough introspection. For Tina: my superpower, if I could choose anything, would be the ability to ENTER a book and live it as any character I choose. I feel like that's what our imagination is attempting to do anyway, to immerse ourselves in stories, and I would love the ability to take that immersion to the ultimate level.
Darshana wrote: "Hypocritical Enlightenment values indeed! -- I remember that I had read Crusoe in an abridged version (without knowing it was abridged) long ago, and I couldn't agree more on the appalling hypocris..."Slavery, colonialism and trampled rights... the packaging has certainly changed, but I'm not sure much else has ;)
Discussion thread for Week 13/22 of the revised Don Quixote schedule.
I thought this might interest some of you. It includes some history of Cervantes, why he wrote Part 2, the discovery of his remains, and some cool quotes.https://www.spanish.academy/blog/hist...
I'm about where you are, trying to catch up to c15 ahead of the end of the week off :)
Brandon wrote: "I was thinking about getting Penguin Edition. Will that be a problem?"Nope, that'll be good. I came across a modified edition which bizarrely had 30 chapters. The original has ~20. So check your ToC :)
L_Gail wrote: "I am listening to a free read at cloudLibrary.My public library has membership in cloudLibrary as do many other libraries around the USA.
It is a Blackstone Audio unabridged recording.
https://..."
Thank you!
Here's a free Project Gutenberg edition:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/521
... and yes, the book is available in free or cheap versions everywhere. Getting excited to finally read this one.
Discussion thread for B2 C8-15. Very late posting this (that's the bad news), but June 17-23 is a week off (that's the good news).If there's anyone willing to assist as an admin, I'm overwhelmed between trying to keep everything here up to date, and real life. Let me know if you're up for it and we can discuss in PM.
For now, we have until the 23rd to catch up through B2 C15.
L_Gail wrote: "Ok, first “English” novel.There are a lot of “first” modern English novels, I think.
Robinson Crusoe
Pamela
Tristam Shandy
A Tale of the Tub
Moll Flanders
Pilgrim’s Progress
And I guess others."
Hey, can you share with me the ToC from the edition you're reading? It's come to my attention there is more than one edition of this thing and the ToCs are wildly different.
