Hey, guys!
We were only at week 2 of reading Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes and I started falling behind... Oh, well, I'm working on catching up thanks to grabbing an audio copy of the book so that I can knit and listen at the same time. Once I'm back on track & I have a few big projects off the needles, I'll be going back to just straight reading because I know that I get more out of it that way. What style of "reading" do you guys prefer, written-word or audio-book?
PS: You can view the reading schedule here. Everyone is welcome & any version of the book is acceptable (yes, audios too). We'd love to have you join us!
Feel free to comment on this post or pop over to the Ravelry group and join the discussion that we have going on there. If you share a post on social media, please use #YumiBookClub so we can find each other there. Happy reading!
Spoilers follow
Chapter 1.8
Of the Happy Success of the Valliant Don Quixote, and the Dradful and Inconceivable Adventure of the Wind-Mills, with Other Incidents Worthy to be Recorded by the Most Able Historian
DQ & Sancho come upon 30-40 windmills that DQ takes to be giants. Regardless of Sancho's warnings that they are just windmills, DQ attacks one of them & proceeds to get both himself & his horse picked-up & tossed by the momentum of the windmill's arm. Obviously, the sate, Freston, stealer of libraries & books, has changed these giants into windmills just to spite DQ & steal his glory.
DQ's lance, broken by the confrontation, is replaced by a tree branch after the fashion of Diego Perez de Vargas. Sancho enjoyed a pleasant meal w/ plenty of wine while DQ abstained from all (including sleep) so that he could reflect upon his Dulcinea's memories. The next day they savagely attacked two monks who happened to be riding ahead of a coach. DQ claimed they were enchanters carrying off a princess & was attempting to aid her escape.
With the friars thwarted (& nearly robed of clothing), DQ went to address the "princess". Sancho, trying to take the friar's clothing as the spoils of battle, is beaten unconscious by servants. DQ trys to make the coach return the way they have come so that they will tell Dulcinea of his bravery & instead is challenged to a duel by a Biscayan squire who was accompanying the coach. Just when the fight is getting exciting, we are told that the author lost the tale & was unable to find further accounts. Thus ends book 1.
Chapter 1.9
The Conclusion and Consequence of the Stupendous Combat Between the Gallant Biscayan, and the Valiant Knight of La Mancha
The author stumbles upon an account of DQ's life written in Arabic. Book 2 is the translation of that book into Spanish. The story picks back up mid-battle with the Biscayan attacking first, cutting DQ's helmet in half & cutting off half of DQ's ear. DQ is so enraged by this that he hits the Biscayan over the head with his sword hard enough to give him a concussion & fall from his horse. DQ threatens to cut his head off, but is persuaded by the ladies of the coach to spare the Biscayan's life in exchange for the squire to present himself to Dulcinea.
Chapter 1.10
Of What Further Happened Between Don Quixote and the Biscayan
As DQ & Sancho ride through a nearby wood, Sancho worries that they will be arrested for quarreling. DQ puts those fears to rest & promises to teach Sancho the recipe for a magical potion that cures all ailments & reattaches body parts perfectly. DQ vows that he will find a replacement helmet & complains quite a lot about his injured ear. They eat the onion, bread & cheese that Sancho has in his saddle bags & sleep under the stars.
Chapter 1.11
Of What Happened to Don Quixote, While He Remained with the Goatherds
DQ & Sancho share a meal with a group of goatherds where DQ makes a big, flowery speech of thanks, a young goatherd sings a song of love & Sancho drinks far too much wine. One of the goatherds makes a salve to heal DQ's ear.
Chapter 1.12
What Was Related by a Goatherd, Who Chanced to Come into the Hut
One of the goatherds, Pedro, tells DQ about a local beauty, Marcela, who goes around dressed as a shepherdess & breaks men's hearts to the point of death. One local man, Chrysostom, has just died from her that morning & DQ agrees to go to his funeral with the goatherds in the morning since it's supposed to be quite an event.
Chapter 1.13
The Conclusion of the Story of the Shepherdess Marcela, and Other Incidents
DQ, Sancho & the goatherds head towards the funeral of Chrysostom & are joined by a party of shepherds including a man named Vivaldo. Vivaldo & DQ discuss knights errant & DQ proves his madness to the group by discussing his lady, Dulcinea, who nobody has heard of & who doesn't actually exist. They arrive at the grave-site & Vivaldo offers to read aloud one of Chrysostom's papers that was written just before his untimely death.
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