Cervantes

This work is an excellent introduction to the Cervantes, and 'Don Quixote'. Russell gives a short summary of the life of Cervantes showing his rich and varied experience, and how his life ideal as soldier and his adventures and misfortunes helped prepare him for the writing of 'Don Quixote' He speaks briefly about Cervantes lesser known works, and how they relate to the one great masterpiece. He then provides summaries of Part I, and Part II of Don Quixote explaining how the characters of Quixote and Sancho are transformed in the work. He is especially interested in showing how Cervantes artfulness in language and in presentation of different authorial and interpretative voices lend an ambiguity and complexity to the work. The fundamental theme of parodying romances of chivalry, through the adventures of a madman knight and his peasant squire is stressed. Russell also in later chapters of the book discusses various ways Quixote has been interpreted and misinterpreted especially by those Romantics interested in making Quixote a kind of hero in pursuit of the ideal and fantastic. This work is a very clearly written study which greatly enhanced my own personal understanding of 'Don Quixote'. For instance I had myself always idealized Sancho and never understood that he is presented not only as realistic amusing proverb-sayer the foil to Quixote's dreaming absurdity, but that he is also a liar, a glutton, and greedy for money. Russell shows how Sancho is transformed in the course of the novel, and he too shows the way Quixote himself in the Second Part seems to decline in enthusiasm for adventures. Another basic element I did not understand is how much of the comic effect of the novel comes from a questionable practice ethically i.e. laughing at a madman. And this when I did always have an unease about the laughing at the physical hits and knocks, the cruelties. But then I suppose I did understand this to be a kind of clowning and game- like hitting as Quixote always emerges ready for the next adventure. Russell has a concluding discussion on the subject of 'Don Quixote' as the first modern novel. In its dealing with the everyday reality it in some way seems to be. But its aim of course is not the solid nineteenth century representation of reality, but rather that parodying of the fantastic which in itself moves toward the fantastic and ambiguous. This is a rich and thought -provoking introduction to one the great works of World Literature.