Don Quixote

(Borrowed from blog.multimedia.com)

It might be hard to believe, but at the same time as I was reading Black Holes and Time Warps I've also been reading Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes.
And what a story! It's considered the first novel ever written. And on length alone that statement must be true. It's a monster of a book. But it's also so fantastic! I almost don't even know where to begin. From a literary history aspect it is brilliant because it is the first epic-length book about a totally fictional person. I believe there were other short stories, myths or legends that were told in a fictional manner before Don Quixote, but none that....blatantly based a several hundred page book about them. That took effort, and frankly, some cajones.
And it is hilarious! That has to be a first. I mean, do you think of the early 1600's as a particularly funny time? To be honest I was skeptical that people back then even had a sense of humor, much less one as perfectly developed (and still relevant) as Cervantes. But holy...cheese and crackers! He is one funny dude! He's like the Mark Twain of Spain in the 1600's.
I am only half way through, but already I've laughed enough to last me six months, and I've contemplated my perspectives on lot's of things that I wouldn't have otherwise, and formed some surprisingly new opinions on life. And all of this from a book written in 1605. That's pretty amazing to me.
I don't think I've ever described a book as a "gem" before, and I don't think I ever will again. But this book is a gem. It really is. The story itself is entertaining and amusing, but in addition you can almost feel the experimentation and evolution in writing style as you go through the text. In spots there is too much misplaced information, in others too much reiteration, but it's so....enchanting kind of.
I know there was a movie made. A musical I think. Peter O'Toole was the  Don, and Sophia Loren was Dolcenea. I might have seen it, but I don't remember anything about it. From what I recall O'Toole was a good choice, Loren was not, unless she only played the part of the "Dulcinea" that Quixote imagined....but I don't remember if that was the case or not.
Either way, in my reading they are my mental images of the characters, and it's pretty fantastic.
All I'm trying to say is that it is totally worth the read if you are into fiction and have a sense of humor. The historical education is an added bonus. But the story itself is great. And don't worry if you don't have time to read the whole thing, even reading half of it is worth while!