Don Quixote: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes (25 down, 75 to go)

A crazy man his life he passed...But in his senses died at last 

This the second time I’ve read Don Quixote. I am not certain how to categorize it. It was written in the early 17th century, so a bit late for medieval literature and a bit early for enlightenment. It coincides with English Renaissance, but of course it is not English. It is also too late for what is conventionally considered the Romantic Era, but I would say that may be where it fits best. Of course, it may be appropriate to say it is a reference unto itself. Don Quixote is one of the earliest novels ever written, and according to the World Library, “the best literary work ever written”. 

In spite of all that…

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

To be fair, I am told much is lost in translation. I once discussed this important novel with a Spaniard, and his praise for the book bordered on reverence. He told me that it is full of word play, puns, and allusions that simply do not translate. It may well be true.

I’m sorry but, translation difficulty notwithstanding, I don't get it. I know people who idolize Don Quixote (the character). I don’t get that either. To me, he is just nuts.

OK, not truly JUST nuts. He has some admirable qualities, but I just don’t see him as such a worthy character. Amusing? Yes. Fascinating even? Yes, but not heroic and not one to idolize.

SPOILER ALERT: This review contains a spoiler. I usually try to avoid spoilers, but I can't review this without writing about how it all ends. 

Don Quixote is an epic tale regarding the adventures of Spanish nobleman, Alonso Quixada, or Don (a Spanish title of nobility or prestige) Quixote, who reads romantic stories of knights of a bygone age, and fancies himself a great and glorious knight errant, destined to revive the age of chivalry. 

He is an idealist, you might even say he is THE idealist. And for that, I’ll give him credit. He had the courage of his convictions. I think that is admirable to a point, but not necessarily heroic.

John Adams, 2nd U.S. President said: 

Reason holds the helm, but passions are the gales.

And now, I’ll be so bold as to offer commentary on President Adams’ words of wisdom, and I do think them profoundly wise. Reason without passion is impotent; passion without reason is reckless. In my humble opinion, Don Quixote was passionate, but out of his senses (not reasonable), and therefore reckless with his life. The gales of his madness blew him many leagues, but there was no one holding the helm. To me, Don Quixote’s was a life wasted.

A portion of his epitaph: 

A crazy man his life he passedBut in his senses died at last

Of course, this is just my impression of the main character. It says nothing of the quality of the story. I’m not sure why this is considered such a great novel, but since my judgment is almost certainly hampered by translation, I’ll make no further judgment. 

Don Quixote’s faithful squire Sancho Panza is an amusing character. His devotion to his master is touching and his devotion to food, wine, sleep, and comfort makes for many instances of comic relief. There is delightful dialogue between Sancho and Don Quixote, and some wildly comic situations caused by Don Quixote’s delusion, but all in all, I’m glad to put this one back on the shelf.

Quotations:

…it will be labor in vain for you to urge me to resist what heaven wills, fate ordains, reason requires, and, above all, my own inclination favors; for knowing as I do the countless toils that are the accompaniments of knight-errantry, I know too, the infinite blessings that are attained by it; I know that the path of virtue is very narrow, and the road of vice broad and spacious; I know their ends and goals are different, for the broad and easy road of vice ends in death, and the narrow and toilsome one of virtue in life, and not transitory life, but in that which has no end… ~ Don Quixote

…it must be that some of your worship’s shrewdness sticks to me; land that, of itself, is barren and dry, will come to yield good fruit if you dung it and till it; what I mean is that your worship’s conversation has been the dung that has fallen on the barren soil of my dry wit… ~ Sancho Panza

…when Sancho tried to talk fine and attempted polite language, he wound up by toppling over from the summit of his simplicity into the abyss of his ignorance… ~ Don Quixote

Our guest has broken out on our hand, said Don Lorenzo to himself at this point; but, for all that, he is a glorious madman, and I should be a dull blockhead to doubt it. ~ A Nobleman’s observation of Don Quixote

Full epitaph:

A doughty gentleman lies here

A stranger all his life to fear
Nor in his death could Death prevail
In that last hour to make him quail
He for the world but little cared
And at his feats the world was scared
A crazy man his life he passed
But in his senses died at last

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Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy (24 down, 76 to go)

He was treated with a certain deference as one who had got onto terms with life beyond what his years could account for. ~ Narrative regarding the Kid

 

This is the first time I’ve read Blood Meridian or Cormac McCarthy. The novel is a post-modern, epic western, told in third-person narrative regarding the life of the Kid, who is never named. It is set in the American Southwest and Mexico in the mid-19th century – the Wild West. And it is truly wild.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

I have mixed emotions about Blood Meridian. It is so horrifically violent I can't quite say I enjoyed it, but it was fascinating. It seemed to me an antithesis of romantic western fiction and film. There were no good guys, no handsome cowboys with straight white teeth, little honor, no innocence.

 

Indeed, the only possible innocence is lost early when the main character, known only as the Kid, leaves home as a teenager in the 1840s. His home life was not idyllic to begin with, but he soon experiences greater hardship and suffering. He copes as best he can, often violently and with little regard for others. He eventually lands with the Glanton Gang, a historical group of ruthless Indian fighters, scalp and bounty hunters that massacred Apaches, and others, in the American Southwest and Mexico.

 

The Kid encounters a number of characters, some probably mapped to historical persons. The leader of the pseudo military unit is Captain Glanton, a ruthless pragmatic. Second in command is Judge Holden, usually referred to simply as the Judge. He is certainly no longer a legitimate judge, if ever, and is second in command not by any formal arrangement, but merely by the dominance of his personality. He is highly educated, philosophical and quick witted. At times, he is almost playful and gentle, and at others utterly ruthless and despicable. The gang hunts Apaches for bounty, paid mostly by ravished Mexican villages. This wasn't political correctness on McCarthy's part, portraying the natives as innocent victims. The Apaches are depicted just as savagely as Glanton's gang. The gang though grows more and more violent and at times massacres without cause or hope of reward. When members of the gang are injured and unable to ride, they are left behind without hesitation. The only compassion being means to end their own lives quickly, or assistance with the task.

 

The Judge is without a doubt the most complex member of the gang. He is nearly a giant and completely hairless. I hate to admit it, but he is almost likeable at times - almost. He is eloquent, intelligent, takes pleasure in observing the devices of nature, amused by human folly, and shows keen insight on the motivations and thoughts of others. In one emblematic discourse, he contends that war and violence are the natural and proper conditions of mankind. He has little direct interaction with the Kid, but seems to study him intently. 

 

The reader finds himself empathizing with the Kid, no doubt McCarthy's design. I felt sorry for the Kid, sensing he was very much a victim. Though he was brutal at times, he was less depraved than most of the gang.

 

Eventually, the gang is destroyed and scattered. The Kid wanders the west and makes something close to an honest living. Decades after his Glanton Gang days, he encounters the Judge in a saloon. They are perhaps the only surviving members of the gang. They have a terse discussion. The Kid, now referred to as the Man, makes no attempt to hide his contempt for the Judge. The story ends with the Judge dancing naked in the saloon. 

 

He apparently enjoys being naked and appears so at various times throughout the novel.

 

I've often thought the romantic notions and perceptions of the Wild West are probably far from the truth. I imagine it was a filthy, stinking, drunken, lawless place where the strong preyed upon the weak. I'm no historian, but I think McCarthy's portrayal likely comes much closer to the truth. It would be a depressing validation of the Judge's philosophy, if not for two additional truths: conflict would not forever rule the west and the wild was eventually tamed.

 

Excerpts:

 

It makes no difference what men think of war. As well ask men what they think of stone. ~ The Judge

 

There is no such joy in the tavern as upon the road thereto. ~ Unnamed bar patron

 

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Atonement by Ian McEwan (23 down, 77 to go)

This is the first time I've read Atonement or Ian McEwan. It is the first-person narrative of Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old child in an upper-class British family, beginning in 1935. Published in 2001, I believe by definition it is post-modern, but it reads more like a modernist novel.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Like many novels, Atonement started a bit slow as the characters were developed, but by the time the principal conflict was revealed I was captivated. The conflict: a gross injustice, had me thinking I would dislike this novel as there seemed little hope of setting things right, but I clung to the clue in the title and hoped for satisfaction. But of course, a novel of such acclaim could not be so simple or predictable. The innocent are falsely accused, punished, and never fully exonerated, while the guilty go free and prosper. All of which would ordinarily cause me to hate the story, but credit the author, somehow McEwan does a masterful job of confusing my emotions, and creating an unexpected ending that left me somewhat relieved, though not entirely satisfied. It's simply too complex to explain, so I'll spare the spoiler.

The story revolves around the upper class Tallis family, beginning at their estate somewhere in England, 1935 and principally around Briony, the youngest of the Tallis children. Briony is a 13-year-old aspiring writer. One of the most surprising parts of the story is how likeable Briony is, in spite of being the cause of the great injustice. She realizes her fault – her crime, too late to prevent the catastrophic results. The story is her atonement, which is imperfect; justice is never truly served. Perhaps that is the charm. In my experience injustice is seldom set completely right. I think that is part of the masterpiece. McEwan resisted the obvious plot, the vindication of the pure, the downfall of the evil. Most often, when the natural laws of right and wrong are violated, there are scars that endure. McEwan forsook happily ever after, for more authentic consequences, but still with a sense of hope and triumph.

Briony might even be called the heroine, in spite of the fact that she is responsible for the miscarriage of justice. She is never hateable, often pitiable, and ultimately admirable.

I found one particular nuance of the story wonderfully vindicating – for myself. Briony's first attempt at publication receives a rejection from the publishing company, that elaborately advises her writing shows talent, but that she should abandon stream of consciousness style, for something more narrative. AMEN! It's an opinion I know, but I've made it clear in this blog how much I dislike stream of consciousness writing. It was nice to find someone, even an imaginary publisher, who agrees.

Film Rendition: 2007 version starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightly is a very faithful portrayal...until the very end. In the novel, the author leaves a little doubt in the reader's mind about two possible endings, and which is true. Though, neither is truly true; it's a nuance of the book that is hard to describe. Anyway, the film leaves no doubt and that was a bit disappointing. Otherwise very good. It also starred three different actresses as Briony at three different ages, including Vanessa Redgrave as the aged Briony.

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Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder by Evelyn Waugh (22 down, 78 to go)

These memories which are my life—for we possess nothing certainly except the past—were always with me. ~ Charles Ryder

This is the first time I’ve read Brideshead Revisited or Evelyn Waugh. The book is a modernist novel, and the first-person narrative of Charles Ryder regarding his association with the Flyte family, 1920s England and leading up to World War II.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Waugh’s writing is superb. I’m looking forward to my next read by this author, though it won’t be for a while.

There were a number of things that initially mislead me however. First, Evelyn Waugh is a dude. Ah the Brits, whatcha gonna do? Next, the novel begins with Captain Ryder's account of Army life. I confess that excited me a bit more than the English-Lit, Bronte-esque, romance novel I was expecting based on the title. However, the Army portions are reserved only for the prologue and epilogue. The intervening chapters are not quite Bronte-esque, though they do indeed include a romance.

In the prologue, Captain Charles Ryder, finds himself, and his troops quartered at Brideshead, the abandoned English manor where Charles spent much of his early adult life. The bulk of the novel is his reminiscing of those days.

Beginning when Charles befriends the young aristocrat Lord Sebastian Flyte in college, and is then introduced to Sebastian’s family: mother Teresa Flyte, the Marchioness of Marchmain; older brother, the Earl of Brideshead, known as Bridey, but whose true name is never revealed, younger sister Lady Julia Flyte, and youngest sister Lady Cordelia Flyte. Sebastian's father, Lord Marchmain, the Marquess of Marchmain, Alexander Flyte is estranged from his wife and living with a mistress in Italy.

The story is the long association of Charles with the Flyte family who are Roman Catholic. Lady Teresa and Cordeila are devout, while Sebastian and Julia have their doubts, but won’t quite abandon the faith. Julia even defends it to Charles who is agnostic. Lord Marchmain became a Catholic only to marry Teresa, but has by all appearances, forsaken religion along with his wife.

Sebastian is at first an amusing character, keeping a teddy bear in college named Aloysius, and other eccentricities, but he becomes a hopeless alcoholic, which ruins his relationship with Charles and family. Charles occasionally returns to his own home to reside with his father. Their interactions are quite amusing as Charles' Father uses the opportunity to chide Charles for living beyond his means. He is never unkind, but rather, very clever with his comments, and the chiding is well deserved. Charles and Julia both have unhappy marriages, and turn to each other, but the final scene of the novel, not counting the epilogue, changes everything.

Religion, which has been a theme throughout, becomes paramount in the end. Lord Marchmain returns to Brideshead to die. Cordelia, and Julia with new found faith, are determined their father will have the last rites, but he refuses. Charles is critical of the notion, and it creates obvious tension between him and Julia. Lord Marchmain lingers for a while, but then takes a very serious turn. The priest is again called, and a great moment of truth evolves, with surprising attitudes exhibited by a number of those present. I was prepared to dislike the ending. I am not Catholic, but I did not like the obvious contempt that Charles had for the faith of Julia and the Flyte family. But then, another surprise, and I was relieved.

The epilogue: Years later, Charles revisits Brideshead, now as an army officer. Though he is not terribly happy, neither is he unhappy. While visiting the old Brideshead chapel he says a prayer, 

...uttering an ancient, newly –learned form of words. 

Upon returning to the Army quarters, a fellow officer notes: You’re looking unusually cheerful today. 

Other excerpts:

Charles description of one Mr. Samgrass: 

He had… an over-large head, neat hands, small feet and the general appearance of being too often bathed.

Charles on New York City: 

...for in that city there is a neurosis in the air which the inhabitants mistake for energy.

Anthony, a friend of Charles: 

Charm is the great English blight. It does not exist outside these damp islands. It spots and kills anything it touches. It kills love; it kills art; I greatly fear my dear Charles, it has killed you.

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