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Have you read Don Quixote and how long did it take?


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If you have the version recommended in TWEM, or another unabridged version, how long did it take you (or your children) to read it?

 

I just started it last week, and am wondering what a reasonable length of time is, so I can make a loose schedule for myself...

 

Yes, I read it.

 

It took me an entire semester, and it was in Spanish.

 

Believe me. Any edition would be easier to read than that unless you are fluent in Spanish!!

 

LOL!

Jean

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My son read the recent Edith Grossman translation, spending about five weeks on reading and writing a paper based on this question from Sparknotes:

 

Like Hamlet's madness, Don Quixote's insanity is the subject of much controversy among literary critics. Is Don Quixote really insane, or is his behavior a conscious choice? What might account for the change in his behavior over the course of the novel?

 

My son preferred the first part of the book to the second--he literally flew through part one. The second part took greater motivation on his part.

 

The book is roughly one thousand pages. I suppose that you could assign a page number on what you think is reasonable given your student's other work load.

 

Best,

Jane

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Do audio CDs count? I got it from the library. It was unabridged, and the narrator (George Guidall) was great! The recording is 40.5 hours long, and it took me several months to get through it, listening while I drove. :) (I had to renew several times!) I really enjoyed it (mainly the first part) and even the dc laughed at times. :D

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Dh and I read the version recommended in the WTM just before the Edith Grossman translation was published. I think it took us a couple of months. My eldsest dd read the Edith Grossman translation over about 6 weeks -- she's a fast reader. My youngest dd is listening to the unabridged audio and is about half way through.

 

The first part is the hands down favorite in this house.

 

~Moira

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Our daughter (aged 12 at the time) took about four weeks with the Penguin Classic (translated by John Rutherford) version. She simply read it for pleasure, without any study.

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If you have the version recommended in TWEM, or another unabridged version, how long did it take you (or your children) to read it?

 

I just started it last week, and am wondering what a reasonable length of time is, so I can make a loose schedule for myself...

 

 

Hi There,

 

My son and I both started it but only he finished. It took him two weeks. We basically counted the pages and divided by 14 and decided that is how many pages we would read each day. I just didn't really like it. He however, loved it very much. He couldn't get enough. I read the Spark notes for the sake of discussion for the last three days...not a great example and I rarely do this but this time it was the best I could do at the time.

Best of luck!!

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If you are going to be journaling/note taking while you are reading, I would give yourself at least 2 months. It's 1,000 pages and the print isn't very big. I am reading Grossman's translation right now and have gotten through about 200 pages in 6 weeks, taking notes (but we've been really busy and I haven't been consistent with a schedule).

 

It's a lot funnier than I expected it to be, and I keep finding quotes and plot devices that are used in modern literature and movies, so it's fun to see where they originated.

 

I am really liking this translation; it's easy to read, but it doesn't have a modern feel to me, and her footnotes really give light to some of the humor that goes over my head.

 

Have fun!

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I started the one recommended in WEM in late Aug. If I liked the book, I'd have been done within a month or less easily. But I don't. I'm a good 3/4 of the way through it and want to push myself to finish by the end of 2008. I keep taking breaks & reading other things, mostly my dd's books (some of them are great stories and I can whip them off in an evening.)

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I was struggling with the spanish until I found a translation of it , same publisher, when I suddenly understood it much better!

The Great Books course we are enrolled with give it four weeks with study. It begins after Christmas and I am looking forward to listening to it. My ds is dyslexic which gives me the justification for downloading the audio version. :lol:

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Has anyone seen the musical "Man Of La Mancha" on dvd? I watched part of it yesterday (free on demand w/ Comcast). Interesting twist on the classic.

 

I think seeing it on stage may be a better option than the older movie version with Peter O'Toole. While O'Toole is a fine actor, I thought that he was miscast in this musical version.

 

Must have been a day for musicals, Beth. Last night I watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which is one of my favorites. (Love Howard Keel's voice.)

 

Hope you and yours had a lovely Thanksgiving.

 

Jane

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I think seeing it on stage may be a better option than the older movie version with Peter O'Toole. While O'Toole is a fine actor, I thought that he was miscast in this musical version.

 

Must have been a day for musicals, Beth. Last night I watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which is one of my favorites. (Love Howard Keel's voice.)

 

Hope you and yours had a lovely Thanksgiving.

 

Jane

 

Yes, Jane, We had an awesome Thanksgiving (I put new pics on my blog).

 

My dd is in 4 shows of Seven Brides this weekend. That means I'm working there ALL weekend at the theater. The things we do for our children! Thankfully, the lobby gets quiet during showtime, so I get lots of time to read.

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