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mangliu0130's review against another edition
读《堂吉诃德》读得很吃力的时候GR给我推荐了这本，纳博科夫说清楚了我不喜欢《堂吉诃德》但是自己没法表述清楚的点。比如“残忍感”是一个非常现代的感受，塞万提斯的年代，写作技艺尚未成熟如两百年后的福楼拜
ayavandenbussche's review against another edition
4.0
I have some issues with Nabokov's quite superficial definition of cruelty in Don Quixote. I also think he conveniently skip, ignore, dismisses as nonsense, and houses over parts of Don Quixote that either don't fit with his world view or that seem irrelevant to him. As a result, he minimises the book's importance in the history of storytelling and ignores certain vital aspects of the book, like the relationship Between Don Quixote and Sacha Panza, and the relationship between them and the world they live and adventure in. The overall tone is quite arrogant, but at times it is justifyingly so.
That said, this is one of the most in depth, thorough and mostly comprehensive reading of Don Quixote I have come across. The research work and preparations alone are really impressive and inspiring. The discussion about enchantment is excellent, as is the detailing of the different convoluted narrators and narration devices. Including fun speculations about the 'False Quixote'. While I may dispute some of it, his account of Quixote's victories vs defeat. As is his summery of each chapter.
As a fan of Don Quixote, and someone with a deep interest in it, this was worth a read and it was a good one.
That said, this is one of the most in depth, thorough and mostly comprehensive reading of Don Quixote I have come across. The research work and preparations alone are really impressive and inspiring. The discussion about enchantment is excellent, as is the detailing of the different convoluted narrators and narration devices. Including fun speculations about the 'False Quixote'. While I may dispute some of it, his account of Quixote's victories vs defeat. As is his summery of each chapter.
As a fan of Don Quixote, and someone with a deep interest in it, this was worth a read and it was a good one.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
A good accompaniment to Don Quixote, marred only by Nabokov's less-than-complete love for the novel. It is six lectures he gave at Harvard that ranges from more conventional discussion to more novel presentations, like a scorecard that goes through the 40 "battles" in the book, classifies them into different types, and calls each one a win or a loss. Turns out the final score was 20-20.
Nabokov might be right that the novel would have been even better if Don Quixote's final combat was with the false Don Quixote from the false Part Two that wasn't written by Cervantes. Oh well.
Nabokov might be right that the novel would have been even better if Don Quixote's final combat was with the false Don Quixote from the false Part Two that wasn't written by Cervantes. Oh well.
bhansy's review against another edition
2.0
No interest in reading a mocking criticism of Don Quijote. From the foreword, the mood of the work is set clear: Nabovok hates Cervantes, thinks him a pretentious prick and wants to tear the book apart. Following up those statements, I could literally hear him sigh as he tried to make sense of Cervante's geography of Spain (who the fucks care anyway) and portrait a really unfair comparison with fellow contemporary William Shakespeare.
I think Nabokov is a superb storyteller and literary critic, however, his patent dislike and excessive snobbery forced me to look for a comprehensive study of Don Quijote elsewhere. Which is a pitty. The book is devised in a clever way, much of the commentary is actually on point and constructive, but there's the underlying feeling throughout the whole book of, on the one hand, a hatred for everything and everyone Cervantes created and the way he played out situations and characters. On the other hand, I think it's impossible to miss the respect he has for the novel and its legacy. That tension comes out every other paragraph and interrupts the reading experience. It's like dealing with a grumpy and immature child and I just can't be bothered.
Sorry (s)Noby.
I think Nabokov is a superb storyteller and literary critic, however, his patent dislike and excessive snobbery forced me to look for a comprehensive study of Don Quijote elsewhere. Which is a pitty. The book is devised in a clever way, much of the commentary is actually on point and constructive, but there's the underlying feeling throughout the whole book of, on the one hand, a hatred for everything and everyone Cervantes created and the way he played out situations and characters. On the other hand, I think it's impossible to miss the respect he has for the novel and its legacy. That tension comes out every other paragraph and interrupts the reading experience. It's like dealing with a grumpy and immature child and I just can't be bothered.
Sorry (s)Noby.
bhanseatic's review against another edition
2.0
No interest in reading a mocking criticism of Don Quijote. From the foreword, the mood of the work is set clear: Nabovok hates Cervantes, thinks him a pretentious prick and wants to tear the book apart. Following up those statements, I could literally hear him sigh as he tried to make sense of Cervante's geography of Spain (who the fucks care anyway) and portrait a really unfair comparison with fellow contemporary William Shakespeare.
I think Nabokov is a superb storyteller and literary critic, however, his patent dislike and excessive snobbery forced me to look for a comprehensive study of Don Quijote elsewhere. Which is a pitty. The book is devised in a clever way, much of the commentary is actually on point and constructive, but there's the underlying feeling throughout the whole book of, on the one hand, a hatred for everything and everyone Cervantes created and the way he played out situations and characters. On the other hand, I think it's impossible to miss the respect he has for the novel and its legacy. That tension comes out every other paragraph and interrupts the reading experience. It's like dealing with a grumpy and immature child and I just can't be bothered.
Sorry (s)Noby.
I think Nabokov is a superb storyteller and literary critic, however, his patent dislike and excessive snobbery forced me to look for a comprehensive study of Don Quijote elsewhere. Which is a pitty. The book is devised in a clever way, much of the commentary is actually on point and constructive, but there's the underlying feeling throughout the whole book of, on the one hand, a hatred for everything and everyone Cervantes created and the way he played out situations and characters. On the other hand, I think it's impossible to miss the respect he has for the novel and its legacy. That tension comes out every other paragraph and interrupts the reading experience. It's like dealing with a grumpy and immature child and I just can't be bothered.
Sorry (s)Noby.
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