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How to Read Don Quixote by Cervantes (10 Tips) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-07-24 09:12:30
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

In preparation for our next Big Read, here are some tips for how best to read Don Quixote.

Cervantes is considered to be the father of the novel, and this work in particular is my favourite book of all time.

You will fall in love with the knight errant and his squire, Sancho Panza. 

Travelling with them over the long-term will provide you with comfort and companionship, laughter and tears, insight and wisdom.

I will be working from the Edith Grossman (2003) translation, but the John Rutherford (2000) is just as good. 

Indeed, you may wish to sample a few of the different translations and plump for a different one:

Video Timestamps: 

  • 0:00 why Don Quixote means so much to me 
  • 0:30 how to choose the right translation of Cervantes 
  • 2:14 do not patronise or pity the knight and squire 
  • 2:45 why everyone reads Don Quixote differently  
  • 3:15 Don Quixote is the ultimate mirror  
  • 4:20 why does Cervantes so brutally batter Don Quixote? 
  • 5:00 Shakespeare vs Cervantes 
  • 5:20 Cervantes' traumatic life  
  • 6:00 the plagiarised second part of Don Quixote 
  • 7:50 read the novel over the long term 
  • 8:45 why you should read Don Quixote now 
  • 9:30 fast vs slow reading (and bookish regrets) 
  • 10:00 the length of Don Quixote  
  • 11:00 laughing and crying whilst reading 
  • 11:30 the novel form is Cervantes' gift to the world 
  • 13:00 reading about chivalry  
  • 13:00 returning to the good old days 
  • 14:04 how to talk to other people (Chekhov, Hegel & Proust) 
  • 15:00 the love between knight and squire 
  • 15:35 collect your favourite passages  
  • 16:30 the importance of rereading 
  • 17:20 reading along with a group

Let us know what tips you have learnt from reading other authors (like Proust or Tolstoy) that you will be able to take into your reading of Don Quixote.

Happy reading!

Files

Previews only

How to Read Don Quixote by Cervantes (10 Tips)

📚 Read Don Quixote with Hardcore Literature: https://www.patreon.com/hardcoreliterature/about ———————————— 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/70IZA24... (Subscribe to the Hardcore Literature Podcast on iTunes & Spotify) 🏫 https://hardcore-university.teachable... (Hardcore University, Exam Preparation Courses) ✍🏼 https://benjaminmcevoy.com My Personal Website ———————————— Hardcore Literature Lecture Series ———————————— 📔Contents Page: https://cutt.ly/CmNhRY3 🎖️ War and Peace: https://cutt.ly/U3nzGma 🎭 Shakespeare Project: https://cutt.ly/B3nxHH7 🐳 Moby Dick: https://cutt.ly/K3nzVKf ☄️ Blood Meridian: https://cutt.ly/P3nz6Qp 🍂 Wuthering Heights: https://cutt.ly/N3nxxYt 🇮🇪 Ulysses: https://cutt.ly/x3nxQmN 🚂 Anna Karenina: https://cutt.ly/vmNhAWv 💀 Crime and Punishment: https://cutt.ly/rmNhFt5 ⚓ Persuasion: https://cutt.ly/amNhX7b ☕ In Search of Lost Time: https://cutt.ly/5mNh8oD ⚔️ The Hero’s Journey: https://cutt.ly/UmNjrE3 🌸 Siddharta: https://cutt.ly/YmNjuzi 🎠 Don Quixote: https://cutt.ly/cmNjoK4 ❤️Shakespeare’s Sonnets: https://cutt.ly/nmNlW7V 🇫🇷 Les Misérables: https://cutt.ly/J3YixoA 🕯️ The Turn of the Screw: https://cutt.ly/nToAQQ3 🖋️ Dickens Seasonal Read: https://cutt.ly/9ToAybt 📖 Middlemarch Serial Reading: https://tinyurl.com/45rv965c ———————————— Happy reading! 0:00 why Don Quixote means so much to me 0:30 how to choose the right translation of Cervantes 2:14 do not patronise or pity the knight and squire 2:45 why everyone reads Don Quixote differently 3:15 Don Quixote is the ultimate mirror 4:20 why does Cervantes so brutally batter Don Quixote? 5:00 Shakespeare vs Cervantes 5:20 Cervantes' traumatic life 6:00 the plagiarised second part of Don Quixote 7:50 read the novel over the long term 8:45 why you should read Don Quixote now 9:30 fast vs slow reading (and bookish regrets) 10:00 the length of Don Quixote 11:00 laughing and crying whilst reading 11:30 the novel form is Cervantes' gift to the world 13:00 reading about chivalry 13:00 returning to the good old days 14:04 how to talk to other people (Chekhov, Hegel & Proust) 15:00 the love between knight and squire 15:35 collect your favourite passages 16:30 the importance of rereading 17:20 reading along with a group

Comments

Andres

Well, I just had to share the story of me with Don Quijote. We go way back so bear with me. I was born in a Spanish-speaking country. In our final years of high school, aged 16-17, we had two sections for the subject Spanish. My section did not have to read DQ, but the other section (which had the less academically-minded folks, i.e., the jocks, the slackers, the clowns) WERE required to read it. BTW don't get me wrong: they were --and remain 30+ years later-- my best friends. I love them, but they were certainly not much into reading nor studying. So I remember thinking to myself at that moment that it was sheer madness on the part of the school to expect this crowd to read a 1000-page brick. But after a few weeks, I saw from a distance and in total wonder, that these folks had not only started reading it, but actually seemed to be enjoying it! One was so enthralled that he read it on the schoolbus because he couldn't wait to get home to read more. Totally unheard of with him! And not only that, but he would also read parts to me out loud, to show me how funny it was. The conclusion was obvious: it had to be a damn good book if it was captivating my friends' attention thus. And so a few years later, I was stuck home for Easter needing something to pass the time. And there was Don Quijote on my bookshelf waiting for me. I read the first few pages nonchalantly... and was hooked. I tore through it in a week. (I know: should have taken it slower but hey -- was still only 24 at the time). I only slowed down towards the end, when I started feeling sad that I going to finish it. Well, I've done a lot of reading in my life. And I read more in English than in Spanish (I'm native in both tongues). But Don Quijote is by far my favorite and IMHO it's the best work of literature there is. The wisdom, the humor, the depth... Also, to read it in Spanish and to realize that the language was so similar to today's, despite the passing of 400+ years! If you haven’t read it yet, I'll tell you this: (1) you're in for a major treat; and (2) I envy you because you can still read it for the first time, while I can no longer have that specific pleasure 😃 Plus, now having Ben's lectures on DQ makes for fantastic company while reading. PS: I picked up DQ again during lockdown. This time I did read it slowly and marking my favorite passages. What a joy!

Pati
>>116944579

Hi, a few months ago I bought the Real Academia commemorative edition to read in weekends with my 21 daughter, and we are enjoying it so much its hard to even express. It's really captivating! In my section, I wasn't required to read it either.

NicoleA

I look forward to connecting with DQ on a deeper level during a second read (currently on my first) I think second reads are the best. I recently read East of Eden for the second time in a deeper way. The book went from one I didn't really enjoy or care about on my first read to a mind-blowingly-great- work of genius - all time favourite - profound reading experience!

Marina Barela

Hello Ben, I have chosen to read DQ while you are expecting your baby girl. I will definitely read this slowly, even though to my surprise it is a huge reading. I’m caught up with the Odyssey and so this is what I’m going to read along side of the rest of the books for 2025. I have really enjoyed reading the classics when I joined Hardcore this year. Congratulations on your first child. I am so excited for you. I look forward to the rest of the years readings and I can hardly wait for your video on next year’s books.

Bill Freeman

Ben - I started DQ late last month with a pattern of one chapter a day. I like this pace, it feels comfortable and welcoming. One of my takeaways (among many) from the bookclub is not to be put off by length; the one chapter per day bite seems good. The short, daily reading is my pace for listening to Proust. I’m reading the Rutherford translation and just finished Chapter XXI, p. 165. I appreciate your recommendation about not just dismissing the story of the knight errant and his squire as fanciful and far-fetched. It seems improbable (e.g., windmills turning into giants that turn again into windmills) on one level. I’m walking through some personal challenges that I am committed to doing mindfully and with kindness. Combining these two themes, for me, invited the question of “truth.” And what is truth (Jesus’ great question to Pilot)? Perhaps, truth is multifaceted, seen by everyone with particularity. Or maybe this is postmodernism and Jordan Peterson’s critique that this position is reckless; there are absolute truths. As I work through my own reflections, perhaps DQ will lead me to an understanding of truth that honors personal experience and objective reality. A mirror, to be sure. As always, thanks!

hardcoreliterature
>>64427269

Don Quixote is perfect for the chapter-a-day approach. I'm reminded of my first year Oxford tutor who told us the perfect way to "eat the white whale" (i.e. Moby Dick) was bite-by-bite. A chapter a day would get us to the end in a few months, which is a nice amount of time to live with a big narrative. I love how you've reacted to that recommendation, Bill. "What is truth?" is one of the biggest questions that Don Quixote throws up for me. I definitely think this is a novel that grows alongside us, and is a great companion for whatever battles we're facing in our own lives.

Caroline P

I started Don Quixote yesterday, because I looked at the beginning and found myself completely drawn in. I am only a few pages in and really very much enjoying it. It is much easier to read than I feared and already it is making me laugh ( the helmet 😝) . Today the Booker long list was announced and to be honest nothing there is calling to me more than Don Quixote. I think I can happily let that boat sail without me this year while I settle down with Cervantes.

Caroline P

I have a question. Regarding the chivalric romances, is Jabberwocky from Alice through the looking glass ( I think it is that one..or is it in wonderland?) a funny take on those. There is no romance tho…but it seems connected?

Florian Pesantes

I love the image of Hamlet walking off the stage and entering real life you painted in this lecture.

hardcoreliterature
>>64543668

I'm so thrilled to hear that! I'm also quite relieved that this seems to be the common response. As the novel is one of my favourites, I felt a little invested in wanting everyone to enjoy it too. It regularly makes me laugh out loud, often the same way I will laugh at a Farrelly Brothers movie. I saw the Booker list was announced and was tempted to make a video giving my thoughts... But my passion lies with Cervantes too :)

hardcoreliterature
>>64573215

The nonsense poem definitely seems to take something from the chivalric romances. I'll talk a little about the lack of romances in romance in the upcoming Q&A as it's likely something that has been on a few minds!

Dawn

I read this several years ago without the benefit of context or commentary and wasn’t sure if I was meant to laugh or feel bad for Quixote (I did both). I appreciated your comments addressing that topic - that he knows what he’s doing and we shouldn’t feel bad for laughing. This has remained one of my top three favorite novels all these years (tied with Anna Karenina and Les Miserables). I’m excited for this re-read with your videos and everyone’s comments. I always consider re-reading a way to visit with old friends and see what they’ve been up to since we last parted.

Jane

My top novel of all time , different editions and different readings over time.

Bill Markland

Hi Ben, this is Bill from the future! I am retracing the lecture series now that I am caught up with the more recent ones. I'm not even sure you will see or read this, it being so long ago. I am repeating what I have said in other posts. You have changed my reading life, even more my overall life! I am noticing how few people are making comments, compared to today. I assume this is due to your greatly increased number of followers - well deserved.