So, after a conversation with a fellow English major I work with, I decided that I'd read my way through a list of the 100 best novels in the world. The #1 book - which got 50% more votes than any other novel was Don Quixote. Why not start at the top, I said to myself. And so, today I went out and purchased a brand spanking new copy of The New York Times Bestseller - newly translated by Edith Grossman - version of Miguel de Cervantes' history of Don Quixote de la Mancha. It even has an introduction by Harold Bloom! (He usually talks about Shakespeare - so I'm interested to see what he has to say about Cervantes. Did you know that Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day?...but I'm getting off topic).
I could almost hear Mike sighing inside of his head when I announced my intent to read my way through this list and my request that we make a stop at the book store today so that I could get started. I know he figures that we will end up $14 poorer with an extra book on the shelf that I've given up reading. I must confess that I'm slightly intimidated by the sheer size of this book. 74 chapters - 940 pages - plus a translator's note and introduction...did I mention that's by Harold Bloom? I did? What - I'm very excited about this...I'm a geek aren't I?
Anyway - I've decided that I need to do at least a chapter a day in order to keep the flow going. I was excited to get started, but left it so late that I decided to do only the minimum, which in this case meant reading the first bit - the translator's note. All I can really say is that this woman likes to hear herself speak - or type..and she uses the word "utopian" incessantly.
Bring on the windmills!
