Don Quixote is funny as fuck.

It gets heavier in the second half, which he wrote far later. Forewarning. People will probably spoil it ITT.

"THEMES" is kind of a meme. Try starting with some basic New Historicism. When you're done with the book, which is a good choice because it's breezy and fun and you won't get bogged down, go read about its background and Cervantes' milieu and "social messages" and blah blah blah. Then branch out from there (maybe try SparkNotes) into major schools of criticism, and just see what kind of things they do with it.

Being able to "detect themes" as a literature reader mostly means having a good understanding of literary traditions and their historical and intellectual situation. Anyone with a good intro and overview can understand the "themes" and messages and underlying motivations behind a Candide or a War & Peace, at least to a reasonable degree. Really enjoyable appreciation of literature comes later, when you can take something like Dickens or whatever and appreciate its contradictions, its conflicts, when you have some knowledge of contrasting scholarly positions on it, when you've studied things that are similar to it or directly relate to it. That only comes with time and immersion.

For the most part, modern literary scholars apply very monolithic critical frameworks to relatively narrow purviews. Some are better read than others in general, and some are more capacious in terms of their critical frameworks, but it's not some secret club where everyone Knows Literature and you're not invited because you don't. The vast majority of them are actually unimaginative rote memorizers who would know less than you do about stuff not directly in their crosshairs if you happened to take a mediocre survey course in it.

>>7826189
So I should read and grasp what I can intellectually while looking at criticisms and such after I finish?

What you're saying makes sense. I've always thought that I have a brain more geares towards science and math because I sucked at critically analyzing shit in high school, but I suppose I just never got enough books under my belt to be able to have a foundation to analyze different works. Sorry for the short blog, I just want to clarify where I'm coming from. Thanks for the help and suggestions, mate.

>>7826533
quixote is a classic. just think about how words and ideas can have completely different meanings because the words don't mean the idea they are our interpretation of the idea and each person's interpretation of things passes through the scope of their own idealogy. And the make up of this ideaology is different for everyone, as evidenced by sancho and quixote

Don Quixote was the first work to really examine this idea, thus becoming the first modern novel

And yes it does get darker in part two. Quixote's suffering changes from physical to mental in part two and at times its pretty sad.. enjoy it though one of my favorites

>>7826546
sorry, i realized this was super confusing when i reread it, it made more sense in my mind

>>7826169
Just remember, like Don, books will break your brain. If you read the write ones that is. Don't worry. You have to tear down your muscles through exercise before they grow back bigger. You can do it. Good luck on your journey.

>>7826555
>some people think this is the message of Quixote

I'm thinking of reading Don Quixote for my next book. What translation should I get?

Don Quixote is such a bad stupid book and that part is pretty much the only LEL SO funneh XD part that just exclaims what a shit book it is.

>>7826611
Some will say Grossman. Before I read it i read the prolougue from Grossman, Rutherford and Smollet. I would have no complaints with either, but Grossman does go a bit overboard trying to modernize it so the reader doesnt have to look up a single word that they dont recognize. I chose to read the Ruthorford translation but could easily have settled for the Smollett (which is public domain). Just read a chapter of each brah.

>>7826619
these types of people are actually on lit