Don Quixote and the Camino

[Maggie Y]

As some of you may know I am recovering from an injury and have time on my hands. I decided to post this random thread. What do other peregrinos think could be the links between El Camino and Don Quixote de la Mancha. For me intuitively there are links. This summer I took the one book, Monsignor Don Quixote by Graham Greene on the Camino as reading material. I thought the original book by Miguel de Cervantes would be far too long and heavy going. Anyway I have read part of this very enjoyable book but wasn't getting through it so donated it to the Donativo in Miraz to lighten my pack.
On return to UK I found that the Royal Shakespeare Company was performing Don Quixote at the Garrick Theatre in London and went to see it with my friend. We went on the last matinee at the beginning of February. Fantastic acting with Don Quixote played by Rupert Threlfall and Sancho Panza by Rufus Hound who incidentally was hilarious. They bought out the pantomime aspect of the very moving story. Since then Don Quixote is everywhere, currently being performed in ballet form at the The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Later in Feb the opera Man of la Mancha is opening at the English National Opera at the Coliseum in London and I aim to see this. When in Santiago I spent a lot of time near El Cervantes statue I would be interested in what others perceive as the relationship between the Don Quixote story and your Camino? For me the most moving aspect of the play was the relationship between the two characters who had become very co dependant on each other. All of life was on that stage. Salud and look forward to your thoughts? Maggie

 

[Antomuchacho]

Can i just say that , youre posing question is an absolute gem of a proposition !! I love it!! Don quixote is a very much "lost in history " novel that seems to have lost its right of place in modern times!! One of the best in my opinion☺ the relationship between the two is fantastic!! Camino wise ime sure there are lots of common references with experiences of travelling companions!! But very good suggestion☺

 

[Drew1578]

I'll be starting my camino (Ingles) in May and I have Don Quixote sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to open it and start reading. I thought it would be a good book to have read before starting just for cultural purposes. I am finishing up a book on the Spanish Civil War and need to read The Sun Also Rises which I heard someone on a podcast claim it's actually a book about the Camino Frances.

 

[mspath]

For more re Don Quixote and walking in Spain see

Rutas para perderse | Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha

Web oficial del gobierno autonómico de Castilla-La Mancha con información sobre actividad administrativa, economía, educación, sanidad, servicios sociales, sede electrónica...

www.castillalamancha.es

and
these earlier forum threads

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/levante-sureste-don-quixote.42342/

and

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/channeling-don-quixote.41394/

Happy reading and Buen camino!

 

[Karl Oz]

Don Quixote is a long but by no means heavy read. I read it in English and found it very enjoyable. Have fun reading and reflecting upon it..

 

[Maggie Y]

I'll be starting my camino (Ingles) in May and I have Don Quixote sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to open it and start reading. I thought it would be a good book to have read before starting just for cultural purposes. I am finishing up a book on the Spanish Civil War and need to read The Sun Also Rises which I heard someone on a podcast claim it's actually a book about the Camino Frances.

Who wrote the Sun also rises? Have you read Homage to Catalonia and also As I walked out one Midsummer Morning Laurie Lee? Maggie

 

[Maggie Y]

Don Quixote is a long but by no means heavy read. I read it in English and found it very enjoyable. Have fun reading and reflecting upon it..

I will try and go for the original . Thanks

 

[Maggie Y]

Can i just say that , youre posing question is an absolute gem of a proposition !! I love it!! Don quixote is a very much "lost in history " novel that seems to have lost its right of place in modern times!! One of the best in my opinion☺ the relationship between the two is fantastic!! Camino wise ime sure there are lots of common references with experiences of travelling companions!! But very good suggestion☺

Thankyou for your reply. I hope to generate a bit of interest and see if a topic can be launched which isn't all about routes etc. Best Wishes Maggie

 

[RJM]

Mr. Quixote runs a decent alburgue in Arzua. On the left when you first enter town. I made it a point to stay there simply because of its name and the stamp/sello they have.

 

[Drew1578]

Who wrote the Sun also rises? Have you read Homage to Catalonia and also As I walked out one Midsummer Morning Laurie Lee? Maggie

Hemingway - I've actually never read any of his stuff (and somehow I escaped having it be required reading is school). I also have Homage to Catalonia on my table.... I have so much to read and not enough time to get it done before my Camino!!!!! I haven't heard of As I Walked Out... I might read that when I get home. I just read the synopsis; I love any books that are historical in nature.

 

[Maggie Y]

I may try and get hold of the Sun also rises as I haven't read any Hemingway. When are you starting on El Ingles. It is next on my list, fingers crossed when I'm closer to recovery from current injury. I have a pot on my leg but was hoping to try El Ingles later in the year

 

[Drew1578]

I may try and get hold of the Sun also rises as I haven't read any Hemingway. When are you starting on El Ingles. It is next on my list, fingers crossed when I'm closer to recovery from current injury. I have a pot on my leg but was hoping to try El Ingles later in the year

May 5th and hope to be finished by Thursday the 9th. I don't have a lot of time to go on a longer walk but I wanted to walk a complete route. I wanted to actually walk the Primitivo but again it's a time thing. It's cool also as I have some Irish blood in me so it kind of makes sense to walk the Ingles.

 

[Karl Oz]

Hemingway - I've actually never read any of his stuff (and somehow I escaped having it be required reading is school). I also have Homage to Catalonia on my table.... I have so much to read and not enough time to get it done before my Camino!!!!! I haven't heard of As I Walked Out... I might read that when I get home. I just read the synopsis; I love any books that are historical in nature.

I have read them, and was charmed by the Laurie Lee book. The others are not too bad either...

 

[Vacajoe]

To all of you who have not read Hemingway!!! I am fond of saying, "Ernest is my Life Coach" which either draws a blank stare or a VERY concerned look from those familiar with Hemingway's real life trails and tribulations....

While certainly not ABOUT the Camino, The Sun Also Rises is partially set amongst the Pamplona and Rio Irati area and worth a read to see what life may have been like pre-modern era. Hemingway actually spent some time drinking and fishing these waters, so the narrative rings true. Also worth a read is, For Whom the Bell Tolls which relates his experience during the Spanish Civil War.

Finally, Homage to Catalonia is the perfect piece for those passing through Barcelona or walking the Camino Catalan - lots of action set in that city as well as the Zaragoza and Huesca areas.

Trust me, any of those are far better reads than Paulo Coelho....

 

[evanlow]

Walked the Camino Levante (Valencia to Zamora). The first half (or rather the 2nd quarter) of the camino is Don Quixote's landscape. Rows of old windmills (forgot the town's name), caricatures of the 2 characters dawn many of the landscape. Even the town Toboso (where Dulcinea came from) was on the way. I had my best tortilla in Spain (still till today) in a bar named Rocinante (Quixote's horse).

 

[t2andreo]

Who wrote the Sun also rises? Have you read Homage to Catalonia and also As I walked out one Midsummer Morning Laurie Lee? Maggie

Ernest Hemingway wrote the Sun Also Rises. He was living near Pamplona at the time.

I have also read the other books and can recommend them highly.

Don Quixote is my meme...

BTW, there are two versions of Don Quixote. The first version that many of us read in high school, back in the day, was actually the first of two books. This dealt primarily with his first journey about La Mancha with Sancho Panza...

The second version of Don Quixote is the full, two-part, version. The first part is the story previous mentioned. The second part deals with his life in retirement and eventual demise. The second part is not as 'fun' as the first part, but it is nonetheless part of the story.

I read the full, classical version, in English last autumn after returning from my volunteer stint. It was awesome.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Finally, Homage to Catalonia is the perfect piece for those passing through Barcelona or walking the Camino Catalan - lots of action set in that city as well as the Zaragoza and Huesca areas.

Last time we were in Barcelona we had a short tour of the city and one spot we were brought to was a plaza named after George Orwell. We were told that, ironically, it was the first place in the city to have had a closed circuit television camera set up (remember "1984"?).

 

[Maggie Y]

I have read them, and was charmed by the Laurie Lee book. The others are not too bad either...

The Laurie Lee book is quite unforgettable. So sad at the end . Very memorable little classic

 

[Maggie Y]

Thankyou for all your responses. We all seem to be on the same wavelength in terms of Spanish related reading materials and the travails of early travellers and the eccentrics and politically committed who travelled in Spain in earlier times

 

[Doogman]

May I suggest "South From Granada" by Gerald Brennan. It's an autobiographical story about living in a small Andalusian village where he went to decompress after World War I. It's a very interesting read about local life in that region in the 1920's.