Review by Mohammed Mohammed of “Don Quixote” by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!

I had read Don Quixote when I was still scared to read a novel in English. It took me 6 months to finish it. I envied the other students on my course who were so fast in finishing their books. They had read so much, and I so little, but I never pushed my reading, I had to read slowly, never skipping a word, even in those long verses in Don Quixote I read every word. Although I couldn’t understand so many words I just read them.

I remember, that was many years back, I remember I went for a very long walk down the beautiful English countryside, with nature so green and different to that of my country. I found a small quiet river with clear waters, and using my bag as a pillow, I lie down next to it, and opened my Don Quixote and read and rolled around with laughter.

I have read somewhere that Cervantes is the father of modern literature, I have read various interpretations about Don Quixote, about what this or that means. What I have understood, is that I am not a clever person, for me Don Quixote is nothing but a simple story that I will never forget.

About the reviewer

Mohammed Mohammed is undertaking a PhD in Egyptian short stories at a UK university.