Meaning
According to Professor Tariq Ali by reading the preface and many paragraphs throughout the book in the context of the time and situation after the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain, he has concluded that to the people of the time reading this book it would be clear that it was attacking the Catholic church, the Spanish Inquisition and the ruling Catholic Spanish nobility. Ali clearly shows how Cervantes points to his Jewish ancestry and to the Jews (and Muslims) plight in Spain and abroad following the expulsions and mass conversions.
In stark contrast Harold Bloom claims that Don Quixote is the writing of radical nihilism and anarchy, preferring the glory of fantasy over the real world which includes imminent death, being "...the first modern novel"
Edith Grossman the English translator of the book claimed that the book is mostly meant to move people into emotion using a systematic change of course, on the verge of both tragedy and comedy at the same time.
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- The question is that Quixote has multiple interpretations... and how do I deal with that in my translation.
- I'm going to answer your question by avoiding it... so when I first started reading the Quixote I thought it was the most tragic book in the world, and I would read it and weep... As I grew older and my skin grew thicker... and so when I was working on the translation I was actually sitting at my computer and laughing out loud. This is done... as Cervantes did it... by never letting the reader rest. You are never certain that you truly got it. Because as soon as you think you understand something, Cervantes introduces something that contradicts your premise.
Read more about this topic: Don Quichote
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