Category: Archived DMs

And hey Presto: Week 6!, which recounts the pleasing commentary laced upon these light beams by varied marchers and the squires of same.
Nearly 300 pages in now. Lots and lots and lots to go, and yet…we’re too far from shore to easily swim back. I’ll confess to finding “the two friends” a tad tedious. They sorta deserve each other, at least in terms of their tediousness. And then, wouldn’t ya know it, the week ends just as the madcap misadventures of the man who was recklessly curious finally start get interesting. Ah well. Reason enough to chug on…..
Next Wednesday: A few marchers errant have fallen a tad behind, so what say we go for a slightly smaller than usual leap and meet up again at the end of of Chapter XXXVI, “where all the misfortunes on earth reach their conclusion and end.” I like the sound of that….

And then before you know it, it’s Week 5, regarding the diverting comments posted by the readers of this agreeable history.
Much sound and fury this week regarding potential casting and music for the movie. And out of that dust a clear path emerges: Melody’s vision of a DQ update that we’d have to assume would be titled “Dude, Where’s My Papers Promising Me Those Donkeys?”
As I mentioned along the way, I dug this week. I did. The book has really started to pick up some 400-year-old steam. 200-something pages down. 700 or so to go…. If you’re a tad behind, not to worry — just keep a goin’. There’s still plenty of time to catch up on some upcoming sunny weekend afternoon.
Next Wednesday: We shake out our shoes at the end of Chapter XXXIII, one half-whisker shy of the continuation of the novel of The Man Who Was Recklessly Curious.

Welcome to Week 4 on ye olde deathmarche, which recounts the fierce and uncomon battle for mugnet glory waged by nineteen travelers, and other events.
Some good debate this last week on the pleasures of DQ. I’m still having a swell time with the book, though I’ll confess that DQ’s grand chivalric imagining (around page 159 in Grossman) did make my eyes begin to bulge. While I’m confessing, I should add that I’ve got Zero Mostel stuck in my head as Sancho. And not just any Zero Mostel, but a characture of Zero Mostel from some Mad Magazine parody from my youth (a Fiddler send up called “Antenna on the Roof”). I can’t decide if this adds or subtracts from my reading pleasure. OK, that’s a lie. It adds.
Next Wednesday: More glory! And it all leads us to the end of Chapter XXVII, as “concluded by that wise and judicious historian,” ladies and gentlemen, won’t you please give a warm Don Quixote Deathmarch welcome to your friend and mine, the one, the only: Senor Cide Hamete Benengeli.

Welcome to Week 3, in which are found the disparate comments of the mug-net inclined, along with other unexpected epistles. Speaking of which, 26 people are still mug-net qualified. Jinkies!
On each of these ‘marches so far, I’ve especially dug the end of Week 2 — past page 100, the book starts to take hold. From last week’s comments, it sounds like a lot of us were applauding Chapters 12-14, with the build up to Marcela’s soliloquoy (if you prick her, does she not bleed?) followed by a shining moment for DQ: “Let no person, whatever his circumstance or condition, dare to follow the beautiful Marcela lest he fall victim to my fury and outrage.” Not that she needs his help, or that anyone’s even necessarily paying attention. But still, that’s our Don!
And then there’s Chapter XV, with what has to be my favorite line so far: “I wish I had enough breath to speak with less effort and that the pain I feel in this rib would ease just a little so that I could make clear to you, Panza, how wrong you are.” If this was the ’70s, I’d slap that puppy on a t-shirt, and my fortune would be made.
All in all, it’s been a real treat so far, and I’m glad to have so many excellent ‘marchers along for the trek.
Next Wednesday: We careen on, with vigor! Let’s meet up on page 172 at the end of Chapter XXII, just before what I’m told is one of the strangest adventures recounted in this true history.

Welcome to Week 2, which tells of the second sally our heroes made from their native land. The first week featured a frenzied dialog, particularly on the heated subject of magnets v. mugs. Speaking of which, it looks like around 26 people are currently mug-net qualified. Gadzooks!
I enjoyed the first week’s read. There’s a gentle rhythm to this book — the smallish chapters, the amusing misunderstandings, the occasional unexpected references to dwarves. And it’s good to be back in DM mode, finding 15 minutes here or there to read the day’s allotment.
A question to throw out there for Week 2: Now I’ll stipulate that Don Quixote is “the first modern novel.” But I don’t really know what that means. Anyone care to shed a little light on what defines the modern novel, compared to everything that came before it?
Next Wednesday: Let’s crash past page 100 (Grossman) and meet up at the end of Chapter XV.

Welcome to the Don Quixote Deathmarch, Week 1. This is our fourth ‘march, and I’m so excited, well, I honestly just can’t hide it. So I won’t even try.
We’ve got a potentially huge crew along for the ride, including some first-timers from around the country. We may even have a few high schoolers amongst us. To all of youse newcomers, let me encourage you to dive right into the comment-stream. (Just hit the “Whaddya think?” link on the lower-right of each entry — any questions on that, drop me a line at vortex@mediajunkie.com.)
Other words of wisdom? Well, don’t sweat it too much if you fall behind. Everyone does at one point or another. And of course, if you’ve read the book before, be kind to the rest of the crew by focusing comments on what we’ve read to-date. Sure, you say. That’s all fine and good. But what about…
…prizes?
Excellent question! On the very first Deathmarch, we tantalized weary wanderers with visions of “I Survived the Gravity’s Rainbow Deathmarch” mugs. And at this very moment, said mugs are winding their way through the countryside, en route to the lucky winners. OK, so it took me a year. But these are fabulous mugs.
This go-around, we’re offering genuine 2.25″ “I Survived the Don Quixote Deathmarch” magnets for folks who make it through and comment every week. No need to write essays to qualify — any old shout out will do.
UPDATE: Amazingly, two patrons of the arts have appeared and offered to help underwrite prizes. So we’re upgrading those magnets to genuine DQDM mugs [capped at, let’s say, 30 winners] for folks who finish the book during the DM and post on every entry, every week!
Thanks a lot for coming along. Have fun out there. Stay frosty. And I’ll see ya at the next bend in the road.
Next Wednesday: Let’s meet up at the end of Chapter VI, just before “the second sally.”

Hi all,
As previously intimated, the Don Quixote Deathmarch does in fact loometh. In fact, it so loometh that we even have a start date: Wednesday, March 22 (meaning we aim to open the cover that day).
Looks like we may well have a good-sized group, including several first-timers. Should be fun (and grueling, but also fun). If you’re interested and looking to pick up a copy, most of us will be reading the new translation by Edith Grossman, and that’s what page references will refer back to.
For them what are new to the DM world, here’s basically how it works:
Every Wednesday I’ll post something right here on your computer screen laying out how far we’ll be marching that week (usually around 50 or 60 pages). Over the next 7 days, folks drop by and leave comments ranging from “owie” and “this hurts” to slightly more erudite analysis. And that’s pretty much the whole idear. Week by week and nibble by nibble, we make our way through. And by the end, this weary band of wanders will have another of The Great Books flashing sparks deep within our brains.
Anyways, we’d love to have you along. In fact, consider yourself personally exhorted. And of course, feel free to bring a friend. The more, the marchier….
See you on the trail,
-Cecil

Just a quick heads-up for them what follow such things, that the Don Quixote Deathmarch is now officially looming on the horizon. The exact start date hasn’t been selected yet, but it’ll most likely be right around the beginning of March. Probably a Tuesday.
Me, I’ve got a little work to do before we kicking the DQDM off — like, finishing the last one (At Swim-Two-Birds), which I jumped back into yesterday. And ordering those dang Gravity’s Rainbow Deathmarch mugs! Must get mugs!
OK…watch this space for more news…..
-Cecil

Here it is — finally. The spot for final thoughts on Flan’s Irish stew….

Well, this has officially been the most mismanaged literary deathmarch of the 21st century. In fact, I don’t mean to brag, but I recently received a notarized letter letting me know that this is the most mismanged literary deathermarch of the 21st century. Which doesn’t happen every day. Is all I’m saying.
Clearly: it’s high time we bring it all home. Let’s wrap this puppy up by next Tuesday. Them what have already finished, legion that you are, feel free to begin end-game banter on this thread, using a little gentle-loving kindness toward those of us who still have the one-last-push to go with regard to your revelation of unexpected zigs or zags.
As for me, I finally caught up but yes, the very day I caught up, OK, I lost my copy. So clearly some powerful cosmic force doesn’t want me to finish this book. And I respect that. But I’m pretty sure I won’t be beat.
I continue to enjoy the book, which veers from wildly entertaining to fairly entertaining to slightly tedious and then back to wildly entertaining. As much fun as I’m having, it’s easy to imagine it all ending in an unsatisying way, as some has already suggested. One thing I’m starting to wonder is, how much am I missing by not being a scholar of classic Irish lit and myths? I suspect tons.
For example, I happened to pick up a Seamus Heaney collection this weekend and came across an aside about Heaney’s Sweeney Astray “a translation of the medieval Irish work Buile Suibhne, which tells of the penitential life led by Sweeney after he was cursed and turned into a wild flying creature by St Ronan at the Battle of Moira.” Which, ya know, sounds a little familiar. Is all I’m saying.
Next week: See ya back here for the grand finale.