Spoils a few punch lines but keeps track of the cast so readers don’t have to.
More of a reference than a guide, Gurgen’s book dissects the comedic classic.
Don Quixote still reigns as a singular literary masterpiece. So who could fault Gurgen (True Understanding in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, 2012) for his labor of devotion? Though Don Quixote’s many jokes, memorable episodes and characters are timeless, some may pass over the heads of readers. To help navigate the classic, Gurgen’s work takes the form of a Don Quixote encyclopedia with several independent sections: a large character dictionary; a dictionary of relationships among characters and groups; an extensive section on the multiple themes; a page of Latin translations; and odds and ends, such as reproductions of a few of the tome’s poems and jokes. These last sections are least useful, especially where they crib directly from the text; a chapter on how to use the book and an index would help readers who need a guide to navigate the guide. Still, the character dictionary is thorough and includes many easily forgotten details in a digestible format. For instance, Gurgen reminds us of Don Quixote’s medical history, “Besides suffering from kidney trouble, Don Quixote has never had any teeth extracted, nor have any fallen out or been destroyed by decay or infection.” His list of injuries runs nearly a page, from his shoulder dislocation by windmill to his trampling by a herd of pigs. The chapter’s thoroughness, however, provides spoilers and deflates some of the classic’s humor. Additionally, the structure of the book, which doesn’t follow that of the classic, may disappoint those looking for a chapter-by-chapter key to Cervantes, but Gurgen’s discussions of and passion for Don Quixote’s themes and players offer much to consider.
Spoils a few punch lines but keeps track of the cast so readers don’t have to.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2014
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For Howard Zinn, long-time civil rights and anti-war activist, history and ideology have a lot in common. Since he thinks that everything is in someone's interest, the historian—Zinn posits—has to figure out whose interests he or she is defining/defending/reconstructing (hence one of his previous books, The Politics of History). Zinn has no doubts about where he stands in this "people's history": "it is a history disrespectful of governments and respectful of people's movements of resistance." So what we get here, instead of the usual survey of wars, presidents, and institutions, is a survey of the usual rebellions, strikes, and protest movements. Zinn starts out by depicting the arrival of Columbus in North America from the standpoint of the Indians (which amounts to their standpoint as constructed from the observations of the Europeans); and, after easily establishing the cultural disharmony that ensued, he goes on to the importation of slaves into the colonies. Add the laborers and indentured servants that followed, plus women and later immigrants, and you have Zinn's amorphous constituency. To hear Zinn tell it, all anyone did in America at any time was to oppress or be oppressed; and so he obscures as much as his hated mainstream historical foes do—only in Zinn's case there is that absurd presumption that virtually everything that came to pass was the work of ruling-class planning: this amounts to one great indictment for conspiracy. Despite surface similarities, this is not a social history, since we get no sense of the fabric of life. Instead of negating the one-sided histories he detests, Zinn has merely reversed the image; the distortion remains.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1979
ISBN: 0061965588
Page Count: 772
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1979
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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