10 Famous Books You've Been Reading Wrong This Whole Time
9. Don Quixote Is Not About How Great Knights Are
Don Quixote is the story of Alonso Quixano, an old nobleman obsessed with romantic tales of chivalry, a very popular genre of literature at the time. So obsessed with tales of knights and quests in fact he decides to dub himself 'Don Quixote' and embark on a quest to... he never really plans that far ahead.
He employs a squire/carer, fights giants/windmills, and attacks some wizards/friars. It' s a pretty light-hearted affair but with hidden, or at least ignored, depths.
In truth, it's another pisstake, but this time instead of focusing his barbs towards the upper crust of society the author attempted to poke fun at a certain kind of literary fan. No one seemed to get the joke because Don Quixote, when analysed, is looked on as a love letter to tales of chivalry; when in actuality the point is to try an bring an end to a genre which Cervantes believed was deficient.
When Don Quixote was first published it was viewed almost universally as a riotous comedy. It was only later on that between poor translations and lost context that the book came to be considered the great novel of chivalry most believe it to be.