Leisure now? Leisure later?

Hmm. Today we set up a wedding registry at Amazon.com. Unfortunately, also today, I started reading a great book (Sails on the Horizon, fiction set during the Napoleanic Wars). Now I can't decide whether to spend my down time reading said book or adding fun stuff to the wedding registry. I already packed it full of D&D, anime, and video games. I should add some more serious books, DVDs, a watch, a digital camera, and maybe some housewares, too..... But I just wanna read.

By the way, for those that are thinking Don Quixote beat me, he has not! The edition I have has BOTH books in it. I've finished the first one. I'm hitting a bit of light reading before starting the next.

Here's a review:

Don Quixote Book One

Good stuff overall. If you're looking to read this, look for an edition with solid paragraph breaks. That's my chief complaint. It's quite difficult to switch from the American taught each speaker gets a new paragraph to that not being the case, finding yourself slugging through three page paragraphs with three to four different speakers and descriptions in each.

Initially, I was rather bored with the book. Each of Quixote's misadventures is the same as the last, with only slightly different pieces to the puzzle. However, in his journeys, Quixote meets some rather interesting characters, and it is these stories which I found the most interesting, especially when combined with the authors footnotes about how the sub stories are related to Cervantes real experiences in life.

Given a more thorough reading, I'm sure I could tie Don Quixote into all of the issues I have with modern society, ESPECIALLY the way his tales of chivalry insight him into a mild insanity. If I were on one side of the coin, I could relate that to video games corrupting the minds of today's youth. However, on the other side of the coin, I could point out the lax care Quixote's caretakers took in ensuring that he not only knew the fictional nature of these tales, but also upon discovering his insanity the weak precautions to ensure his safety overall...

I'm sure I could come up with more, but there's no need to pull more out of my ass. Suffice it to say that Don Quixote is indeed a classic, and not just like a Model T is a classic, which was my first instinct. The book introduces a variety of characters, teaches a wee bit of history, and gives a sight into some of the minds of the time. I'll certainly be finishing off book two once I rock through a couple of lighter titles, and I'm looking forward to it.

Also, last night I discovered it's a really fun book to read outloud, whether it be to the cats or the woman. Good stuff, and a lot of it is funnier when said than when read. Almost makes me want to animate some of the bits from it. Plus, I'm now looking for a chance to say, "My head is more pregnant than the stinking whore that brought you forth!"