In the opening of “Don Quixote,” the main character
doesn’t sleep, but reads so much he eventually goes mad. In
Powell Library today and on Thursday, Miguel de Cervantes
enthusiasts will imitate art as they attempt a marathon reading of
“Don Quixote.”
In the latest of many UCLA marathon events, Spanish graduate
students and Powell librarian Catherine Brown have organized the
marathon reading as part of the “Month of La Mancha”
celebration, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the publication
of “Don Quixote.”
Faculty, students and Cervantes aficionados will read part one
of the novel from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. today and Thursday. Readers
will be sponsored to read 20-minute episodes from the book as part
of a fund-raiser for graduate students.
Many only know of the book for its windmills, and organizers
plan to attract readers who have been intimidated by the weighty
novel in the past, as well as unite fellow “Don
Quixote” fans.
“This book has an incredible impact on readers and
writers. For readers, it’s the second best-seller after the
Bible, and for writers, a 2002 PEN poll asked writers what book
most influenced you as a writer, and it was “˜Don
Quixote,'” said Spanish Professor Carroll Johnson.
The book, about a man transfixed by books, has captivated and
perplexed readers and academics for four centuries.
The first book to be considered a modern novel, “Don
Quixote” continues to set the standard for writers today.
“(What) interests me as a professional reader is that you
can see in it not only all of the current theoretical topics of
literary theory, but Cervantes had thought of these things and
works them into the semantics of the book,” Johnson said.
While other “La Mancha” events, like last
week’s scholarly symposium, “”˜Don Quijote’
Across Four Centuries,” dug into these theoretical aspects of
the novel, today’s marathon is strictly reading.
The book will be read not only in English and Spanish, but also
in other languages like French, German, Korean and even sign
language.
Still, according to UCLA Spanish Professor Enrique
Rodriguez-Cepeda, the best way to hear Cervantes’ message is
to read a non-translated version.
“The English translation is a disaster, completely
different,” he said. “You have to read it in the old
language, like Shakespeare. It’s completely different if you
read the English of the time. If you read the translation, you are
reading some kind of tragedy that somebody wrote, but not
Shakespeare. We have to follow, not change, the phonetics of the
book. The book is alive.”
Rodriguez-Cepeda, whose collection of Cervantes memorabilia is
on display in Powell, will be reading an episode of the novel in
the original Spanish with a Castilian accent, exactly as it would
have been read 400 years ago.
For those who are daunted by the age and language of the book,
graduate student Claudia Mesa encourages timid readers to attend
the marathon, as she said it will be an entertaining way to
experience Cervantes for the first time.
“My own experience was that I wasn’t interested
because I thought, “˜It’s an old book, the print is
tiny,’ but as you start reading it, you realize every line is
interesting, and the fiction really gets into your head,”
Mesa said. “If you give it a try, you will be
captivated.”
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