Continuing from Episode 8 in this series, today’s topic is Part 2 of Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1615).
A Spanish aristocrat, imitating the wandering knights of medieval romance, undertakes his continuing adventures. Along the way, he meets those who have read an unauthorized continuation of Part 1 recounting false adventures, and takes pains to refute them. Finally Quixote returns to his village, repudiates his beliefs in chivalric romances, and dies — prompting us to recognize that novels, unlike romances, end in any way that the novelist determines.
This and every other episode of “Open Book” is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you find your podcasts. Hosted by Anchor, its home page is https://anchor.fm/ullyot.
