Tilting at Windmills: A Novel of Cervantes and the Errant Knight [Paperback]

Julian Branston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

In seventeenth-century Valladolid, Spain’s new capital, Miguel Cervantes is busy writing episodes of his comic masterpiece, Don Quixote. His comedy is quickly making him the most popular author in the country, when three potential disasters strike: Cervantes discovers that there is a real Don Quixote, exactly like the character he thought he’d invented; a jealous poet’s plots involving one of the novel’s other characters make Cervantes a laughingstock; and Cervantes falls in love with a beautiful, widowed, but unavailable duchess. Many duels, misunderstandings, and betrayals later, Don Quixote himself comes to Cervantes’ rescue.

This sparkling tale of crazed knights, thwarted love, and literary rivalry is imbued with all of the spirit, verve, and humor of the classic novel to which it pays playful tribute. Tilting at Windmills is a dazzling evocation of Cervantes’ life and times, and a brilliant weave of fact, fiction, and farce.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What if Don Quixote appeared in the flesh, riding backwards on a noble steed and peeking out from under a makeshift helmet at his creator, Miguel de Cervantes? A meeting between the two literary greats is the creaky premise of this novel, but Branston's tale takes on a merry life of its own, proving itself no feeble pastiche. A formal introductory letter from "Cervantes" himself may discourage casual readers, but the author soon introduces a cast of deliciously human characters and unleashes them on one another in a tale of literary intrigue. Cervantes is hard at work on his masterpiece when his friend Pedro, a buffoonish aspiring merchant with a marked resemblance to Sancho Panza, confesses that the stories he has told Cervantes about a mad old knight are actually true, and the model for the character of Don Quixote is a real man. Cervantes is naturally eager to meet the errant knight, and his wish is fulfilled when the mad and maddening Don Quixote appears to defend Cervantes against an evil poet who is out to one-up the writer with a manuscript supposedly written by Don Quixote's love, Dulcinea. Once the old hero and Cervantes are in the same quarters--be it tavern or holy site or both--the dialogue sparkles and good writing conquers evil as true farce takes hold. This is a rollicking, earthy, compulsively readable take-off on the 17th-century classic.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In a truly inspired flight of fancy, Branston has created a fictionalized account of how the comic masterpiece Don Quixote came into being. It's the seventeenth century, and Miguel Cervantes is alive and well, writing and publishing in highly anticipated episodes what will become his masterwork--but there are many obstacles in his path. First and foremost, the character of Don Quixote is discovered to have a counterpart in the real world, a mad knight of a forgotten age who is obsessed with chivalry. The second impediment, a beautiful duchess who scorns Cervantes for his loyalty to an emperor whom she blames for the death of her soldier husband (Cervantes falls madly in love with her). And, finally, the plotting of the jealous Ongora, a scheming, vicious, dandy of a poet who would do anything to see Cervantes destroyed. Fortunately for Cervantes, his own creation, Don Quixote, comes to his aid, and their interactions make this novel an ingenious mesh of fact and fiction that reflects the romance and satire of the original story to which it pays tribute. Jerry Eberle
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307336026
• ISBN-13: 978-0307336026
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,147,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book!, March 8, 2005

By 

sofia (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tilting at Windmills: A Novel of Cervantes and the Errant Knight, 1st Edition (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book, in so many respects. Even before I was drawn into the plot, I was struck by the beautiful language. Elegant, poetic, refined throughout. (Senor Cervantes must be very pleased with Mr Branston's work!) And then, I felt magically transported into 17th century Spain. The book is a dazzling evocation of Cervantes' life and times, a brilliant weave of facts, fiction and farce. One by one, I was introduced to finely portrayed characters, Cervantes himself, the Old Knight, the Duchess, among others. Then there's the incredible sense of humour. Sometimes it's just a little tickle in the background, at other times, I felt like I was in the middle of some 17th century Laurel and Hardy routine. Branston gives us complete mayhem, utter slapstick, in the most deadpan, elegant language possible. Madly funny. It's so deadpan, it's wonderful. But that's not all. A few moments later, Branston moves into a very different direction. There are delicate studies of interiors, of gardens, there are deeply touching psychological observations. Hilarious at times, deeply touching at other times. It feels as though Cervantes is alive again. And it all ends with a most unexpected twist. I loved it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true 5 stars, March 28, 2005

By 

Tigger - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tilting at Windmills: A Novel of Cervantes and the Errant Knight, 1st Edition (Hardcover)

Some books put you to sleep, other ones awaken your most creative thoughts and visions.
I love books like this one that can show me things in a new, unpredictable way. Books that make me think and treat me with respect with their intelligent nature.
This novel is much more than just a "story". It is history, in its own way. And even with its ambitious aim of offering a new interpretation of such great characters, it never lets you down. It never disappoints you. Amusing and poetical, sometimes sad but always light in its wonderful truthful tone full of colors and music.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, March 8, 2005

By 

Clarisse (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tilting at Windmills: A Novel of Cervantes and the Errant Knight, 1st Edition (Hardcover)

This book is like a finely woven textile of Julian Branston's poetic outlook; that of a writer who follows the literary of the Old Masters. Every scene and situation in this incredible story is crafted with feeling and filled with joy, so that the reader right from the beginning doesn't want to put the book down. One of those books that I will re-read many times.