Mac's Reviews > Amadis of Gaul

Don Quixote the character often cites passages from Amadis of Gaul, so I was curious to read the original work itself. I have to say there is hardly a reason to read this book except to see what Miguel Cervantes wanted to parody. It is essentially a series of tales about a brave knight, his companions, and the men and especially fair damsels they come in contact with. The characters have little depth, and the incidents are predictable and repetitive. After I had finished the book I went back to read the translator's preface, where I was shocked to learn that the translation was actually an abridgement! It is hard to imagine that the book I read, at over a thousand pages, was trimmed of unnecessary details.

Caveat lector! Let the reader beware! Only the most foolhardy knights of reading should pursue this musty tome.