The Golden One - January 26, 2020


Book Reviews. Don Quixote. Gotrek & Felix


Episode Stats

Length

12 minutes

Words per Minute

150.5144

Word Count

1,858

Sentence Count

155

Hate Speech Sentences

5


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Greetings, my esteemed subscribers. I thought to check in with two book reviews, but before I begin to talk about the books at hand, I would just like to say that I am technically, I've technically not started the 2020 YouTube season. I still have some things to do before I can fully commit to, you know, regular frequency in uploads on YouTube. But I aim at getting back to my regular routine in a week or so, maybe two weeks. I'll see.
00:00:30.000 But after that, I have plenty of good, enlightening videos. So, yeah, back to some longer forest videos, etc. It will be good times, a lot of enlightenment to be shared. So, yeah, stay tuned. You can also follow me on Telegram, first link in the description box below.
00:00:48.640 So, no, anyway, as you might have discerned from the title, I have read Don Quixote and Godrek and Velix, both gifts from my loving wife.
00:01:00.800 And I read Don Quixote earlier in, no, not earlier, last year, in the autumn.
00:01:06.160 However, this is one of the few books I have not finished reading. I stopped at the page of 110. I will explain in a bit why I didn't finish reading it.
00:01:19.580 And just to put things into perspective, I did actually manage to finish Moby Dick, even though I didn't enjoy it in the least.
00:01:26.520 I made a video on Moby Dick, so you can go and check it out. Just search on the channel for my book review of it.
00:01:35.040 And basically, before I begin to criticize the book, it feels bad.
00:01:41.640 I genuinely wanted to enjoy the book, and I do realize its importance for Spanish literature, Spanish history, Spanish culture, etc.
00:01:52.880 And, of course, if you are interested in Spanish culture, etc., you should read it, especially if you're a Spanish yourself.
00:02:00.400 You can read it in its original language. I do recommend you to read it.
00:02:03.620 For me, though, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it.
00:02:10.060 First and foremost, of course, you have to understand it in the context of its time.
00:02:17.260 Don Quixote is, in my view at least, basically a parody of previous chivalry literature.
00:02:24.900 And if you have, as when it was written, if you've only read about gallant knights who are perfectly moral and they do everything correct,
00:02:35.520 yeah, then it might be refreshing to read about some complete mess-up who just goes around being made a fool out of.
00:02:45.260 So I understand, in the context of its time, that a parody of this sort might have been very fun to read.
00:02:51.900 However, in the current year, in the West, current year of 2020, you know, we've grown up with nothing but irony, basically.
00:03:02.620 Knightly Valor hasn't really been something that we have seen all too much in culture today.
00:03:08.520 So when I read something, yet another thing, based on irony and parody and someone is being made a fool out of,
00:03:16.560 it isn't really something that appeals to me.
00:03:19.360 Laughing at others isn't really something that appeals to me either.
00:03:24.200 You know, a bunch of people sitting around laughing at someone at his expense, not my style, not something I enjoy in the least.
00:03:32.700 That is, in my humble opinion, of course, for ironic guys.
00:03:36.420 Now, I'm not saying that Don Quixote is for ironic guys, you can definitely enjoy it.
00:03:40.100 And I will admit, I chuckled to myself two times in the book because of some banter in it.
00:03:45.520 But overall, I do not appreciate the ironic nature of, you know, laughing at someone.
00:03:51.200 And ultimately, I will compare it to Godrex and Felix, which contains a lot of banter, a lot of humor, their dialogues, Godrex's constant humorous dismissal of everything that is created by manlings.
00:04:07.660 Manlings, so men.
00:04:09.560 Very fun, but ultimately, these two guys are forces of nature.
00:04:13.500 And you can relate to them and it's serious in different matter, even though it's a humorous fantasy book.
00:04:19.760 So, in terms of enjoyment, I, yeah, I read this and I enjoyed it all.
00:04:27.820 You know, I looked forward to reading it.
00:04:30.340 This, I had to force myself to read 110 pages.
00:04:33.720 Then I quit because I, you know, yeah, 100 pages was enough.
00:04:38.180 But I don't want to read a thousand pages of a parody and Don Quixote going around, going around, being made a fool out of.
00:04:47.600 So, it's not something I enjoy.
00:04:49.980 And, yeah, I think I've said enough on that.
00:04:53.400 However, I will say, though, that this particular edition is full of notes, footnotes.
00:04:59.420 So, you will get a lot of information by just reading it.
00:05:03.320 So, if you are, if you want a good understanding of Spanish history, etc., yeah, it's a good starting point.
00:05:08.740 And, yeah, just random page here.
00:05:12.140 Footnote.
00:05:13.440 Tarquinius Superbus was the last king of Rome, a horrible despot.
00:05:18.180 Etc., etc.
00:05:19.040 So, you have a lot of these references to other cultural things.
00:05:23.300 Sort of similar as to Moby Dick.
00:05:25.360 You see these constant references to other things, which is nice.
00:05:29.300 Something else here, a reference to Jupiter, or Zeus in Greek, was a supreme Roman god.
00:05:36.000 So, you see a lot of these things.
00:05:38.480 I don't know how other editions are, but in that context, I think this was good, at least.
00:05:43.100 But, anyway, I know I don't feel good by saying I don't enjoy it, but at the same time, I don't want to be pretentious.
00:05:53.320 Same thing as I said when I talked about Moby Dick.
00:05:55.640 I don't want to pretend to like things just because they are a Western classic.
00:06:00.440 And it pains me, of course, if I am supposed to be a patron of Western art.
00:06:05.500 But now I have admitted that I'm in fact not.
00:06:09.160 I prefer newer things.
00:06:11.420 But, you know, a book being a classic, it doesn't entitle it to being enjoyable.
00:06:15.720 Simple as that.
00:06:16.800 And for me, if I want to recommend something, I don't want someone to spend so much time reading through this when they can read through something else that can give them motivation to hit the gym or something.
00:06:29.960 And that is also a comparison.
00:06:32.660 Usually when I read books, it's to gain unique insights about a certain topic or it is to gain motivation to make either epic videos or to hit the gym or to train martial arts, etc.
00:06:45.680 So I want to gain something.
00:06:47.060 I want to get a cool visual imprint in my mind, then act upon it.
00:06:52.420 So I view it as training motivation.
00:06:54.160 And if I compare this to this, yeah, this makes me want to hit the gym, to be a force of nature.
00:07:01.300 This doesn't.
00:07:02.460 This is just me sitting on the sideline laughing at a poor fellow.
00:07:07.900 And now I do feel horrible for not enjoying it.
00:07:11.120 But it is what it is.
00:07:12.200 I'm not going to pretend to enjoy certain culture when I do, in fact, not.
00:07:17.860 And I can't in good conscience recommend something for most people.
00:07:22.540 Then again, I do recommend it if you want a good introduction to Spanish literature.
00:07:27.080 And again, it has survived for 500 years and it's been one of the most sold books ever.
00:07:32.260 So it's probably me who is special here.
00:07:36.040 Most people will probably enjoy it.
00:07:37.840 But for me, I just have to be honest, I didn't enjoy it.
00:07:41.000 Now on a similar topic regarding heroes, I talked about Malus Darkblade in a recent video.
00:07:47.920 You can check it out.
00:07:48.640 It's a forest video log, so I'm sure you will enjoy it.
00:07:52.720 And I say there that, you know, Malus Darkblade is an anti-hero.
00:07:56.400 He's a villain.
00:07:57.840 He's thoroughly vicious.
00:08:00.100 But at the same time, he is a force of nature.
00:08:03.340 It contains a lot of humorous elements.
00:08:05.760 But ultimately, he is someone who can take what he wants.
00:08:09.700 And you can sort of relate to his struggle for power, at least.
00:08:14.260 So you can sort of envision yourself as him in a certain way.
00:08:19.200 Of course, he's supremely vicious, as I said.
00:08:21.600 So you can't really relate on a moral level.
00:08:23.800 But at least on some sort of level, at least.
00:08:28.640 Same thing, of course, here.
00:08:30.140 Two forces of nature that goes around doing epic deeds.
00:08:33.840 And I've started reading the second Witcher book.
00:08:38.220 I read the first book very good.
00:08:40.420 I will make a separate review on this because I have a few things to say.
00:08:45.100 But basically, no matter what the book contains, this is also about a powerful protagonist.
00:08:52.400 And you don't always need to have a powerful protagonist.
00:08:57.980 I've read some books by C.J. Samson, the Shard Lake series.
00:09:02.080 I will make videos on those, too.
00:09:03.820 And that guy is actually a hunchback.
00:09:05.700 But he's still intelligent and he still gets the job done.
00:09:08.820 And he's still a professional.
00:09:11.000 So, point being, I do like a protagonist that is actually good at what he does.
00:09:17.620 Instead of just being the punchline of a joke.
00:09:22.480 Now, another thing I would just like to point out with this.
00:09:26.420 It contains three books and some short stories.
00:09:30.120 So it's an omnibus.
00:09:31.580 Troll Slayer, Skaven Slayer and Demon Slayer.
00:09:34.160 And the second book, Skaven Slayer, is an interesting thing that I might share with you.
00:09:41.880 So, Skaven are, as anyone who has played Total War or Warhammer, familiar with Ratman, basically.
00:09:48.960 It looks like this.
00:09:50.880 In the Empire.
00:09:52.780 An Empire being, basically, Germany during the 1600s in a fantasy setting.
00:09:59.260 So, the threat of the Skaven, so the Ratman of the Under Empire, it's a secret.
00:10:06.660 It's an open secret.
00:10:07.640 So, the authorities, they're actively trying to deny that there are any Skaven.
00:10:12.580 And if anyone says they exist, they are being labeled as a heretic and an outcast, basically.
00:10:19.160 They're being shunned and, you know, people distrust them, etc.
00:10:23.240 So, when our man Felix here is talking about it, he has to do it in hushed tones.
00:10:30.200 And when they are, they're patrolling the sewers because they are looking for a job.
00:10:35.100 So, they have to take it up and they encounter the Skaven.
00:10:38.980 Most people don't see Skaven and they think they are extinct.
00:10:44.000 But if you point their existence out and if you point out the threat they are posing to the Empire, yeah, you get shunned.
00:10:51.920 So, it's quite interesting parallel to, you know, pointing out dangers but being shunned because you do so.
00:11:01.240 I'm sure many of you can relate to such a thing.
00:11:04.780 So, anyway, enough of this rambling.
00:11:08.800 I just want to, yeah, I can recommend this if you are new to Warhammer.
00:11:13.220 It can be a good starting point.
00:11:14.380 If you are already familiar with Warhammer, it can be a good continuation.
00:11:18.580 So, yeah.
00:11:20.220 And, again, I'm sure you will enjoy this.
00:11:24.260 Good starting point for Spanish literature, of course.
00:11:28.200 But, I will be honest, I didn't enjoy it.
00:11:29.940 But that is just me.
00:11:31.620 If you have read Don Quixote and if you have any unique insights, yeah, feel free to comment below.
00:11:38.640 So, thank you for watching.
00:11:40.240 X-X-O.
00:11:40.720 X-X-O.
00:11:50.680 Thank you.