The University’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese, in collaboration with the Latin American and Iberian Institute, is holding readings of the renowned Spanish novel “Don Quixote”, which celebrates its fourth centennial anniversary this year.

"Anthony Cardenas, professor and chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, as well as a volunteer participating in the reading of “Don Quixote”, said he encourages students to attend the readings of one of the best-selling novels of all time.

“I feel everyone should attend the reading, and the reason for that is it’s one of the greatest works ever written,” Cardenas said. “It is full of joy, full of life. Just brilliant.”

The readings will take place every day this week in Ortega Hall’s room 335 in Spanish, and at the third floor lounge in Ortega Hall in English between noon and 8 p.m.

In addition to the reading, on Friday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. there will be guest speakers taking part in the Symposium of “Don Quixote”.

Professor Tatevik Gyulamiryan from Hope College will be presenting the discussion “Toward a Poetics of Re-accentuation: The Image of Don Quixote in European and American Novels” at the SUB. Prof. Isabel Jaén-Portillo of the University of Portland will be discussing “Emotion and Human Development in Cervantes’ Don Quixote: The Case of Sancho Panza” at the Santa Anna A & B room of the SUB.

Cardenas said “Don Quixote” is a parody of a genre centered around knighthood and fantasy that was very popular at the time it was released.

“There were all kinds of books about different knights that publishers would produce to make sales,” he said. “There are all kinds of dwarfs, kings, magic rings, giants — magic everywhere.”

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