Jason
What to say about Don Quixote that hasn't already been said many, many times already? I suppose the thing that struck me most about the book was Cervantes's extreme self awareness. You are constantly being reminded that you are, in fact, reading a novel, almost to the point where one could argue that Cervantes was the first postmodern novelist. The concept in Part II of having it take place after Part I had been released, and characters knew of Don Quixote from reading his histories, as well as his focus on the fake Quixote in the latter part of Part II is genius. It's also hilarious, packing jokes and wordplay (that most often, sadly, do not translate into English very well) in every chapter. And although it isn't the most emotionally charged book of all time, it still stirred me as it all was coming to a close. As for downsides, the novel can be meandering at times, and go on for pages without very much introspection/physical events actually occurring, and most of the novel is fairly cut and dry. However, this novel is a must-read for anyone that wants to understand the Western Canon, or just wants to read a very good classic.
On the surface, this is an enjoyable little classic book, full of twist and turns, eccentric characters, and conflict galore. However, dig a little deeper, and it is a nightmarish novel of ideas, covering topics like the game that is politics (obviously), the horror of remorse along with the madness caused by it, and the difficulty of keeping the personal separate from the professional. Conrad's concepts, which were pretty original at the time of publication, are still striking today. For me, the personal philosophies of the Professor were intriguing to say the least. Definitely worth the read.
The focus on genealogy is frustrating, to the point where it make me wish I could be reading the Bible. I understand that it's simply supposed to be a brief overview of the major mythological events in Ancient Greece, but it's seriously dry and somehow makes Heracles' fight with the hydra a slog. Go read Hesiod's Theogony. You'll save yourself some time.