Reading Groups

Tilting at Windmills: Reading Don Quixote with Samuel Rutter

8 Sessions Mondays, 6:30 pm EDT - 8:00 pm EDT February 9 to May 18, 2026

Online via Zoom

Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes, Edith Grossman

This reading group is now sold out. Please email [email protected] to join the waitlist—and become a member for early access to future programming.

Price:
$360 Without Books | $385.04 With Books

The ‘With Books’ option includes the title required for this group at a 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
2/9, 2/23, 3/9, 3/23, 4/6, 4/20, 5/4, 5/18
Online via Zoom

One could argue that Don Quixote is where the modern novel all started—and we’ll discuss just that in this reading group. Ribald, raucous, and even a little recondite, it remains one of the most influential books in Western literature. Is Quixote a picaresque buddy comedy, a postmodern masterpiece, or a mannered chivalric novel? The answer to all those questions is yes!

Whether you’re returning to an old favorite or tackling this tome for the first time, you’ll have the chance to take your time. We’ll aim to stay close to the text itself, but we’ll also take the opportunity to discuss the novel’s influences and legacies, from short stories to movies and beyond. There are many translations out there, but we’ll be working from Edith Grossman’s version, so that we’re all on the same page. Each meeting requires approximately 120 pages of reading.

Reading List: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read chapters 1 through 14 in advance of the first meeting.

What to expect from this reading group: This course will be conversational and reader-driven. No expert knowledge is assumed, first-time knights errant are welcome, and all questions will be appreciated. There will be no required reading besides the book itself, but we’ll occasionally share articles and links and take an expansive approach to the novel’s legacy and influences.

Pricing inclusive of sales tax if applicable. Please note: All virtual classes are recorded. Please click here for information about our recording policy.

Led by

Samuel Rutter

Samuel Rutter

Samuel Rutter is a writer and translator from Melbourne, Australia. His work can be found in Harper’s magazine, the Paris Review, and the Telegraph, and he is a regular contributor to T: The New York Times Style Magazine. He is the editor-in-chief of Kismet, a new literary magazine of religion, spirituality, and mysticism.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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