I listened to the book over the course of 9 months - I could not listen from cover to cover as each vignette has a similar rise and fall in action and our heroes remain true to the course, meaning that the narration is not full of cliff-hangers or binge-inducing developments. And this steady, dependable, fascinating narrative is one of the things I love most about the book.

I think I do love this book - it’s funny, clever, kind, and predictable and non-violent and moral and I will read it again in a decade or two. And did I say it is clever, it is masterful in its cleverness. Sublime and divine.

In celebration of the shared 400th anniversaries of the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes, many great writers contributed short stories honoring them both. ‘Lovers and Lunatics’ is a great collection in its own right and it begs the castaway question. Today, if I were to get stuck on a dessert island with just one book, ‘Don Quixote’ may just be the one.

Companionship for Sancho and readers alike.