Don Quixote Topic Tracking: Metafiction

Volume 1, Prologue

Metafiction 1: Cervante's friend advises him on how to make the book Don Quijote look like other tales of chivalry.

Volume 1, Chapter 6

Metafiction 2: During the inquisition of Don Quijote's books, they come upon Galatea by Cervantes and deem it worthy of existence.

Volume 1, Chapter 9

Metafiction 3: The narrator finds another source. At a marketplace in Toledo he finds an old notebook entitled History of Don Quijote de La Mancha, written by Sidi Hamid Benengeli.

Volume 1, Chapter 28

Metafiction 4: The narrator tries to hard sell the readers into liking the additional tales and digressions he has added.

Volume 1, Chapter 47

Metafiction 5: The innkeeper gives the priest another short story from the trunk entitled "Rinconete and Cortadillo." (Although, it is not mentioned in the book, this is another story by Cervantes.)

Metafiction 6: The cathedral priest points out that these books of chivalry don't even attempt to follow their own plot lines, let alone any rules of fiction writing. The priest points out that the genre has potential as its form easily lends itself to fiction.

Volume 1, Chapter 52

Metafiction 7: The author states that although he currently has no information on Don Quijote's third foray into the world as a knight errant; some documents have been found that have been given to a professor to decipher who plans to release his findings very soon.

Volume 2, Prologue

Metafiction 8: Cervantes compares Avellaneda's attempt at making a book (pseudonym of author of ersatz Volume Two) to that of a lunatic who blew up dogs by inserting a musical pipe into their anuses.

Volume 2, Chapter 2

Metafiction 9: Sancho tells Don Quijote the news; that the story of the adventures has been published.

Volume 2, Chapter 3

Metafiction 10: Carrasco criticizes the inclusion of the short story "The Story of the Man Who Couldn't Keep from Prying" in Sidi Hamid's book.

Volume 2, Chapter 4

Metafiction 11: Sancho explains that the confusion over the donkey was the historian's or printer's fault.

Volume 2, Chapter 24

Metafiction 12: The translator mentions that Sidi Hamid had doubts about the veracity of the Montesino Cave experience Don Quijote claimed to have had. Rumor has it that he confessed to making it up while on his deathbed.

Volume 2, Chapter 44

Metafiction 13: Sidi Hamid writes that he will not include additional stories in this second volume due to readers' complaints.

Volume 2, Chapter 59

Metafiction 14: Don Quijote points out Avellaneda's bad judgment in bad-mouthing Cervantes.

Metafiction 15: Don Quijote finds out that Avellaneda lied and wrote that Don Quijote had already competed at the tournaments at Zaragoza. He and Sancho go to Barcelona instead to prove this author is a liar.

Volume 2, Chapter 61

Metafiction 16: Uniformed riders welcome Don Quijote into Barcelona and specify that they are welcoming only Don Quijote of Volume One -- not the ersatz Don Quijote of the second volume.

Volume 2, Chapter 62

Metafiction 17: Don Quijote enters a print shop and finds them proofreading Avellaneda's Volume Two and expresses surprise that it is still in print -- he heard they'd all been burned!

Volume 2, Chapter 70

Metafiction 18: Altisidora says that she only reached the gates of hell. She saw devils playing racquetball with books puffed up like balls with hot air and garbage. One of the devils recognized the ersatz second volume to Don Quijote and told the other devil to throw it down to the deepest pit of Hell so he'd never have to see it again!

Volume 2, Chapter 74

Metafiction 19: Sidi Hamid insults Avellaneda and warns him to let his Don Quijote rest in peace. Sidi Hamid says he is happy and at peace now since he has shown people how ridiculous the books of chivalry are.