Books and I share a love-hate relationship, it's more like a marriage, you can call me a polygamist in that sense because I'm literally married to them, all sorts of them, and I know this relation is going to last a life time.
Well, love comes into picture when I see those beautifully shelved hard-covered or paperback editions of those great works of literature adorning a study, a library or a book shop, my mood is instantly elevated, I rush to them, I touch them, I feel them, I smell them, and lovingly I turn the pages...
And about hating them.... how could I.... it's true that sometimes I'm so tired with the piles and piles of them that I've to finish within a deadline that I don't feel like touching them for months, but ultimately I've to get back to them.... they are my only solace after all.
So, the reason I'm talking of books and my love for them is, other day I came across this Book Reading Challenge 2011by Book Readers Lounge, though I came to know about it very late, but as the theme was one of my favourites 'INDIA' I decided to mention about it. It can include any books with plot based in India, or any work of a writer of Indian origin, so, I thought I would just list my favourite ones down here, don't have time to write a review so, I'll just quote some of my favourite sentences from that book or give a synopsis, or just give you one simple reason to read the book or the author
1) An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
I'll be biased and begin with my the favourite one... An Equal Music
Set in the background of three beautiful European cities...London, Vienna and Venice is this amazingly soul stirring musical love story which you might finish reading once, but, it will forever keep echoing into your mind like a beautiful piece of music....You may not like the story, you may not fall in love with the characters, but you won't be able to deny it's beauty. For me it's a personal treasure, in me personal copy, by the side of the poem written by the author addressing his partner, there is a sentence written by me in the honor of this beautiful book
2) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lehri and the other likes (videshi stories of deshis)
Read it for the very feel of understanding the joy, the amusement and the inner conflict of adapting to a completely different culture and country. The silent and unacknowledged pain of being uprooted and then re-rooted to a place where you actually don't belong to. This very work of hers represents not only her other works like Unaccustomed Earth but also, works of many other abroad settled Indian authors whose work are mostly based on the torn feeling of belonging and not belonging to world....
3) Read Ruskin
I won't name a particular book of his, because they are so many and they are all so wonderful. He is one English man who is more Indian than anyone else I feel. \
Read his books, just for the joy of enjoying simplicity, there are hardly works in literature those are so simple and yet so successful.
Read his books to simply turn the pages in a lazy afternoon and laugh at his anecdotes.
Read his books to enjoy the beautiful summers of the hills of Himanchal.
If you haven't read him yet, then you surely are missing something.
here is one of my favourite pieces written by him :
Remember the long ago when we lay together
In a pain of tenderness and counted
Our dreams: long summer afternoons
When the whistling-thrush released
A deep sweet secret on the trembling air;
Blackbird on the wing, bird of the forest shadows,
Black rose in the long ago summer,
This was your song:
It isn't time that's passing by,
It is you and I.
( that's all for now, have got much more to share, but the books are calling again and now I need to turn some pages....)
Well, love comes into picture when I see those beautifully shelved hard-covered or paperback editions of those great works of literature adorning a study, a library or a book shop, my mood is instantly elevated, I rush to them, I touch them, I feel them, I smell them, and lovingly I turn the pages...
And about hating them.... how could I.... it's true that sometimes I'm so tired with the piles and piles of them that I've to finish within a deadline that I don't feel like touching them for months, but ultimately I've to get back to them.... they are my only solace after all.
So, the reason I'm talking of books and my love for them is, other day I came across this Book Reading Challenge 2011by Book Readers Lounge, though I came to know about it very late, but as the theme was one of my favourites 'INDIA' I decided to mention about it. It can include any books with plot based in India, or any work of a writer of Indian origin, so, I thought I would just list my favourite ones down here, don't have time to write a review so, I'll just quote some of my favourite sentences from that book or give a synopsis, or just give you one simple reason to read the book or the author
1) An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
I'll be biased and begin with my the favourite one... An Equal Music
Set in the background of three beautiful European cities...London, Vienna and Venice is this amazingly soul stirring musical love story which you might finish reading once, but, it will forever keep echoing into your mind like a beautiful piece of music....You may not like the story, you may not fall in love with the characters, but you won't be able to deny it's beauty. For me it's a personal treasure, in me personal copy, by the side of the poem written by the author addressing his partner, there is a sentence written by me in the honor of this beautiful book
" whenever I feel so very torn.... I come to you,
as you console me so beautifully... that I'm not the only one"
2) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lehri and the other likes (videshi stories of deshis)
Read it for the very feel of understanding the joy, the amusement and the inner conflict of adapting to a completely different culture and country. The silent and unacknowledged pain of being uprooted and then re-rooted to a place where you actually don't belong to. This very work of hers represents not only her other works like Unaccustomed Earth but also, works of many other abroad settled Indian authors whose work are mostly based on the torn feeling of belonging and not belonging to world....
3) Read Ruskin
I won't name a particular book of his, because they are so many and they are all so wonderful. He is one English man who is more Indian than anyone else I feel. \
Read his books, just for the joy of enjoying simplicity, there are hardly works in literature those are so simple and yet so successful.
Read his books to simply turn the pages in a lazy afternoon and laugh at his anecdotes.
Read his books to enjoy the beautiful summers of the hills of Himanchal.
If you haven't read him yet, then you surely are missing something.
here is one of my favourite pieces written by him :
Remember the long ago when we lay together
In a pain of tenderness and counted
Our dreams: long summer afternoons
When the whistling-thrush released
A deep sweet secret on the trembling air;
Blackbird on the wing, bird of the forest shadows,
Black rose in the long ago summer,
This was your song:
It isn't time that's passing by,
It is you and I.
( that's all for now, have got much more to share, but the books are calling again and now I need to turn some pages....)
Ruskin Bond is more Indian than many Indians. So true, all his stories have that Indian touch that even most of the now emerging writers are lacking. His stories of the hills are so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to reading, I am just a toddler right now, learning to breathe them in, the books.
Cheers,
Blasphemous Aesthete
I love the Nameshake . Being asian and raising a daughter in USA , nameshake speaks my life .
ReplyDeletemy other favourites includes
1) inheritance of loss
2) the white tiger