It’s been a really long time since my last post on my blogspot. And with good reason too! I have been busy working, actually working, earning my salary and losing my sanity at the same time.
Anyway, coming to the point of this post, I have been trying to read several books at the same time and have come to the conclusion that it’s not a very good habit to develop. I should really concentrate on just one book at a time. And I am going to start by completing R K Laxman's "Malgudi Adventures".
But before that, a quick snapshot of what all I have been reading at the same time.
My wife bought me a couple of books at the Crossword sale sometime back. One of them was the winner of the Reader’s Choice Awards on indiaplaza.in, titled “If God was a Banker” and the other was a double feature chick-flick type chick-lit novel that has left me dizzy. The titles are – hold your breath – Dairies of a Manhattan Call girl and Dairies of a Married Call Girl.
This is what happens when you ask your wife to put a finger on a book from a stack of miscellaneous books and promise to finish the wretched thing. In my case, my wife didn’t read the title, didn’t read the snapshot, nothing. All she saw was a pretty pink colour book that had me cringing almost immediately. I then wondered what on earth had possessed me to dare her to pick a book when she hates to read books in the first place.
Anyway, I have managed to finish the first part with great difficulty and am dreading to start on the next chapter of this woman’s life.
Now, coming to “If God was a Banker”, which won the Reader’s Choice Award at the Indiaplaza Golden Quill awards. This is one steamy and racy novel that has all the elements needed to make a successful Hindi movie pot boiler as it races across continents and traces the amazing journey of 2 very different individuals and their climb to the top of the banking world.
I liked this book a lot. Even though it is predictable and has several instances of how people use to categorize South Indian & North Indian habits and attitudes, it was an interesting read. Some of these habits may hold true today, but I think that the author stretches it a little too far, considering that he too, is a South Indian.
Then there is Richard Branson’s autobiography – Losing my virginity. The book is a heavy read which surprised me considering the fact that Richard Branson is best know for his brand of flair and showmanship. It just goes to show the hard work involved behind the scenes of being one of the most popular, flamboyant & influential businessmen in the world today. Add to the fact that the media just loves to make a circus out of the successes & failures of a public figure, Richard Branson seems to carry off everhting he does with panache. (I had mentioned in an earlier post that my friend had bought this for me for my birthday, but never bothered giving it to me. I finally got it from him some time ago.)
But, the real point of posting this blog (after having rambled on for so long), is that I also started reading R K Laxman’s – Malgudi Adventures. And I have loved every story that I have read till now. (This book is courtesy of the gift voucher I received from my sister for Rakhi.)
The book conjures up wonderful visions of the fictional town of Malgudi and the endearing characters that touch you with their simplicity. The book manages to cover the various human emotions, myriad qualities of the characters that seem to be drawn on inspirations from every day life. These characters and stories are just as relevant now as they were when he wrote the book.
Here is a man whose skills as a story teller are unmatchable. With simple words and easy to read prose, he captures the imagination of a reader. He weaves a picture with his every word and yet manages to capture every little detail without having to ramble on endlessly. (Quite the opposite of what I have been doing so far.).
I love people who can keep things simple and yet be effective at the same time. It’s like an artist who does not need several brush strokes to capture the beauty of a scene or an athlete whose moves are uncomplicated and minimal, but supremely effective.
R K Laxman’s writings were captured during the 80’s on television through the series called “Malgudi Days” This featured his most popular piece of work “Swami and Friends” and several other stories which captured the very essence of Malgudi.
The series itself was just as enjoyable as the book. The detailing that the producers went through during production was wonderful and made the characters come alive on the screen, probably the very manner in which the author would have imagined them to be.
Anyway, the book has excerpts of his most popular works and I am looking at now buying the complete novels and making a collection of his books. It would be a worthwhile exercise and would definitely add to my repertoire of information of “How to be a better story teller and entertain people”
As I have mentioned on several occasions in the past to friends, my main aim in life is to someday become a really good storyteller. And while I may not be able to match the skill of an R K Laxman, I shall continue to make a serious attempt to polish my storytelling skills through this blog.
PS: I do have a copy of his other book “The Vendor of Sweets” gifted to me by a friend who first introduced me to R K Laxman’s work. It’s just as beautiful and simple and interesting a read.
Anyway, coming to the point of this post, I have been trying to read several books at the same time and have come to the conclusion that it’s not a very good habit to develop. I should really concentrate on just one book at a time. And I am going to start by completing R K Laxman's "Malgudi Adventures".
But before that, a quick snapshot of what all I have been reading at the same time.
My wife bought me a couple of books at the Crossword sale sometime back. One of them was the winner of the Reader’s Choice Awards on indiaplaza.in, titled “If God was a Banker” and the other was a double feature chick-flick type chick-lit novel that has left me dizzy. The titles are – hold your breath – Dairies of a Manhattan Call girl and Dairies of a Married Call Girl.
This is what happens when you ask your wife to put a finger on a book from a stack of miscellaneous books and promise to finish the wretched thing. In my case, my wife didn’t read the title, didn’t read the snapshot, nothing. All she saw was a pretty pink colour book that had me cringing almost immediately. I then wondered what on earth had possessed me to dare her to pick a book when she hates to read books in the first place.
Anyway, I have managed to finish the first part with great difficulty and am dreading to start on the next chapter of this woman’s life.
Now, coming to “If God was a Banker”, which won the Reader’s Choice Award at the Indiaplaza Golden Quill awards. This is one steamy and racy novel that has all the elements needed to make a successful Hindi movie pot boiler as it races across continents and traces the amazing journey of 2 very different individuals and their climb to the top of the banking world.
I liked this book a lot. Even though it is predictable and has several instances of how people use to categorize South Indian & North Indian habits and attitudes, it was an interesting read. Some of these habits may hold true today, but I think that the author stretches it a little too far, considering that he too, is a South Indian.
Then there is Richard Branson’s autobiography – Losing my virginity. The book is a heavy read which surprised me considering the fact that Richard Branson is best know for his brand of flair and showmanship. It just goes to show the hard work involved behind the scenes of being one of the most popular, flamboyant & influential businessmen in the world today. Add to the fact that the media just loves to make a circus out of the successes & failures of a public figure, Richard Branson seems to carry off everhting he does with panache. (I had mentioned in an earlier post that my friend had bought this for me for my birthday, but never bothered giving it to me. I finally got it from him some time ago.)
But, the real point of posting this blog (after having rambled on for so long), is that I also started reading R K Laxman’s – Malgudi Adventures. And I have loved every story that I have read till now. (This book is courtesy of the gift voucher I received from my sister for Rakhi.)
The book conjures up wonderful visions of the fictional town of Malgudi and the endearing characters that touch you with their simplicity. The book manages to cover the various human emotions, myriad qualities of the characters that seem to be drawn on inspirations from every day life. These characters and stories are just as relevant now as they were when he wrote the book.
Here is a man whose skills as a story teller are unmatchable. With simple words and easy to read prose, he captures the imagination of a reader. He weaves a picture with his every word and yet manages to capture every little detail without having to ramble on endlessly. (Quite the opposite of what I have been doing so far.).
I love people who can keep things simple and yet be effective at the same time. It’s like an artist who does not need several brush strokes to capture the beauty of a scene or an athlete whose moves are uncomplicated and minimal, but supremely effective.
R K Laxman’s writings were captured during the 80’s on television through the series called “Malgudi Days” This featured his most popular piece of work “Swami and Friends” and several other stories which captured the very essence of Malgudi.
The series itself was just as enjoyable as the book. The detailing that the producers went through during production was wonderful and made the characters come alive on the screen, probably the very manner in which the author would have imagined them to be.
Anyway, the book has excerpts of his most popular works and I am looking at now buying the complete novels and making a collection of his books. It would be a worthwhile exercise and would definitely add to my repertoire of information of “How to be a better story teller and entertain people”
As I have mentioned on several occasions in the past to friends, my main aim in life is to someday become a really good storyteller. And while I may not be able to match the skill of an R K Laxman, I shall continue to make a serious attempt to polish my storytelling skills through this blog.
PS: I do have a copy of his other book “The Vendor of Sweets” gifted to me by a friend who first introduced me to R K Laxman’s work. It’s just as beautiful and simple and interesting a read.
2 comments:
How come i haven't heard a word from you on any of the books Ash and i gifted you for Diwali man????
Hey! I have those books in the table beside my bed, but have not actively read them as yet. I will do so shortly and post about them as well.
PS: You came home before diwali and I treasure them a lot!
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