There could be loads and loads to write in this section. I’ve put here a few random things. I’d love to put some Hindi stuff too, but typing is the problem.
P.G.Wodehouse :All his books start from the same point, plough through
similar plot and end similarly. If you have read one, you’ve read them
all. And
even if you have read them all , you’ll be left craving for more.
Wodehouse has this uncanny ability to juggle with
the language which never exhausts itself.
My most favourite literary piece.It's impossible to selectively leave out
even a single sentence out of this monumental speech by Emerson, but I'm trying
to present one small part of it.
…The writer is a just and wise spirit: henceforward it is settled that
the book is
perfect; as love of the hero corrupts into worship of his statue. Instantly
the book
becomes noxious; the guide is a tyrant. The sluggish and perverted
mind of the
multitude, slow to open to the incursion of the reason, having once
so opened,
having once received this book, stands upon it and makes an outcry
if it is
disparaged. Colleges are built on it, books are written on it by thinkers,
not by
man thinking; by men of talent, that is, who start wrong, who set out
from
accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles. Meek young
men grow
up in libraries, believing in their duty to accept the views which
Cicero, which
Locke, which bacon, have given, forgetful of the fact that Cicero,
Locke , and
bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books.
Hence,
instead of man thinking, we have book worms.
…I had better not see a book than to be warped by its attraction clean
out of my
orbit, and made a satellite instead of a system.
...this writing is blood –warm. Man is surprised to find that things
near are not
less beautiful and wondorous than the things remote. The near explains
the
far.The drop is a small ocean....
An incredibly lucid and engaging book, A Brief History of Time pans the history of universe as understood by men and provides a brilliant insight into evolution of modern science, and also the daring brilliance of the scientists that shaped it. However, it makes for a great unputdownable reading , with lasting relish.
The reference book for once extremely popular stream of psychology- Transactional Analysis(TA).the do-it-yourself approach of this system coupled with its powerful tools make this book a must-read. Ditto with I’M OK YOU’RE OK (Thomas A. Harris)and BORN TO WIN.Togather , these book form the core of TA and help you analyze the patterns and motives behind actions (Transactions) of people (yourself included-beware !). The catch is- Naming the game can become a dangerous game by itself.
Even though written by two non Indians , Freedom At Midnight gives a most passionate account of the final years of Indian freedom movement , the principles of the heroes of this struggle ,and the trauma of partition.You will Seldom come across a book that talks so passionately and yet so earnestly about our unique freedom movement A must read for every Indian.
Interestingly,this on is almost a fairy-tale. I like it for its stylish rendering.
It was a part of
Rand’s first novel ‘We The Living’ but was removed by the authoress
during
editing. You can find it in ‘The Early Ayn Rand’. This book includes
early,
unpublished pieces by Rand and shows the amazing pace at which she
mastered the language, being a Russian. My favourite work by
Rand is
‘The Fountainhead’. Despite the pedantic style and some Parent-Child
manipulation (care for some PAC ?) her ideas hit you
just as strong as they are
meant to .
Don’t miss this one. It epitomizes the power of Hindi satyr. An incredibly incisive and lucid commentary on life in small town India. An unputdownable read, Raag Darbari won a Jnanpith* award years ago and still is as contemporary as today’s newspaper, only much deeper in dimensions.
(*if you are wondering, this is the official spelling for what we pronounce 'Gyanpith Awards')
Not quite a Hindi novel, it is a translation from Gujrati,and another award winner.A moving tale .Watch out for the (hopefully)forthcoming movie-‘Jadh’ . If it’s anywhere near as good as the book , it would be something .
This is storytelling at its charming best.The book is set up against the backdrop of 40’s Punjab and a bunch of happy -go- lucky youths, trapped in the turmoil of their times. Written so lucidly that it rolls out like a film on a grand canvas , with all its vivid and vibrant colors. Also check out another great book by Balwant Singh-‘CHAK PEERE KA JASSA’.
All the delectable sweetness of Urdu and great humour . there are lessons in everything from algebra,
to
science ,to history. And at the end of the chapters are some weird questions to answer.If you liked the tele-serial PHATICHAR, you’ll love
this book.
**Hungry for more in Hindi. Please suggest some Hindi books which are written on a positive note, where eloquence is not an excuse for printing frustration.
[All absolute links in the links page]