The Book Tag
24/02/2006I was reading Shruthi’s post on Books the other day, when it dawned that I too should write on that topic. So yes, this is what you would call a “self-tagged†post. But in addition to merely answering the questions I wanted this post to be a journey back in time, recollecting the books that I’ve read and made a difference in my life.
1. What is the total number of books you’ve owned?
To answer this question I would have to travel back in time to those years when Tinkle and Champak cost Rs 1/-. Yes, I have been reading books since then – I refuse to call Tinkle or Champak as comics because at the age I read them, they were no lesser than a book to me, however illustrated or otherwise. My dad’s membership to a book library only helped fuel my interest further. I still remember reading stories about adventures of a Native American Indian (I forget his name now), and an illustrated story about penguins in Antartica. Then there was this book which had cool cutouts which would enlarge to form a picture with a story as opened each page – I was pretty obsessed about that too.
Coming back to the question, without going into overdrive about my changing reading patters of my youth, I think I can safely say that I have / own literally thousands of books. I am not kidding here. We once had a huge metal box (usually used to transport household items and stuff in a big box together) which had just books in them.
Its funny, having read that much in life, I am still not a good writer by any means; I never scored great in English either. I make a lot of grammatical errors in my sentences, and very often I don’t express myself clearly. Clearly, reading is one thing – writing is another.
2. What is the last book you bought?
For a guy who’s read so much, it’s a pity that in the last year, I read just 5 books, and the last book I read happens to be “Veronica Decides to Die†by Paul Coehlo.
3. What is the last book you’ve read?
I just finished Calvin and Hobbes Volume 2 and Tintin in Tibet for the umpteenth time
4. What are you currently reading?
Now I am in middle of Calvin and Hobbes Volume 3. I am also in middle of The Calculus Affair
5. What are the 5 books that have meant a lot to you or that you particularly enjoyed?
Well, over the years I admit there have been awful lots of books that have affected me in one way or another, and perhaps 5 would be a small list to justify them. However I will try to recall as many as possible here.
One of the books that always stayed in my mind is The Almighty by Irving Wallace; it was probably my introduction to my grey’s anatomy of the human body, specifically the interesting parts of the fairer sex. Often I would find myself reading a scene and then quickly scanning the dictionary for words that I didn’t understand & its associated meanings, and then try to picture the scene. I must say at thirteen years of age, this was interesting awakening of sorts. So yes, this book is what introduced me to a whole new world, and probably will rank as a book that changed me.
I read The Class (Erich Segal) at the right time in my life, and that’s why it has been a very special book to me. I read it just before I joined engineering hostel and stayed alone in hostel with strangers. Even though the settings were quite mismatched between Havard and Hubli, the feelings remained the same. The first time I read it then, it was a book about friendship and loyalty to me. When I re-read it again, it was about many things – the rage of youth, the courage to rediscover oneself, and the power of success. The next time I read it, it was a story of life and how it treated you at different point in life and the ironies of life. Then again when I read it, I learnt to be in touch with people, for life just passes you by. Its one of the rare books I have read multiple times in life, and each of those times, I have always thought of myself as Andrew Eliot. To that end, I confess there are many a things about Andrew Eliot which do resemble me.
Then there was Love Story (Erich Segal again) a book of 128 pages, and a book I must have read as many times. Every time I have been left with the question – “How can a story be this simple and carry it off?†Its inarguably the greatest love story ever told because it’s the most simplest one there is. The magical dialogues between Jenny and Oliver have stayed etched in my mind since then – in fact, if I had put one word I am looking for a woman in my life, it would be Jenny from this book. I hate mush, and I hate corny love stories, and I sincerely hate all the pink, but this is a book that has always managed to bring me a smile.
And then there was Parva – A book that changed my conception to such an extent that reading has never been the same again. Never. I have always been fond of Mahabhartha, but way it was extrapolated into story of real people not only astounded me, but led me to do a rethink of my own self. Its not an easy book to devour, but the end of it, it emptied me – the descriptions of the war, the birth of Pandavas, the turmoil of Draupadi – everybody has a shade of grey, and speaks aloud in the book. Its not that this book moved me or changed me personally that stands out for me, but the fact a book can be so powerful that it can alter your reading forever amazes me. Post Parva, I have hardly come across a book that can compare.
Then there a few books which I have had immense joy of reading and having enjoyed – few of them being Gitangali, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the time of Cholera, Midnight’s Children, The Satanic Verses, The Uprooted, Congo, Jurassic Park, The God of Small Things, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Curtain, Murder on the Orient Express, Engaging India and so many others.
6. What book(s) would you wish to buy next?
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
7. What book(s) caught your attention but you never had a chance to read?
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance
8. What book(s) have you owned for long but never read?
The fountainhead and Atlast Shrugged – every time I feel I have read the worst book in my life, I look to these two books and smile, for there is worse. And I think Ayn Rand was a stupid old prick. Oh yes, I have tried to read both the books twice, and each time I have been put off by some excruciating writing and senseless viewpoints.
9. Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why
Nah. This was a personal post. No tagging – if you feel like writing on this after me, please do so! And please do leave link back here so that I can read it – in any case my “friends†page will tell me if you don’t either 
Happy reading.
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