We, as individuals, must improve. We have to keep striving for more. One thing we can keep doing all throughout our life is learning.Dare to learn new things, to explore new possibilities, to rise above the rest and stand out among common men.
So it is with reading. The more you read, the more you know. That is unquestionable.Reading should not be limited to only one genre I used to be like that, reluctant to pick up any book except Sweet Valley series or Fear Street books. Then I realized what a big mistake I was doing and started making myself look beyond the plastic smiles of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield (the characters of SV) and opened up my world to Naipaul, Vikram Seth, R.K.Narayan, Tagore, Emily Bronte, Yann Martel and the likes. And what a wonderful world it turned into.
I traverse this world of ink on paper,
With nothing but myself.*
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Scene 1
A few days ago, I was floating on the Pacific Ocean, stuck sharing a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orang utan and a 350 pound Bengal tiger. Now, thanks to the clashing ecosystems and the empty bellies of the animals, I am all alone except for the mentioned Bengal tiger. His name is Richard Parker, and he is big. Not to mention long, strong and powerful. I say my prayers to Allah, Jesus and Krishna and hope that he remains under the tarpaulin for another day. After a while, I decide that I have to put him to sleep permanently. Half an hour of brainstorming and yet no plan. What am I to do? Go at him with a hatchet in each hand and a knife between my teeth? Poke him with straight and curving sewing needles? How the hell do you poke a Bengal tiger to death anyway? Sigh. My situation is patently hopeless. I miss my family. I burst into great, big, choking sobs and weep hopelessly as Richard Parker looks on complacently.
Scene 2
I am in India. I tread on the Indian soil blanketing the river banks of the Sarayu and search desperately for a glimpse of my green saree clad sweetheart, Malathi. Searching, searching… found! Ah, there she is. Should I try and catch her eye? No, I don’t want to embarrass her. I walk down the river bank and walk right past her. As I walk by her, I throw a quick look behind my right shoulder as if looking for someone behind me. That gaze was intended to steal another look at her. But it was too fast, so fast that she was just a green blur. Days later, being the innocent, naïve person I am, I tell my parents. Astrologers are called in to check our horoscopes. Alas, the horoscopes don’t match. I don’t care but my orthodox parents believe in that inexact art. Curse the unpredictable, fake, undependable, irritating, inaccurate art of astrology! Now what am I to do?
Scene 3
Hey, it’s the 18th century. Somewhere in another part of the world, Beethoven must be busy composing music. As for me, I am waiting for Heathcliff. He is such a strange fellow, that Heathcliff, yet so passionate, so moody, so inexplicably sexy that I can’t help falling in love with him. Linton is out to church. I am sick, very sick. Heathcliff is in the garden. Ignoring Ellen Dean, he comes up to see me. Ellen Dean watches on as I receive him. He speaks harsh words, yet his words are beautiful, selfishly beautiful. I love him. How I long for the days of our youth, where we would roam wild on the moors
Scene 4
The tinkering piano keys feel cool under my moving fingers. I am going deaf, I think. As if in reply, the faint sound of the piano, too soft than it should be considering the pressure of my fingers, reach my straining ears. My thoughts linger for a while on my deafness until the music fades even more, further reinforcing my deafness. Then I move on to think about Michael. A gifted violinist. I miss making music with him. I miss hearing his Tononi sing while my piano accompanies. Why oh why did he have to leave Vienna? Was Carl Shell really all that unbearable? Was I not worth staying on for? I keep playing as tears wet my face.
Scene 5
Last night was the best night of my life. Michael Moscovitz kissed me. Oh my God! He doesn’t look at me as his little sister’s best friend. I tell you, that’s one good thing Grandmere has made me do. She was SO RIGHT to make me go to that dance. Dad says if I don’t stop talking about Michael, he is going up to sit with the pilot for the whole flight. Grandmere says she can’t get over the change in me. I know what it is. It is not love, well not entirely. It is: self actualization. Well that and the fact that I am a princess. Coz I’m living happily ever after.
Have I got you confused? Isn’t this supposed to be five best books? Well yes, it is. My explanation is this. When I read a really good book, I slip out of the Praveena shell and go into the character’s character and see the book from a first person perspective. It would be like I would be in the situation, in the scene described in the book. And I go about each book in the same manner, changing myself to adapt to the setting. Kind of like a chameleon, don’t you think?
So, out of the multitude of scenes I have put myself into in those 5 fave books of mine, I handpicked 5 scenes. I wrote out those special 5 scenes as seen from the characters point of view, using certain words from the books but mostly my own words, and my own interpretation of the situation.
Scene 1 is from Life of Pi by Yann Martel. ** It’s a fantastic book, very inspiring. Its about the strength of human spirit and how sometimes, the thing that wants to kill us, keeps us alive. Once you pick it up, you will never put it down. You will read it again and again, I guarantee you. I have read it exactly 243 times so far, and couldn’t help memorizing every word somewhere along the way.
Scene 2 is from The Bachelor if Arts, by R. K. Narayan. ** I even wrote a review on this one. Its really good and I would wholeheartedly recommend it as a laughing pill. It’s a great anti-depressant. It activates your funny bone with its quirkiness. A short novel, you can finish it in one go. Look, if you want to know more, just read my revu on it since I am running out of characters.
Scene 3 is from Wuthering Heights from Emily Bronte. ** It took me a long, long time to plough through this classic but it was all worth-it. It’s passionate, mad, dark, depressing, romantic and addictive. I suggest you read the simplified version first, get a grip of the confusing, roundabout story with different characters sharing same names, only then proceed to the original that is loaded with details.
Scene 4 is from An Equal Music by Vikram Seth.** You music freaks out there, do you hear me? Get a copy and read it. Read it at one go for a full head on impact. Oh yes, you might want to brush up your knowledge on classical music and string instruments (violin, viola, cello) first before reading it. This was my first Vikram Seth, and it won’t be the last.
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