‘Say, do you have some money left?’ asked my sister.
I, at that particular time, was staggering under the weight of various Mary Higgins Clarks and Jeffrey Archers, while hunting down the shelves for more books by the same authors. This was a book stall at the Expo and I was determined to make the most of it.
‘I have to buy all these novels. But why do you need money so quickly?’ I asked, protectively holding on to the books, lest I was asked to put some of them back.
She sighed. ‘I think we have just bought half of this expo already. There are all these relatives visiting from abroad, family weddings and numerous other occasions, where gifts have to be given. Mom thought it would be better if we bought all the books here. So put some of those novels back.’
The argument which followed the last statement is another story altogether. But giving books as presents is something which has become almost a family tradition in our case. Interestingly and quite unfortunately, very few people consider books as something worth giving as gifts.
Quite often, it is a matter of mindset. In some cases, the last thing which crosses people’s minds while deciding what to gift is a book. In other cases, where the recipient of the gift is an avid reader, it is generally assumed that it is too risky to give him/her another book, as there is a possibility that it might already be gracing the shelf of the person concerned.
However, giving books as gifts can be quite a hectic task. Most of the time, you have to give a very lengthy explanation to your social circle for your choice of gift. And there is very little chance that the person to whom you are explaining why books make lovely gifts is going to be convinced.
I came in the line of fire recently as I chose to give books as wedding presents to two of my friends who are avid readers and book lovers.
‘Books! Don’t tell me,’ groaned an incredulous gentleman when he heard of my plans. ‘I understand if you give books as a birthday present. But you don’t give books as a wedding present. This is just not done.’
I think we have just bought half of this expo already. There are all these relatives visiting from abroad, family weddings and numerous other occasions, where gifts have to be given. Mom thought it would be better if we bought all the books here.
Apparently, it can be done, as I have discovered over the years while I have watched books being bought and gifted to anyone and everyone, irrespective of the occasion. And sometimes, those who were gifted a particular book, actually ensured that they gave feedback as to whether they liked it — so you could always tell that the book was read and hence, your effort was not wasted.
Buying books for those who are avid readers is a difficult task indeed — but it is not impossible. If you are one of those people who wish to gift books to your book-lover friends and can’t figure out how, there are only a few things you need to do beforehand.
First and foremost, make sure you know what authors your friend likes to read. This will narrow down your search to books written only by those particular authors. Sometimes, it is quite possible that the person for whom you are buying the gift hasn’t had a chance to purchase the latest book of their favourite author.
Secondly, you can always plan an informal trip to the bookstore with the person concerned, and make sure you make a mental note of which books he/she purchases. This will also give you an idea of the type of books the person reads.
The third possibility is probably the easiest option available. Call up the person, ask him/her what books he/she was planning to purchase, and then tell them you’d get those very books as presents. But unfortunately, many people are so caught up in the formalities of giving gifts that they consider it quite preposterous to actually ask the concerned person what he/she really wants. What does it matter if your friend found out in advance what you were gifting? At the end of the day it is well worth it.
The aforementioned steps worked wonderfully in my own case. One of my friends is a die-hard fan of Bill Bryson. As I knew which of his books were already in her possession, it was quite a simple task to buy two others. As for the other friend, well, she and I went to the expo together. The rest, as they say, is history.
Irrespective of the weird gift-giving norm which dominates our society, it is always a wonderful feeling to give someone what they really want and if that something happens to be a book, then so much the better.
Showing posts with label Books and Authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books and Authors. Show all posts
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sunday, December 2, 2007
No more sharing
OK, so who has my book? ‘Do you mind telling me where my copy of Rebecca is?’ I demanded of my sister late one night.
‘I think someone has borrowed it,’ was the reply.
‘And hopefully that someone has a name?’ I shot back.
My sister sighed. ‘Look, I have no idea who has it. That someone has never bothered to return it. All we can do is think of all the people who borrow books from us and ask them if they have it. How come you suddenly remembered Rebecca at this unearthly hour anyway?’ It was my turn to sigh. Book borrowing is something all book lovers thrive on and relate to. In a city like ours, where there is a persistent dearth of public libraries and where prices of cell phones go down faster than that of reading material, borrowing books is the only decent way to get your hands on or devour a wide variety of books. And come to think of it, it happens to be a lot of fun too. There is something entirely satisfying about going into a friend’s house empty-handed and coming out with an armful of books.
The same notion extends to shopping for books. Whenever a fellow book lover and I shop together, we never buy the same books. ‘Hey, I have that book already. Don’t buy it. You can borrow it from me when I’m done reading it,’ is a much heard-of statement at book fairs and stores. And so the process goes on. The so far undefined rules of book borrowing are akin to stating the obvious. It goes without saying that when you borrow a book, you read it and return it at the earliest opportunity—simple, right? Wrong!
As simple and obvious as the given rules may be, they are regarded in much the same league as the timings on wedding invites. Hence there are only a very few people who actually honour the fact that the book they are reading is borrowed, and that one fine day they should or will have to return it.
This leads me to classify book borrowers into three very distinct categories. Let’s start with the most positive category: the ‘dutiful borrowers’. These borrowers, as the name suggests, follow the rules meticulously. They keep a very good track of which book they have borrowed from whom. They also take very good care of the books they borrow. And they make it their top most priority to read the book at their earliest and return it. And yes, they expect the same consideration from the people to whom they have lent their books. It goes without saying that these poor souls are often disappointed.
The cause of their disappointment is sometimes people who fall in the next category of borrowers who can be aptly termed ‘lethargic borrowers.’ These borrowers are ones who have impossibly hectic schedules, but are still keen on reading good books. Hence, they borrow books extensively but, owing to a very hectic lifestyle, they can only manage to read a page or two everyday. Now, don’t get me wrong. I realise that today’s life is fast paced; everyone already has a lot on their schedules, and it’s not that easy to make time to read books in a short span of time. It’s understandable that most people can only manage a couple of pages daily. The point is that if you lend your book to a lethargic borrower, there is some hope that the book will come back to you one day even if it takes up to six months for it to finish.
At least in the above two cases your books are returned to you. The third category of the ‘lost borrowers’ comprises of people to whom if you lend your books; they have an excellent chance of getting lost. Yep, these lost borrowers borrow books with extreme enthusiasm and line up the borrowed books on their shelves and forget all about them. Sometimes, the book borrowers even forget who they had borrowed the book from.
If you are a dutiful borrower and keep track of these lost ones, try asking some of them to return your books — they will give you their most woebegone expressions and tell you very sadly that they have not ‘yet’ had time to read the books they borrowed. They will then ask to keep those books for another year probably, and even at the end of that year they will be no close to actually opening the said book. Yes, it is actually a lost cause.
An extension of the lost borrowers are the soulless borrowers. They will enthusiastically lend out your books to their friends or relatives, without keeping track of which book they gave to whom. You will only find that out when you ask for the books. At such times you can only hope that the people who now have your books belong to the dutiful category, otherwise you can just forget about seeing those books ever again.
So there you have it — a neat categorisation of those who borrow books in order to fulfill their thirst for reading. These categories are by no means exhaustive. One can actually write a whole book on them. However, these are the categories I have made after experiencing all three types of borrowers and having agonised over lost books, some of them being the books received as prizes from my school days.
Now I must go figure out who has my copy of Rebecca and Maps for Lost Lovers.
‘I think someone has borrowed it,’ was the reply.
‘And hopefully that someone has a name?’ I shot back.
My sister sighed. ‘Look, I have no idea who has it. That someone has never bothered to return it. All we can do is think of all the people who borrow books from us and ask them if they have it. How come you suddenly remembered Rebecca at this unearthly hour anyway?’ It was my turn to sigh. Book borrowing is something all book lovers thrive on and relate to. In a city like ours, where there is a persistent dearth of public libraries and where prices of cell phones go down faster than that of reading material, borrowing books is the only decent way to get your hands on or devour a wide variety of books. And come to think of it, it happens to be a lot of fun too. There is something entirely satisfying about going into a friend’s house empty-handed and coming out with an armful of books.
The same notion extends to shopping for books. Whenever a fellow book lover and I shop together, we never buy the same books. ‘Hey, I have that book already. Don’t buy it. You can borrow it from me when I’m done reading it,’ is a much heard-of statement at book fairs and stores. And so the process goes on. The so far undefined rules of book borrowing are akin to stating the obvious. It goes without saying that when you borrow a book, you read it and return it at the earliest opportunity—simple, right? Wrong!
As simple and obvious as the given rules may be, they are regarded in much the same league as the timings on wedding invites. Hence there are only a very few people who actually honour the fact that the book they are reading is borrowed, and that one fine day they should or will have to return it.
This leads me to classify book borrowers into three very distinct categories. Let’s start with the most positive category: the ‘dutiful borrowers’. These borrowers, as the name suggests, follow the rules meticulously. They keep a very good track of which book they have borrowed from whom. They also take very good care of the books they borrow. And they make it their top most priority to read the book at their earliest and return it. And yes, they expect the same consideration from the people to whom they have lent their books. It goes without saying that these poor souls are often disappointed.
The cause of their disappointment is sometimes people who fall in the next category of borrowers who can be aptly termed ‘lethargic borrowers.’ These borrowers are ones who have impossibly hectic schedules, but are still keen on reading good books. Hence, they borrow books extensively but, owing to a very hectic lifestyle, they can only manage to read a page or two everyday. Now, don’t get me wrong. I realise that today’s life is fast paced; everyone already has a lot on their schedules, and it’s not that easy to make time to read books in a short span of time. It’s understandable that most people can only manage a couple of pages daily. The point is that if you lend your book to a lethargic borrower, there is some hope that the book will come back to you one day even if it takes up to six months for it to finish.
At least in the above two cases your books are returned to you. The third category of the ‘lost borrowers’ comprises of people to whom if you lend your books; they have an excellent chance of getting lost. Yep, these lost borrowers borrow books with extreme enthusiasm and line up the borrowed books on their shelves and forget all about them. Sometimes, the book borrowers even forget who they had borrowed the book from.
If you are a dutiful borrower and keep track of these lost ones, try asking some of them to return your books — they will give you their most woebegone expressions and tell you very sadly that they have not ‘yet’ had time to read the books they borrowed. They will then ask to keep those books for another year probably, and even at the end of that year they will be no close to actually opening the said book. Yes, it is actually a lost cause.
An extension of the lost borrowers are the soulless borrowers. They will enthusiastically lend out your books to their friends or relatives, without keeping track of which book they gave to whom. You will only find that out when you ask for the books. At such times you can only hope that the people who now have your books belong to the dutiful category, otherwise you can just forget about seeing those books ever again.
So there you have it — a neat categorisation of those who borrow books in order to fulfill their thirst for reading. These categories are by no means exhaustive. One can actually write a whole book on them. However, these are the categories I have made after experiencing all three types of borrowers and having agonised over lost books, some of them being the books received as prizes from my school days.
Now I must go figure out who has my copy of Rebecca and Maps for Lost Lovers.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
And they live on in our hearts
Almost all bookaholics have, at one time or another, wished that some of the characters that they have read about actually existed. The reasons can be elaborate or trivial. It can be something they said, a noble deed they did or the simple way in which they responded to adversities in life. It can be that you see people around you in some of these characters, or you wish for certain people to be like specific fictional characters.
A tête-à-tête with some avid book lovers reveals that they each have their own list of characters that they admire. Graduate student Hira Tahir says, ‘the characters I want to be real are Mr Knightley from Emma, Michael Olson from Christopher Pike’s Final Friends Trilogy and Sirius Black, from the Harry Potter series. Put plainly, they are all very fanciable. Sirius is hot, handsome and one of the most talented wizards of his age. Michael is very intelligent. He has the most beautiful set of brains you ever laid eyes on. Mr Knightley is a true gentleman - a dying breed.’
Mahwash Ajaz, who is a faculty member at a private university, names Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series), Emily Starr (Emily of New Moon series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Professor Henry Higgins (Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw), Hamlet (Hamlet by William Shakespeare) and Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee) as her all-time favorite characters.
‘Dumbledore’s a sage’, she says. ‘He’s the man with answers. In a world of confusion, who doesn’t want someone like that? Emily Starr is possibly the most interesting kid of her age. She writes poetry, waits for ‘the flash’, a thrill that goes through her at odd inspiring moments, and apparently has a vivid imagination. A child like that would be extremely fun (or a handful) to have around. Professor Henry Higgins is a confirmed bachelor with a love for phonetics. Nothing could be more interesting than blasting apart his reasons against marriage. I picked Hamlet because I want to finally lay rest the debate regarding the Oedipus complex. That’s right. I want Hamlet to be real because I want him to go into therapy.’
Interestingly, Nausheen Fazal ur Rehman also cites Albus Dumbledore and Atticus Finch as her favorite characters along with Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) and Sydney Carton (Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens). ‘Albus Dumbledore is extremely intelligent and powerful, he possesses qualities of immense kindness and infinite wisdom, and has the ability to see good in people who are generally not accepted by most’, she says. ‘Jane Eyre is no doubt the strongest heroine in literary fiction to date. In the book she is not described as a beautiful woman, instead she is rather plain-featured, simple and small. However, there is a well-defined beauty about her, and that is her heart. She is also very reserved which adds to the beauty of her character. She possesses an unusual sense of morality when it comes to making decisions. She stands out from other female protagonists who are generally beautiful, and initially shallow and overly passionate. Not only is Jane a strong character, she is also a strong woman.’
‘Atticus Finch is a very upright character; he represents the moral ideal of both a lawyer and a human being. He is intelligent, brutally honest, highly moral, a tireless crusader for good causes (even hopeless ones), a pacifist and, for the most part, devoid of any of the racial or class prejudices afflicting the other citizens of the fictional town of Maycomb. As for Sydney Carton, his dual personality, one that is selfless and sensitive, as well as self-pitying and inconsiderate, makes him one of the most fascinating characters in English literature. Carton makes the great sacrifice for Lucie. He dies a redeemed hero.’
Atticus Finch is also popular with undergraduate student Sarah Akram. But she cautions, ‘to name fictional characters that we would want to come to life is a very difficult task. During the course of our reading, we may fall in love with characters like Catherine and Heathcliff, Hamlet, Maggie Tulliver (The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot), etc. but can we actually accept the presence of such highly individualistic characters in our lives? Despite all the depth and profundity, which are traits common to all these characters, they would be — in my opinion — hard to cope with in real life’.
‘Nevertheless, there are some characters which, if they existed in real, would be admired by many if not all. And most of these characters are those that are quite moral by nature. Atticus Finch is one such character. Morally upright, full of wisdom and integrity, he is a man of principles. He never looks down upon those who differ with him. Such is the magnanimity of his character. His speech is never merely words — it is a collection of words that opens an entirely new world before the reader to experience and reflect upon.’
Seher Farouk names Gilbert Blythe (Anne series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind) as the characters that she admires. ‘Gilbert Blythe is very popular amongst many’, she explains ‘He’s a true lover, loyal husband, sweet father, ambitious doctor and good-looking companion. Rhett Butler is a strong-headed, passionate yet sensible lover. He may not be very good-looking but has the killing charm to behold any female. Scarlett is a character who can add spice to an otherwise routine life — she is an unstable character, but very attractive personality. Such people can be difficult but they possess an aura and charm that attracts attention.’
No doubt it takes a very active imagination and sheer talent on the part of the author to create characters like Mr Darcy and Max de Winter the stir the emotions of readers. It takes some talent to come up with the likes of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley who make one yearn for them to exist in real life. The creators of such memorable characters have ensured that their creations will live in the hearts of readers for generations to come.
A tête-à-tête with some avid book lovers reveals that they each have their own list of characters that they admire. Graduate student Hira Tahir says, ‘the characters I want to be real are Mr Knightley from Emma, Michael Olson from Christopher Pike’s Final Friends Trilogy and Sirius Black, from the Harry Potter series. Put plainly, they are all very fanciable. Sirius is hot, handsome and one of the most talented wizards of his age. Michael is very intelligent. He has the most beautiful set of brains you ever laid eyes on. Mr Knightley is a true gentleman - a dying breed.’
Mahwash Ajaz, who is a faculty member at a private university, names Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series), Emily Starr (Emily of New Moon series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Professor Henry Higgins (Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw), Hamlet (Hamlet by William Shakespeare) and Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee) as her all-time favorite characters.
‘Dumbledore’s a sage’, she says. ‘He’s the man with answers. In a world of confusion, who doesn’t want someone like that? Emily Starr is possibly the most interesting kid of her age. She writes poetry, waits for ‘the flash’, a thrill that goes through her at odd inspiring moments, and apparently has a vivid imagination. A child like that would be extremely fun (or a handful) to have around. Professor Henry Higgins is a confirmed bachelor with a love for phonetics. Nothing could be more interesting than blasting apart his reasons against marriage. I picked Hamlet because I want to finally lay rest the debate regarding the Oedipus complex. That’s right. I want Hamlet to be real because I want him to go into therapy.’
Interestingly, Nausheen Fazal ur Rehman also cites Albus Dumbledore and Atticus Finch as her favorite characters along with Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) and Sydney Carton (Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens). ‘Albus Dumbledore is extremely intelligent and powerful, he possesses qualities of immense kindness and infinite wisdom, and has the ability to see good in people who are generally not accepted by most’, she says. ‘Jane Eyre is no doubt the strongest heroine in literary fiction to date. In the book she is not described as a beautiful woman, instead she is rather plain-featured, simple and small. However, there is a well-defined beauty about her, and that is her heart. She is also very reserved which adds to the beauty of her character. She possesses an unusual sense of morality when it comes to making decisions. She stands out from other female protagonists who are generally beautiful, and initially shallow and overly passionate. Not only is Jane a strong character, she is also a strong woman.’
‘Atticus Finch is a very upright character; he represents the moral ideal of both a lawyer and a human being. He is intelligent, brutally honest, highly moral, a tireless crusader for good causes (even hopeless ones), a pacifist and, for the most part, devoid of any of the racial or class prejudices afflicting the other citizens of the fictional town of Maycomb. As for Sydney Carton, his dual personality, one that is selfless and sensitive, as well as self-pitying and inconsiderate, makes him one of the most fascinating characters in English literature. Carton makes the great sacrifice for Lucie. He dies a redeemed hero.’
Atticus Finch is also popular with undergraduate student Sarah Akram. But she cautions, ‘to name fictional characters that we would want to come to life is a very difficult task. During the course of our reading, we may fall in love with characters like Catherine and Heathcliff, Hamlet, Maggie Tulliver (The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot), etc. but can we actually accept the presence of such highly individualistic characters in our lives? Despite all the depth and profundity, which are traits common to all these characters, they would be — in my opinion — hard to cope with in real life’.
‘Nevertheless, there are some characters which, if they existed in real, would be admired by many if not all. And most of these characters are those that are quite moral by nature. Atticus Finch is one such character. Morally upright, full of wisdom and integrity, he is a man of principles. He never looks down upon those who differ with him. Such is the magnanimity of his character. His speech is never merely words — it is a collection of words that opens an entirely new world before the reader to experience and reflect upon.’
Seher Farouk names Gilbert Blythe (Anne series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind) as the characters that she admires. ‘Gilbert Blythe is very popular amongst many’, she explains ‘He’s a true lover, loyal husband, sweet father, ambitious doctor and good-looking companion. Rhett Butler is a strong-headed, passionate yet sensible lover. He may not be very good-looking but has the killing charm to behold any female. Scarlett is a character who can add spice to an otherwise routine life — she is an unstable character, but very attractive personality. Such people can be difficult but they possess an aura and charm that attracts attention.’
No doubt it takes a very active imagination and sheer talent on the part of the author to create characters like Mr Darcy and Max de Winter the stir the emotions of readers. It takes some talent to come up with the likes of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley who make one yearn for them to exist in real life. The creators of such memorable characters have ensured that their creations will live in the hearts of readers for generations to come.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Trousseau full of books
“Bloomsbury will soon be publishing the entire Harry Potter set,” I informed my sister. “I am thinking of getting it for my collection.” My sister rolled her eyes. “The last I heard we already own three Harry Potter books. Why do you need the entire set all over again?”
“It is one of the things on my dowry list. And I also need to include the books of Jane Austen, Paulo Coelho and Mary Higgins Clark,” I replied.
Sister shook her head and continued driving. I was already thinking of more authors and more books to purchase for my ‘exclusive collection’. I must get Harun Yahya’s books of course, not to forget the entire Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The reverie continued till I reached university, where it was rudely interrupted.
“Books? Surely you’re not making books part of your dowry?” cried a friend.
”What’s wrong with books?” I asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. Take your books with you by all means, but at least don’t get them sent with the regular dowry. It’s just not done. Get them sent to you after a few months.”
I am still confused. For someone who cannot differentiate between a fruit set and an ice cream set, I know for sure that my books will be probably a major part of my dowry. Add to that my magazines and files full of reading material and published articles, and you have the perfect dowry. Well, for me at least.
And why not? My books have been collected over many years. I have spent quality time browsing through book stores and book fairs and spent my father’s hard-earned money purchasing them. Why should I leave them behind? (And who cares about a washing machine and bedroom fridge anyway?)
All else aside, one wonders why at this time of life books are suddenly considered inferior to (gasp!) pots and pans. I mean, come the schedule of the wedding and suddenly you have a very active shopping spree planned which includes anything but books. There are people who prefer to buy everything from hair brushes to safety pins for their dowry, but ask them which books they got and they will give you a look which will make you want to disappear behind a rock or something (when it’s them who should be doing the disappearing act).
I am still confused. For someone who cannot differentiate between a fruit set and an ice cream set, I know for sure that my books will be probably a major part of my dowry. Add to that my magazines and files full of reading material and published articles, and you have the perfect dowry. Well, for me at least.
Again, the why question. Why is it considered blasphemous to read a book a few days into marriage? One would think that picking up a book would spoil the four-hour manual labour done upon you by the beauty parlour. Or maybe it is that curling up with a book is a heck more difficult to do when one is decked from head to toe in embroidered clothes and heavy gold ornaments? Or maybe books simply pale in comparison to the fantasies of a honeymoon in Switzerland.
For those of you, who have seriously started to doubt my sanity, let me create a scenario to illustrate that books aren’t useless or time consuming at this crucial point and they can actually help you in the most trying periods post-marriage.
For starters, suppose it is the first week of marriage. Every single one of your in-laws (husband included) is running around for one thing or another, but no one is letting you do any work (a benefit of being a new bride). What do you do? Sit around and mope? At a time like this, a good book would come in handy to ward off boredom.
Also,what about whenever you need some help with things in the post-marriage phase? There are loads of books on cooking, budgeting, handling a job and house, and what not – all ready-made post marriage help for you.Then, there are some very interesting books on marriage itself. Ever tried Spouse: The truth about marriage by Shoba De? What about Muslim Marriage Guide by Rukaiya Waris Maqsood? These are only two of the wonderful books available on the subject and believe me, when you are starting out in a new phase of life, books can help you along. They will reassure you that you are not alone in facing post-marriage blues and, of course, dispense plenty of advice along the way to help you deal with different situations.
So at the end of the day, it is your books which remain with you when you venture into a new home. They create a sense of familiarity and it is kind of soothing to realise that you have a ready companion for you. For all of you who think books are useless after marriage, I honestly feel very sorry for you.
P.S. The aforementioned friend informed me that her husband to-be is planning an entire library for her and has already purchased two books for it. There is still hope in this world.
“It is one of the things on my dowry list. And I also need to include the books of Jane Austen, Paulo Coelho and Mary Higgins Clark,” I replied.
Sister shook her head and continued driving. I was already thinking of more authors and more books to purchase for my ‘exclusive collection’. I must get Harun Yahya’s books of course, not to forget the entire Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The reverie continued till I reached university, where it was rudely interrupted.
“Books? Surely you’re not making books part of your dowry?” cried a friend.
”What’s wrong with books?” I asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. Take your books with you by all means, but at least don’t get them sent with the regular dowry. It’s just not done. Get them sent to you after a few months.”
I am still confused. For someone who cannot differentiate between a fruit set and an ice cream set, I know for sure that my books will be probably a major part of my dowry. Add to that my magazines and files full of reading material and published articles, and you have the perfect dowry. Well, for me at least.
And why not? My books have been collected over many years. I have spent quality time browsing through book stores and book fairs and spent my father’s hard-earned money purchasing them. Why should I leave them behind? (And who cares about a washing machine and bedroom fridge anyway?)
All else aside, one wonders why at this time of life books are suddenly considered inferior to (gasp!) pots and pans. I mean, come the schedule of the wedding and suddenly you have a very active shopping spree planned which includes anything but books. There are people who prefer to buy everything from hair brushes to safety pins for their dowry, but ask them which books they got and they will give you a look which will make you want to disappear behind a rock or something (when it’s them who should be doing the disappearing act).
I am still confused. For someone who cannot differentiate between a fruit set and an ice cream set, I know for sure that my books will be probably a major part of my dowry. Add to that my magazines and files full of reading material and published articles, and you have the perfect dowry. Well, for me at least.
Again, the why question. Why is it considered blasphemous to read a book a few days into marriage? One would think that picking up a book would spoil the four-hour manual labour done upon you by the beauty parlour. Or maybe it is that curling up with a book is a heck more difficult to do when one is decked from head to toe in embroidered clothes and heavy gold ornaments? Or maybe books simply pale in comparison to the fantasies of a honeymoon in Switzerland.
For those of you, who have seriously started to doubt my sanity, let me create a scenario to illustrate that books aren’t useless or time consuming at this crucial point and they can actually help you in the most trying periods post-marriage.
For starters, suppose it is the first week of marriage. Every single one of your in-laws (husband included) is running around for one thing or another, but no one is letting you do any work (a benefit of being a new bride). What do you do? Sit around and mope? At a time like this, a good book would come in handy to ward off boredom.
Also,what about whenever you need some help with things in the post-marriage phase? There are loads of books on cooking, budgeting, handling a job and house, and what not – all ready-made post marriage help for you.Then, there are some very interesting books on marriage itself. Ever tried Spouse: The truth about marriage by Shoba De? What about Muslim Marriage Guide by Rukaiya Waris Maqsood? These are only two of the wonderful books available on the subject and believe me, when you are starting out in a new phase of life, books can help you along. They will reassure you that you are not alone in facing post-marriage blues and, of course, dispense plenty of advice along the way to help you deal with different situations.
So at the end of the day, it is your books which remain with you when you venture into a new home. They create a sense of familiarity and it is kind of soothing to realise that you have a ready companion for you. For all of you who think books are useless after marriage, I honestly feel very sorry for you.
P.S. The aforementioned friend informed me that her husband to-be is planning an entire library for her and has already purchased two books for it. There is still hope in this world.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Big Apple: 2 Bites
Big Apple: 2 Bites
By Arunabha Sengupta
FROG BOOKS/ZZEBRA
4A, Diamond House, Linking Road, Parallel Road to National College,
Bandra (West), Mumbai 400 050, India
Tel: 91-22-26496712, 55838935
editor@zzebra.net
www.frogbooks.net
ISBN 81-88811-98-X
275pp. Indian Rs275
The minute someone mentions that s/he is somehow related to the IT industry, what is the first word that springs to mind? More likely than not, the person will probably be dismissed as yet another geek. This is where books like Big Apple 2 Bites come into the picture.
The protagonist, Aniruddha, is a process consultant in India, who has been sent (read outsourced) to New York to work on a project. The story revolves around his experiences in the Big Apple prior to 9/11, along with the friends he makes, the romantic venture he attempts and the way he handles his bosses.
Come 9/11 and his fortunes are diametrically transformed. As the project comes to an abrupt end, he is sent back to India, where he is eventually laid off. However, the next job that does come his way requires him to return to New York where the economy is now coping with the disastrous events of 9/11 along with the two wars waged on Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2 Bites in the book’s title is a reference to New York in two distinct eras, one on either side of 9/11.
So what is it in the story that will make you both empathise and sympathise with those in the IT industry? First and foremost you’ll realise the kind of ignorant management personnel these people have to put up with, along with the crazy hours and the higher echelons of authority, who want everything in terms of figures no matter what.
For instance, Aniruddha is asked for probability figures but when he gives a figure of 0.7, he is informed that this figure will not impress the client, so a figure of 700 to 800 must be fabricated. Apart from a deep insight into the work of a process consultant, the story also makes one realise the misconceptions about other cultures and their norms and values which still rule in spite of globalisation. The way different American characters talk about Indian society and the myths that Aniruddha has to dispel are quite astonishing. The reverse is also true.
The book has its funny moments, for example when Aniruddha tries to strike up a conversation with his colleague Allison Palmer. It is amusing to note that once he goes online and chats with her, he becomes quite coherent and eloquent, illustrating once more the power of the internet to make one completely different from what s/he is in everyday life.
The hallmark of the story and one that distinguishes it from many others is that it is written entirely in the second person, instead of the first or the third person. When contacted, the author, Arunabha Sengupta had the following to say in response to why he chose this particular form of narration.
“The reason why I used the second person was because the book was supposed to be an account of the realisation that comes to the main character through his journeys in life. It is as if he is being taught lessons by life. And so I thought if it was written in the second person, it would be more appropriate because then it would be as if life was indeed talking to the protagonist.”
“Also, use of the second person instils a dreamy feeling in the narrative, which was required for the second part of the novel which is quite philosophical,” he concluded.
Even though the book drags at times and gets quite technical at others, it is well worth reading.
By Arunabha Sengupta
FROG BOOKS/ZZEBRA
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Bandra (West), Mumbai 400 050, India
Tel: 91-22-26496712, 55838935
editor@zzebra.net
www.frogbooks.net
ISBN 81-88811-98-X
275pp. Indian Rs275
The minute someone mentions that s/he is somehow related to the IT industry, what is the first word that springs to mind? More likely than not, the person will probably be dismissed as yet another geek. This is where books like Big Apple 2 Bites come into the picture.
The protagonist, Aniruddha, is a process consultant in India, who has been sent (read outsourced) to New York to work on a project. The story revolves around his experiences in the Big Apple prior to 9/11, along with the friends he makes, the romantic venture he attempts and the way he handles his bosses.
Come 9/11 and his fortunes are diametrically transformed. As the project comes to an abrupt end, he is sent back to India, where he is eventually laid off. However, the next job that does come his way requires him to return to New York where the economy is now coping with the disastrous events of 9/11 along with the two wars waged on Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2 Bites in the book’s title is a reference to New York in two distinct eras, one on either side of 9/11.
So what is it in the story that will make you both empathise and sympathise with those in the IT industry? First and foremost you’ll realise the kind of ignorant management personnel these people have to put up with, along with the crazy hours and the higher echelons of authority, who want everything in terms of figures no matter what.
For instance, Aniruddha is asked for probability figures but when he gives a figure of 0.7, he is informed that this figure will not impress the client, so a figure of 700 to 800 must be fabricated. Apart from a deep insight into the work of a process consultant, the story also makes one realise the misconceptions about other cultures and their norms and values which still rule in spite of globalisation. The way different American characters talk about Indian society and the myths that Aniruddha has to dispel are quite astonishing. The reverse is also true.
The book has its funny moments, for example when Aniruddha tries to strike up a conversation with his colleague Allison Palmer. It is amusing to note that once he goes online and chats with her, he becomes quite coherent and eloquent, illustrating once more the power of the internet to make one completely different from what s/he is in everyday life.
The hallmark of the story and one that distinguishes it from many others is that it is written entirely in the second person, instead of the first or the third person. When contacted, the author, Arunabha Sengupta had the following to say in response to why he chose this particular form of narration.
“The reason why I used the second person was because the book was supposed to be an account of the realisation that comes to the main character through his journeys in life. It is as if he is being taught lessons by life. And so I thought if it was written in the second person, it would be more appropriate because then it would be as if life was indeed talking to the protagonist.”
“Also, use of the second person instils a dreamy feeling in the narrative, which was required for the second part of the novel which is quite philosophical,” he concluded.
Even though the book drags at times and gets quite technical at others, it is well worth reading.
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