For me reading is conversing with the author.
More appropriately listening . Words flowing into sentences ...talking to me.Like swishes of a brush giving form and colour to thoughts...holding my attention and leaving me elated.
I present short excerpts from two of my favourite books: Wind in the willows & To kill a mocking bird.
Wind in the willows is an endearing fable of Toad, Rat , Mole ,badger and otter . Their frolic around the river and confrontation of problems created by Toad who lives in an imposing "Toad Hall " . The animals talk and behave like humans and the result is jolly mischief and sheer entertainment .
Toad is imprisoned and depressed . He hasn't spoken for days , but now he has a daughter of the jailer attending to him :
"When the girl returned, some hours later, she carried a tray, with a cup of fragrant tea steaming on it ;and a plate piled up with very hot buttered toast, cut thick , very brown on both sides , with butter running through the holes in it in great golden drops,like honey from honeycomb.The smell of buttered toast simple talked to toad and with no uncertain voice talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cozy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one's ramble was over and slippered feet were propped on the fender; of purring of contended cats and twitter of sleept canaries."
The description is so amazing that its no surprise that my culinary vices arise every time i read this. Samuel butler has rightly said : " all animals, except man, know that principal business of life is to enjoy it"
And still further , listening to these men/ women has given clarity to jumbled thoughts which ,on many occasions, I've willingly embraced as code of conduct for life; Like these few quotes from Harper lee's classic novel which talk about innocence and goodness of life :
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corn cribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird"
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what."
Suggest u pick one of these as soon as u can !
Rahul
3 comments:
Sure Enough the description is so vivid that it almost activates the taste buds and whats life if you cannot enjoy it be it in any form....as for the classic " To kill the mocking bird" you have to eat it (oops!!...the effect still lingers...sorry read it) to savor it...
Sac
Thnaks for Perspective, i bought "To kill a mockingbird" after i have seen your those post.
Interesting Novel, deserve the publitzer prize winning for fiction.
for Putu : will u come to Bangalore??
To Kill a Mockingbird..........
Novel is laden with moral messages, as a father, figure Aticus Finch can be inspiration for parents in educating their children. This novel gives message that negative prejudice will only blind the hearts of human.
Same with the victims of racial discrimination, they do not choose to be born as black, and they also do not perform actions that harm other people. The action of discrimination against them (or any other issue for discrimination) is the same as killing them, may not always be physical but psychological. But isn’t that killing psychological often feeling more pain.
Ps. for INdi :
i will come for vacation.
i wish i could be there for great project.
Post a Comment