Recently I had occasion to read Twinkle Khanna's blog where she has given a delightful description of life with her imperfectly perfect mother. She is variously at odds or in agreement with her mother. That is Mrs. Funnybones being good at what she excels in- being funny.
My recollection of maternal manipulations stretch back on another aspect- to those days when my sister & I were striplings still going to junior school. It was our mother's determination to see that we were brought up as well lettered, articulate children never at a loss for a good word. To this end we were directed everyday to have a look at the daily newspaper, read any news article and explain the gist of the story to our mother. If this passed her scrutiny we were allowed to go down to play, otherwise we were couchbound for the rest of evening until father returned home from work. Any attempt to sneak away in the interim was met with a stern reprimand, " I know what you are doing" from the kitchen. A mother's eye is all seeing/ all knowing.
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Our mother's unorthodox idea worked. Kudos to her. From here started a love affair with the printed word which has carried on till this date, The high points range from the friendly neighborhood junk dealer from where we would occasionally unearth some gems, the W H Wheeler book stall at various railway stations on on our not so regular trips down to our home town, the lending library on the Karnataka Kerala Express which lasted all of one trip only, the pavement book shops in Connaught Place/ New Delhi where we would find a lot of similar minded souls patiently sorting their way through tottering heaps of books browned by the sun and sand, to the British Council library in Delhi where the entire family was registered as members entitling us to borrow up to 12 books at a time. I can still remember the wondering glances of the fellow passengers on the Delhi Transport Corporation buses when we couldn't be seen for the books we would be carrying. In our mind it was worth the effort.
Another incidence which comes to mind is when I brought my bride home. The first task she had was to carry out a spring cleaning of my cupboards because apart from my sparse wardrobe they were full of books of every description, shape and size including a collection of Reader's Digest from the 1940's onwards (all thanks to my father) leaving no space for her clothes. Can you imagine that - a bridegroom and his bride staggering around with loads of books just so that they can settle down in their room? Well as the Reader's Digest says "Life is Like That" or do you think "Laughter is the Best Medicine".
Such shocks apart the next stage was when Amazon introduced the Kindle. For a true bibliophile a Kindle is sacrilege in the temple of books. Yes, it is convenient, easy to hold and read, but tell me can you turn back to the cover occasionally to get a vivid feeling of the book or read the reviews on the dust jacket so that you can praise or curse the critic. To me a Kindle will still be a interloper.
More later...
17 comments:
I really liked it. Remembering the past
Just loved it!!! Delightful
Excellent
Brilliant.
Remember the collection of Readers Digests at your home. Never had a shortage of things to read at your house 👌
I think this was the best one so far!
Brought back memories of book buying sprees during childhood and college days, the thrill of opening a new book and the smell of ink and paper. Kindle just cannot compare with that!
Absolutely delightful!! Your musings are so vividly written that one is literally thrown into 'that'moment'. Look forward to more!
Yes.i would love to be a book worm.lovely writeup.nothing can replace books.
Loved this blog of old memories of collecting and reading books. We too had collected a wide variety of books and comics through our childhood, the love for which still continues and is very helpful to while my time during these times of continuous lockdowns!!
Shalini pacchi’s efforts have paid off! Great blog. I recall your love of reading from our childhood days. Fully agree with you that electronic formats can’t fully replace the joys and feel of holdings book in one’s hands.
Sad to see book reading habit vanishing in the present generation
Thank you for sharing these recollections. Our childhoods might be different, but in some of the ways that matter, they are very similar. My mother also encouraged all her children to read, mainly through example, because she read for a few hours every day. We were all members of the British Council Library located on Shakespeare Sarani in Calcutta, and borrowed piles of books each week. And yes, while a Kindle is convenient, reading a novel on a Kindle is a strangely joyless experience. The excitement of opening a brand-new book, or the comforting feel of a well-thumbed old volume, is one of life’s pleasures.
I had my own stash of old Readers Digest copies saved over several years, but sadly had to let them go some time ago, to reclaim space for life's more pressing necessities. So, I pretty well understand what you are saying. The love of reading stays with you until your grave.
An absolutely delightful read. Your descriptions are so vivid I can literally picture them!
Love for books seems to run in the family & the extended family as well. Nothing can replace the pleasure & excitement of holding a new book in hand. This write up is excellent Umesh.
The world of books is fascinating and creates such a fertile imagination in the reader.Nothing like the second hand book stores to spend a lazy Sunday morng
The lending library was a staple ! Oh those days when books ruled in our lives till the advent of the internet!Enjoyed the read Umesh !
Nostalgic and funny at the same time. Now the genesis of your handle and handling of the English language is revealed. As one of my teachers told me - there are 3 mothers - motherland, mother tongue and mother - all who mold you into the person you become. Keep writing.. Umesh
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