On reading books in tandem

 

Typically, I would burrow into a book and read it at long stretches transforming the words into images and conversations in my mind. I would put it down at some logical point like chapter / section, but I wouldn’t read more than one because long after the book is laid to rest,              the memory of the images created on my mind keeps playing and it seeps into subconscious arousing more thoughts and feelings.

This may be also the reason why started reading 3 in parallel.

The God of small things

I read this almost 20 years back & I did not recollect it – this and the Inheritance of Loss are 2 books I wanted to read again. So, I took out of my steel cupboard, dusted it and started reading it. But while I admired the English & the interesting way, she would rhyme certain words to sort of visualise an incident or poem or a conversation somehow at the core of the book was churning of heart or bad memories written in a sarcastic or funny way. On the whole, it was throwing back the same thing which I was running away from – negativity. While I was trying to do justice to the book – it was dragging me down (most of the times).

Shalimar The Clown – Salman Rushdie & Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro

It was a chance trip to Blossoms after 2 years of lockdown that I got a basketful of books and coupls of books of 2 authors I wanted to read. I picked up Shalimar the Crown reading the blurb of a brilliant symphony, story of great imaginations etc”. This was my 2^nd book after I fell in love with Midnight’s children. But if one was to understand the meaning of erudite – one should read this. At least for me I am finding it very complex & convoluted writing. The way he write one sentence might be 5 lines and the way he is explaining things it’s like someone is forcefully using certain words. It was not negative but it was not inspiring as well.

Nocturnes is a set of 6 stories revolving around music and nightfall. And finally, was the book I was looking for. In fact, it was just the opposite of Shalimar – Extremely simple plots with gentle pre-disposition like Ruskin Bond or Alice Munro – You feel good after reading it & is perfect for a haunted soul like me.

I read two stories on two consecutive days and then went back to God of Small Things & Shalimar the Crown so that I could balance the sadness with love and complex with simple.