Books have been an integral part of my life. I sleep with one. I travel with one. I used to eat with one. I have been going to my regular library so far this lifetime. Most of my schoolmates have been that way, right from the school library’s decades old National Geographic’s to MAD magazines to everything, its always been a topic of conversation.
My journey to my current ambiguous persona started from the Tinkles and Amar Chitra Kathas. Graduation happened sometime during my 7th to the famous Secret Sevens and Hardy Boys and somewhere in between had been the Enid Blytons. The absence of pictures was not felt to a great extent as pictures had started taking shape in the head. The world’s best theater had just opened to its sole occupant. But my first jaw dropping, awe inspiring, nail biting, page turning, complex, and divine book was “The Death on the Nile” by the Queen of Mystery herself, Agatha Christie. The first of my bigger, creamier, “crime”ier, scandalous, reads was lying my book shelf for a very long time and belongs to Mom.
Crime and its instigations and following investigations is still a major genre of my favourites, but a lot of additions have been made. Robin Cook kept me amazed about the medical world, Sidney Sheldon kept me engaged during my early college days, but I am shocked as to how I read them, Ken Follet, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six has a brilliant story about an elite SWAT team, JK Rowling’s HP series(Had to read it to know the climax), LOTR, Mario Puzo and many others have kept me going.
I am sad at the state of Indian english authors. Chetan Bhagat is probably the only one who is an instantly recognisable name, but Vikas Swarup, Jhumpha Lahiri, Anurag Mathur have some really good titles to their name. Vikas Swarup will be known for his Q&A, but Six Suspects is a fantastic novel too.
A special mention to Matthew Reilly, Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, Fredrick Forsyth and many others.
Alright, getting to the point of this blog. As novel reading grew up on its own, cinemas too found its way. A lot of books were made into movies thus murdering a few key aspects of emotion and character of the story. Depth of character, uncertainity of a human being and other aspects were lost during the transition. But comparisons are bound to occur. Godfather is a classic in both forms, tut the follow up sequels were far from the original. LOTR was by far, the best adapted story.
But I am just trying to justify the point that I will compare movies to their original books. I brand movies as “An insult to human intelligence” (Not a lot of movies get that review, and i really forgot where i copied that phrase from). Because, the movie in my head is far far better than on the screen. Its got stunning visuals, beautiful sound effects, emotions that are shown in appropriate levels, best stunt sequences, uncensored scenes, picturesque locations, the coolest of villains, most beautiful of actresses, gore of highest levels, sleaze and other real technical effects that are fueled by books rather than movies.
How many ever Kindles, Nooks or iPad’s come out, it is just impossible to miss out on paperback books ever in my lifetime.
Just remember. Recycle Paper.
