“No entertainment is so cheap as reading nor any pleasure so lasting “.
This was said by M.W.Montagu. It stands true as travelling around the world, learning about diverse cultures, admiring the natural landscape, conversing in foreign languages and engaging with new people, is a dream that many wish to fulfill. This wish is fulfilled through the perusal of various books.
Whether it is the charismatic way in which Hercule Poirot catches the murderer in the suspense filled words of Agatha Christie. Or the fantastical fairy tale world created by Hans Christian Anderson, we are used to forgetting the reality of our life ,which is sometimes grim. Books let us get lost in them to witness history unfolding majestically once again .Be it the independence gained by the third world countries or the horrors of the World Wars.
Shakespearean Dramas still rule the world as they are as relevant now as they were in the Elizabethan Era .The story of star crossed lovers or the greed for political power, the devastation caused by jealousy or the power wielded by women .All this has been happening continuously through centuries, which is why we have never forgotten the “Bard of Avon”.
Margaret Atwood’s intriguing take on human psychology ,Sophie Kinsella’s way of expressing serious problems like bulling and shopoholicness in a comic style, R.L Stine’s chilling horror tales ,Anita Das’s understanding of human relations, Khushwant Singh’s non fictional thesis ,David Walliams awe inspiring attempt to recreate the magic of Roald Dahl , L.S.Hilton’s narrative exposing the secrets of the artistic world- this may be a long list but it cannot even come close to describing the enormous amounts of knowledge and insight that we get from these treasure- chests.
Culinary delights are prepared in every kitchen through the delicious words of Chefs like Nigella Lawson, Tarla Dalal , Sanjeev Kapoor and many others. Top gear, Car India- these magazines allow us to experience the cars of our dreams, though they may be well above our pay cheque. These days, products like Amazon Kindle or sites like Wattpad help us in reading books from all over the world, translated by fellow readers as they know what it feels like to experience the work of a skilled author.
“Poetry is the spontaneous outflow of power feelings, as it takes its origin from emotions recollected in tranquility”. This definition by William Wordsworth truly captures the essence of poetry. Mirza Ghalib’s Urdu renditions expressed his innermost feelings beautifully. Sarojini Naidu’s patriotic fervor can be clearly seen in her poetry.
Comics like Garfield by Jim Davis are of a lighter vein while Lucifer by Neil Gaiman though fantastical, explores the dark humour found in everyday sequences. Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts and Ghouls have been written about timelessly and the readers read about them tirelessly.
Books are not just a bunch of pages printed and stuffed inside a hard-back or soft cover. They are the masterpieces created by an artist, a soulful rendition by a musician, a diary of a traveler, a heartfelt plea of a poet, a cry for help by a loner, a spread of love and happiness by someone optimistic. In a nutshell, it’s a way of life!