Onions in a Kindle on a Remote Island – Part 1 (The Love Affair)
TK gave me a Kindle for my birthday. I treasure it as I do all thoughtful gestures from him but, truth be told, I don’t use it. A couple of decades earlier, I abandoned pen and paper in a snap in favor of the keyboard. In fact, I was thrilled with the possibilities of techno-erasure and kaato-chaapo in my life. But I never took to techno-reading, perhaps because, for me, reading encompasses more than just author, content and reader and I don’t believe the experience is wholesomely transferable from printed page to electronic gadget.
From the moment I decide to purchase a book or, better yet, receive one as a gift, the anticipation to read makes my heart skip beats. It’s like a love affair, discreet with a short life expectancy, yet with potential for an enduring relationship. Walking into a coffee shop feeling the weight of a book in my handbag, balancing a steaming cup of tea in one hand while caressing the book cover with the other, coffee-tea-croissant aromas blending with the smell of my new book, rustling pages and delightful phrases as they turn, and then – finally – lick of spit on forefinger, quick flip and press of a page corner and shut, back in the handbag, last gulp of oversweet “chai tea latte” (what does that even mean, chai-chai doodh!?) and I step into stage two of the courtship – the waiting game until the next tryst.
Books are more than companion, they are beloved – mashooq to my ishq. Such love-lust with Kindle is simply not possible!
But I digress as usual.
This post is not about my Kindle. It is a list (Muns tells me lists are sure-shot blogging hits). If I were to find myself alone on a remote island, what three essentials would I take along? Well, one would have to be my inhaler, the second a pair of socks (more on that later). The last allowance would be a book of course, but since it is impossible to limit my favorites to one or two or even 10, I would perforce opt for my Kindle with precious volumes, beloved words trapped and secured inside. There, I’ve found good use for the gadget greatly cherished but hardly used.
So, from someone who has read fewer books than not, here are thirty that I would upload and pack for an island adventure. I call this my “Onion List” because, like the humble but potent vegetable, these books hold layered mysteries. With every re-read I find more treasures buried inside, and the deeper I plunge the more intense, stark, chilling, delightful, hilarious, poignant the revelations become. Any doubt, then, that books are flirtatious, heartbreaking beloveds?
I have not tagged the books listed, which is bloggingly incorrect of me but I don’t care because anyone who cannot locate these gems is not my audience anyway; they are not the reader to my content, the confidant to my ishq, the challenger to my opinion.
For the rest, here are some (dis)claim(er)s:
No, the list is not in alphabetical, most-read, most-admired order. But it is in some order;
the order in which the names popped up in my head.
You will find some on World’s Best this-that list, but not all. Some may not deserve
to be on any list at all while at least one may belong in the Pretty Poorly Written list.
I stand by all nevertheless.
The list is not consistent in that it should either include more or none of a particular genre, like poetry or translations. I chose inconsistency over inaccuracy to do justice
to my preference.
I have included no Urdu, Persian, or Hindi writings. These belong in a dedicated list because, my command of the language notwithstanding, I prefer to read them in the original. There are too many.
To a globally inclined observer, this list would seem – well – brown, female and somewhat illogical. Bingo, you found me! South Asian writers of English are producing the best contemporary work, women writers project their psyche through the written word in a particularly touching way, the journey of Colored people is one of courage and inspires me,
I struggle with the history of the Indus Person and look for answers in books about my heritage, and finally I’m the ultimate conspiracy theorist so no list of mine is complete without some content on the real New World Order game being played behind the scenes.
Hence, these Onions in a Kindle.
For now, I leave you with just a line or two describing the reason why I chose to list a book. There is so much to say about each one but Muns (my self-appointed blogging strategist) tells me entries should be short so they don’t tax readers’ limited attention span. I am certain this one is already too long for her approval and your interest, so I have divided it into two parts (also to get more reads….learning the tricks of the blogging trade). Soon, when 2 gazillion readers wait with bated breath for my daily entry, perhaps we shall spend more time discussing each book.
Until then, with an electronic collection of my beloved books in my arms, I go look for a remote island which must, in all fairness and at the very least, offer a hammock, narial pani, and an electrical outlet to charge my Kindle.
Good writing. They say writing makes a man perfect. I can see it does the same to women. Good to hear from you. There are many reasons I like Kindle or any other brand but I wont write them here. Your piece is perfect. I too used to wonder at what I would do if I were marooned on an island but that never happened. One thing you wont need is, batteries. I would love to read more of your posts on the PAF Club. Your last one was wonderful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHamid, Thank you for taking the time to comment and I am glad that you enjoyed the read. Im a reluctant writer, more like a storyteller in my father's image, but my children feel I shud write which is why I do it. Yes, PAF posts coming up...many many stories there. Do spread the word on the blog please. Now that it is there, it might as well be read, and I would appreciate feedback from everyone. Thx.
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