-A window ajar is a prelude in building to the joy of being limitless! That uneasiness of being familiar somehow, sometime, somewhere.......

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Yellow pages...

Was looking for Zadie Smith’s White Teeth for J who has been bugging me for it for sometime now and as I was rummaging through the book hill, I found a few old and precious ones , which like many old and precious ones unlocked a prison house full of memories.
A snap and a few lines in a journal over a cup of tea would at least record the moment if not do it any justice.



~Journals, Kurt Cobain

Though the book is a capitalistic marketing of an icon I could not resist buying it. I wanted to know if he was the same person I had reckoned him to be through his songs. When I finished the book , I had realised how incredibly daft and supremely beautiful was his passion for music. The book is an excellent journey of affect through passion and how it burns you out if left on its own.


~The Diaries , Franz Kafka

Hmm the man! the mystery!
This book personally represents so much confusion and lack of direction. I remember first reading it for 36 hours flat through two nights and a day. More importantly, as you can see, it is the only book I have nicked off a public library!! I had made several positively conscientious attempts to return it back and in fact had successfully done so on one occasion but it found me too irresistible. Once after returning it I remembered how beautifully he had described the scene of waiting in a train station and wanted to read the passage again but couldn’t manage to find the book. After several weeks I accidentally discovered the book misplaced in a geography section of the library and I instantly knew two things. One-- that the book was mine and Two-- that I’m not going to heaven.
Also reminds me of reading many passages to S all through the night and how when we broke up she took it upon herself to return it back stating ‘it was her duty to return the book to its due and sole owner in spite of having to resist owning it herself ’.


The Story Of Philosophy, Will Durant

This book is amazingly cheap priced for the wisdom is bestows. I remember- Me and C bought a copy each and started the reading sessions alternating with discussions during long walks, drives and evening teas during our internship days. I’m yet to find a better primer for philosophy than this book written by the delicately humorous Durant and whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who wishes to acquaint with the schools in philosophy.Personally I cherish my copy with all the wild and illegible scribbles and highlighting. For me and C It is a symbol of growth and a visage of what a concerted and collective human exploration means.


Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino

Who would have known this tiny self help kind of looking book would charm the world out of you ! I think I found it at the right time , just when I was developing interest in the anatomy and physiology in the life of the city, Calvino showed the beauty of metaphysics in the cities chronicling each one as a flag hoisted through the travels all across eternity. Also, it affirmed my conviction that nothing equals the beauty of the abstract. Besides, this is the copy for which I almost went to war against A for forgetting it in Italy. For you A, Yes I know its kalveeeeeeeeno and not Calvino but in return I’ve made you more professional with the book returns.


I think I should leave you with the words of Richard De Bury from-Of the Love of Books :

How highly we must estimate the wondrous power of books, since through them we survey the utmost bounds of world and time, and contemplate the things that are as well as those that are not , as it were in the mirror of eternity.

9 comments:

Rajesh said...

Back to books again :)

I have a personal bias for Kafka no matter how much any reductionist would argue. He accounted for a subliminal world we always knew existed. Bergman wouldn't be himself if not for K.

Will Durant has been with me for a long time and still serving reference tips.
visage of what a concerted and collective human exploration means.
I think I know what you meant exactly.

Invisible cities: You cannot find many books better than this. I will not add any more adjectives to your note.

I thought you read this a long while ago (with due apologies for peddling) :).

Thanks dude

Ubermensch said...

Hey Raj,

Did we leave the books anytime at all ?
Kafka is a warning how dangerous personal conscience deprived of social monotony can be? His world is quintessentially utopian, and hence more of an idea than practice. Bergman did you say? and there are so many.....i think he is a symbol for an articulation of a sublime feeling..sometimes dread too..
Ive always thought of Slyvia Beach deciding to publish Ulysses and Max Brod deciding not to burn kafkas's works against his wishes as the most siginificant decisions in the 20th century literature.
Simply two unique worlds woudnt have been shown as concievable.
I think zadie smith wrote a brillaint essay on kafka, Ill look it up for you.

Durant is a master, I make it a point to go back to the book , for old times sake. Have you checked his letters?

Calvino , well you know:) , I did read ur write up long back and remember commenting on one of its clones somehwere .
I did briefly hop and saw sumis comment and after a long time I had athis unique feeling we all felt the same thing and wrote it in a different way. Heck!!

As always , thanks and..
No apologies solicited.

Ubermensch said...

Think you could find it here, if you problems... lemme know I must have a copy somewhere



http://www.tnr.com/user/nregi.mhtml?i=20031103&s=smith110303&pt=tSF4JHYwozRDLhDAkawdvu%3D%3D

Rajesh said...

Got it. Registered myself and yanked a copy. Just got it. I will read it at leisure. Thanks dude.

I have been chewing on this Bergman blog for a while now. The more I watch, I can;t help noticing glimpses of Kafka. More later...

Ubermensch said...

Any one particular movie? Ill write abt in the groups.

Anonymous said...

Uber,

I havent read any of the books you've mentioned except for Will Durant, which happened by accident during college. Lovely book and loved Kant and Voltaire in that.

your take and stories on Journals and The Diaries is quite well done and really leaves me to grab a copy of the the latter from the neearest higgin bothams.

btw, its sad to see you've restrict the readership of your blogs without letting in on this earlier.

Ubermensch said...

hey Maltova,
Thanks for sharing your bits and blobs.Im glad if I have moved you to read the mentioned.

Im totally lost on your restrict comment,but if you meant that im limiting my readership im afraid to say , its totally against my fundamental disposition. Yes , I think i can say that .

Anonymous said...

Now I will have to find me those dairies of Kafka. The strange thing is I have dipped into his world via his stories only recently, and I think while he can be difficult to digest, he stays with you for a long time afterwards. I don't think I ever stole a book for a library - my only sins would be limited to marking some passages in some books with pencil.

Ubermensch said...

Hey Sashi
Thanks for the comments. Yes, you will find them diaries.It totally agree about lingering effect,see to an extent to prompt a sin. Have you marked the library or your books? Im a victim of the same habit but the pen scanner helps now;)

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