Right from my childhood days, I’ve been a bibliophile of sorts…the kind who’d sneak fiction, comics et al into class and read them (this habit continued well into my college days) I also grew up in a home full of books. So, when I first saw this post at Debosmita’s blog, I thought I’d take a crack. Dear readers, please feel free to recommend books/share anecdotes in the comments section. Would be much appreciated!
Favourite childhood book?
Many….Tintin comics and Robin Hood stories in English (was introduced to Asterix only after I turned 13) and Tenida, Feluda and pieces by Mr. Shibram Chakroborty in Bengali. And “Abol Tabol” by Mr. Sukumar Ray…I think that’s the first book I had. Loved Pagla Dashu.
Feluda, illustration by Mr. Satyajit Ray
What are you reading right now?
“Myth = Mitthya” by Dr. Devdutt Pattnaik and “Indian Controversies: Essays on Religion in Politics” by Mr. Arun Shourie.
Bad book habit?
There was a time when I’d read my favorite books even on the night before an exam….did it before the ICSE exams!!!
Do you have an e-reader?
No, but I have a lot of e-books. Remember reading Mr. Dan Brown’s “The Dan Vinci Code” on my computer…finished it in one go, and the whole thing took me 9 hours.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
No more than two.
Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I get less time to read nowadays….due to work pressures et al, more than anything else.
Least favourite book you read this year (so far)?
I’ve liked the books I’ve read so far this year…would be unfair to pick one out.
Favourite book you’ve read this year?
“The Argumentative Indian” by Prof. Amartya Sen (finished it this year).
How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Quite often, actually.
What is your reading comfort zone?
Humour.
Can you read on the bus?
Yes, not just on the bus but whenever I’m travelling. That’s what I usually do on flights these days.
Favourite place to read?
My bed. Always been like that.
What is your policy on book lending?
Depends on the borrower, really….guess it’s like that with most people.
Do you ever dog-ear books?
Never!
Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I use post-its if I really have to write something.
Not even with text books?
See above.
What is your favourite language to read in?
Bengali, my mother tongue, and English.
What makes you love a book?
If it’s fiction, I’d look for a nice plot, pace, character development….I’d also expect the the author to have an eye for detail and the language to be nice.
If it’s non-fiction, I’d look for original research. I’d also expect the author to clearly develop his arguments and present his analysis, if any.
What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If it’s non-fiction, I’d definitely recommend a book if I feel it has served as an eye-opener for me. If it’s fiction, it has to leave an impression on my mind. I have a habit of recommending books to people I know…especially close friends.
Favourite genre?
Fiction - humour and non-fiction - politics.
Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Books on the development of various legal systems.
Favourite biography/autobiography?
“Spycatcher” by Mr. Peter Wright. The book ran into all sorts of trouble after its release. For more details, see this.
Also, “Wings Of Fire”, the autobiography of India’s former president Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Have you ever read a self-help book?
No….that’s a genre I stay away from.
Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Favourite reading snack?
Biscuits.
Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience
“Three Mistakes of My Life” by Mr. Chetan Bhagat. Won’t say more. Thankfully, his next wasn’t half as bad.
How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on how often the critics get it right ;-)
How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
Only if the book’s really really bad.
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I want to read Asterix, Tintin and some other works in French. Started learning the language too…haven’t mastered it yet. Hope to do it someday.
(picture taken from this website.)
Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Mr. Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote”…..for the size, more than anything.
(Bronze statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, at the Plaza de España in Madrid.)
Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I don’t think a book can be that intimidating.
Favourite Poet(s)?
Bengali: Mr. Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mr. Sukanta Bhattacharya, Mr. Sukumar Ray.
(Mr. R.N. Tagore (L) and Mr. Sukumar Ray (R), photos available online at wikipedia.)
English: Mr. T. S. Eliot, Mr. Robert Frost, Mr. Walt Whitman, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Mr. Shakespeare.
Favourite fictional character(s)?
Bengali: Felu da, Tenida, Byomkesh Bakshi and Mr. Shibram Chakroborty as himself in “Debotar Jonmo”.
English: All the Asterix characters – nothing beats the spirit of those books! The irreverence with which certain power systems are treated is simply delightful. Sherlock Holmes. And of course, Don Quixote…the idealist.
Favourite fictional villain?
Shylock….is he really a villain?
(Shylock and Jessica by Maurycy Gottlieb, photo available here.)
Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Anything that makes for a light reading. I have a habit of carrying my Asterix collection wherever I go.
The longest I’ve gone without reading
The whole of 2009. I stayed away from books, and a whole lot of other things. For reasons very personal.
Name a book that you could/would not finish-
I have a collection of all of Shakespeare’s works. I haven’t finished that volume yet.
What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Work, internet and phone calls.
Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Without any doubt whatsoever. Also, Patalghar. It was the first of its kind in Bengali cinema. Read more about the movie here.
Most disappointing film adaptation?
That’s a difficult one to answer.
The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Can’t really remember.
How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Rarely…have done it once or twice, but I don’t do it on a regular basis.
What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
If I find it disappointing, I’ll leave it midway.
Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes.
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I let people borrow my book, but I do not give them away. There’s a library of sorts at my home, and that’s where I keep my books when I am not reading them.
Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
No, why would I?
Name a book that made you angry –
“Indian Controversies: Essays on Religion in Politics” by Mr. Arun Shourie. It exposes the manner in which religion has been used by politicians and political parties in India for their own gains.
A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
“The Kite Runner” by Mr. Khalid Hosseini.
A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
“Myth = Mitthya” by Dr. Devdutt Pattnaik. I won’t say I didn’t like the book, but I feel it could have been better.
Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Mr. Shibram Chakroborty (see this) and Mr. Jerome K. Jerome. These are two people who didn’t get their due, in my opinion. Few people could see beneath the humour. Mr. Shibram Chakroborty provides an excellent analysis of contemporary Bengal and its problems in his writings. As for “J”, he was quite the philosopher, wasn’t he?
Books I love or “the ones I can read again and again and again and…..”
- Anything by the two authors mentioned above, and Mr. Satyajit Ray.
- “Kamalakanter Daptar” by Mr. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
- Byomkesh Bakshi.
- Asterix.
- Mr. P. G. Wodehouse….love his works.
(Abir Chatterjee as Byomkesh Bakshi in Adim Ripu, a Byomkesh Bakshi movie by Anjan Dutt. Picture taken from this website.)
Books I love to hate:
Some works of Ms. Kamala Das and Mr. Aravind Adiga. (An aside: Has anyone read his latest article? Can anyone please explain how and why the present BJP government in Karnataka will become less corrupt if I learn Kannada? I just didn’t get his argument!)
Books that left me underwhelmed:
Nothing’s really coming to my mind right now.
P.S. I had my favourite ‘book moment’ recently, when I was present at the release of my own book, co-authored with Debosmita (a really close friend without whom this wouldn’t have been possible), recently. Now that’s one book I’m really proud of. :-)
(Photos from the book release: Prof. M.P. Singh and Dr. A.K. Poddar at the book release (top), the cover of our book and (below) me, in blue, and Debosmita, in white, at our book release.)
All my readers (especially the bibliophiles), feel free to do this tag. (Especially you, Paushali.) Just let me know as and when you decide to do this. I’d love to read your stuff too. Thanks, Debosmita, for the tag.
