Tag: English reading

Undelivered letters – पुस्तक परिचय

“साठेsss….” अशी लांबलचक आरोळी देऊन दारावरल्या टपालपेटीत पत्र टाकणारा पोस्टमन मला आजही आठवतो. पण वीस वर्षांपूर्वी पोचवायला हवी असलेली पत्र जेव्हा एखाद्या पोस्टमनला अचानक अनपेक्षितपणे सापडत असतील तेव्हा काय होत असेल? दोन दशकांच्या काळात पत्र ज्यांच्यापर्यंत पोहोचायला हवी होती त्यांचं पुढे काय झालं असेल? आणि आत्ता त्यांना ही पत्र पोहोचवली तर त्यांना काय वाटेल? हे सारे प्रश्न तुम्हाला पडलेत ना?

मग जे. आल्कम ( J. Alchem) यांनी लिहिलेलं Undelivered letters हे छोटसं पुस्तक तुम्हाला नक्की खिळवून ठेवेल. पोस्टमन अरॉन आणि त्याची पत्नी सारा यांना अचानक ही न पोहीचवलेली पत्रे सापडतात आणि सुरू होतो एक नवं द्वंद्व समोर उभं ठाकतं. पत्र पोहोचवावी की न पोहोचवावी. ज्यांच्या नावांनी ही पत्र आहेत ते काय म्हणतील? त्यांना काय वाटेल? आपल्या हलगर्जीपणाने झालेल्या या दोन दशकांच्या उशिरामुळे काही भयंकर तर नसेल घडले? या साऱ्या प्रश्नांच्या गदारोळात अडकलेल्या अरॉनची ही गोष्ट आहे छोटीशीच पण थेट मनाला जाऊन भिडते.

दोन दशकांच्या वेगवेगळ्या काळपट्टयावर चालणारी ह्या पत्रांची गोष्ट आपल्याला ज्यांची ही पत्रे असतात त्या वेगवेगळ्या पात्रांनाही भेटवते. एक वेगळ्याच पद्धतीने गुंफलेल्या या वेगवेगळ्या पात्रकथा, ‘न पोहोचवलेल्या’ पत्रांच्या धाग्याने छान घट्ट विणलेली आहे. एखाद्या निवांत सुट्टीच्या दिवशी हे पुस्तक हाती घेतलं तर एक बैठकीतच तुम्ही संपवूनच खाली ठेवाल. अगदी छोटेखानी असलेलं पुस्तक आपल्या अगदी साध्या मुखपृष्ठानी तुम्हाला नक्की खुणावून घेईल यात शंका नाही.

पु ल देशपांडे म्हटले होते की “पोटापाण्याचा उद्योग तुम्हाला जगवेल पण कलेशी जमलेली तुमची मैत्री तुम्ही का जगायचे हे सांगून जाईल”. जणू हीच भावना मनात ठेवून जे आल्कमनी प्रत्येक व्यक्तिरेखेला कोणती न कोणती कला दिली आहे. चित्रकला, लेखन, संगीत अशा अनेक कला आणि त्या जोपासणारे कलाकार निरनिराळ्या व्यक्तिरेखांच्या रुपात आल्कमनि अप्रतिम गुंफल्या आहेत. आल्कमची साधी सोपी भाषा दोन वेगवेगळ्या काळपट्ट्यांची गुंफण या पुस्तकाला एक वेगळाच रंग देतं.

अरॉन त्याला सापडलेली पत्र पोहोचवतो का? पत्र मिळाल्यावर लोकांची काय प्रतिक्रिया असते? सारा ज्या पत्राची वाट आतुरतेने कित्येक वर्ष पाहत असते ते तिला मिळते का? या साऱ्याची उत्तरं या पुस्तकात दडली आहेत. तेव्हा नक्कीच तुम्ही हे पुस्तक मिळवा आणि जरूर वाचा.

My rating: 4/5

Kindle version
Publisher: Westland Publications Ltd.
Language: English

August 12, 2019
George Saunders: telling stories of people – #BlogchatterA2Z

When a situation in life puts you at the crossroads and you have to choose one of them, you have to do it. No, I am not trying to preach any heavy philosophy. These choices are our day to day life. Yesterday I missed my post in A to Z, and technically, that’s failure in the challenge. But, when your goal while doing or participating something is clear, it doesn’t matter if you upload your post on next day. This is what the choice is all about.

The author I am choosing for the alphabet G writes his all stories about such choices done by people and their lives. I want you to meet Mr. George Saunders from Texas USA. He’s the author of many short stories, novellas, novels, essays and children’s books.

The book I have chosen for this TBR post is Tenth of December. The book is a collection of 10 short stories about people, their relationships along with the class, sex, love, loss, work, despair, and war. The way he describes his characters, their feelings with apt metaphors, idioms and phrases is phenomenal. In an article for GQ in 2005, Saunders wrote: “What a powerful thing to know: That one’s own desires are mappable onto strangers; that what one finds in oneself will most certainly be found in The Other.” Sian Cain writes quoting this in her review for The Guardian, “it’s exactly this sensation that lends such heft to his writing: the countless, gentle sentences that pop out of his stories, sparking flashes of internal recognition – I do that! I’ve thought that before! – with such sweet clarity that you cannot help but feel completely, uncomfortably understood.”

Photo Curtsy: Tim Knox

I am very much looking forward to reading this book and just because of title has December in it, I want to read it in chilly mornings of December, if possible at some place where it snows. Would you like to join me for Buddy Reading?

I am adding this to the amazing bucket of blogs at #BlogchatterA2Z.

April 8, 2018
Ali Smith – The Scottish Nobel Laureate-In-Waiting – #BlogchatterA2Z

Before we start:

Soon after I posted my theme reveal for 2018 April A to Z, I got very supportive comments about the eagerness of you lovely folks of this magic world of the blogging community. You all are excited about reading the stories. Guys I would like to clarify here, I am bringing you amazing 26 authors from Ali Smith to Zakaria Tamer who has put out amazing short stories for us bibliophiles to enjoy. You can follow this thread to get to know them and the books I am looking forward to reading. So, without further ado, let’s meet our Kathaka #1 none other than amazing Ali Smith.

On 28^th June 2016, people from the UK cast their vote on a very important decision for the EU membership of the UK and Ali Smith rushed to her desk with a brilliant story plot to be told. She gifted us the first ‘Post Brexit Novel’ and the first of four seasonal ‘state of the nation’ works. Autumn was published in October 2016. But long before that, Ali Smith had a long affair with the act of storytelling be in a form of plays which were staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Cambridge Footlights or be it the short stories.

Photograph Curtsy: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

First edition cover

The book I am putting in front of you is an anthology of twelve short stories “The Whole Story and Other Stories”. Anthology evolves around the varied nature of love in our life, let it be about nature, books or fellow humans. The book is first published by Hamish Hamilton in 2003 and by Penguin UK in 2004. “In a celebration of connections and missed connections, an inquiry into everything from flies and trees and books to sex, art, drunkenness and love, Smith rewrites the year’s cycle into a very modern calendar.” (from the blurb)

It’s said that Ali Smith has a knack to write stories which are humorous, quirky, inventive and sometimes sad too. I am very eager to get my hands on the copy of this book. Are you excited too? You can find the copy on the links given below.

Amazon

Flipkart

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Penguin UK (29 June 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0140296808
ISBN-13: 978-0140296808
Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 1.9 x 20.3 cm

Adding this to the amazing bucket of blogs at #BlogchatterA2Z.

April 1, 2018