Reading contd..

As shastribot would say, it is important to keep the scoreboard ticking
And sedate oldschooler that I also thought I'd keep the ball rolling (sheesh!)


இப்பதிவிக்குத் தொடர்ச்சி ஒன்று எழுதவேண்டுமா இல்லை இப்படி லஜ்ஜையில்லாமல் பட்டியல் போடுவதை நிறுத்திவிடலாமா என்று யோசித்தேன். மக்கள் bookfairஇல் வாங்கிய புத்தகங்கள் பட்டியலெல்லாம் போடுகிறார்கள். அதற்கு படித்த பட்டியலே பரவாயில்லை என்று....



  1. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
  2. மிதமான காற்றும் இசைவான கடலலையும் - ச.தமிழ்ச்செல்வன்
  3. The True Story of Winston Churchill - Arthur Booth
  4. ஒரு குடும்பத்தின் கதை - அ.கா.பெருமாள்
  5. Doctor At Large - Richard Gordon
  6. பொய்மான் கரடு - கல்கி
  7. இரும்பு குதிரைகள் - பாலகுமாரன்
  8. மலையாள குறுநாவல்கள் - பத்மாராஜன்,நரேந்திரநாத் etc.
  9. Nocturnes - Kazuo Ishiguro
  10. தலைமுறைகள் - நீல.பத்மநாபன்
  11. Mystic Masseur -VS Naipaul
  12. கம்பராமாயணம் - ஆரண்ய காண்டம்
  13. சதுரங்கபட்டினம் - ம.ந.ராமசாமி
  14. ராமகியன் - ஆனந்த் ராகவ்
  15. Parrot and Olivier in America - Peter Carey
  16. You are not a Stranger Here (short stories)- Adam Haslett
  17. கம்பராமாயணம் - கிஷ்கிந்தா காண்டம்
  18. சிறியன சிந்தியாதான் - பேராசிரியர் எஸ்.இராமகிருஷ்ணன்
  19. ஏற்கனவே (சிறுகதை தொகுப்பு)- யுவன்சந்திரசேகர்
  20. Booklets:
    ஹிந்துத்வா, எளிய அறிமுகம் -அரவிந்தன் நீலகண்டன்
    லகான் - அறிமுகம் - எம்.ஜி.சுரேஷ்
    ஈஸியா எழுதலாம் வெண்பா - இலவசக்கொத்தனார்

    Excerpts/Abandoned
  21. வெயில் நண்பன் பிரார்த்தனை ஒரு பிரதேசம் (சிறுகதைகள்) - பா. திருச்செந்தாழை
  22. செய்யுளிலக்கணம் - புலவர் குழந்தை
  23. Idea of Pakistan - Stephen Cohen

Best book I read in the year was - apples-oranges notwithstanding - சிறியன சிந்தியாதான். Late Prof. Ramakrishnan's take on Kamban's Vaali. A simple, old fashioned essay (heck it was even an undergrad textbook in Madura college a few years back!). Very attentive reading that interprets the silences, the choice of expressions, the changes in tone etc. that highlight the drama. The late scholar weaves in and out of Valkimiki's texts, வில்லிபாரதம் and Shakespeare to make his points. Not once did it feel like he was making a point which was largely his own reading. He makes a compelling argument and more importantly instructive on how to go about actively reading the epic.

The opinion-revising read was Naipaul. I had developed this prejudice against his writing without having read any of his novels. I'd read some of his later essays which were a lot of gas. But I recall reading an excellent short story (Love, love and Love alone - from Miguel Street) as part of my school textbook. I reread it while fiddling with a shelf and wanted to buy Miguel Street. It seemed to be available only in combination with his debut novel: Mystic Masseur. It was a riveting read. Such lovely characterizations, humour and use of language at such a young age is a rarity (he was bloody 23 when the novel was published). I know I sound like the descriptions in the indhu Lit Review about yeng writers which we swallow, only to go on to read them and feel murderous. They must have used such expressions on Naipaul before the sincerety was washed off them.

Report card: 6 மாதத்தில் 20 என்பது மிகவும் கப்பி. படம் பார்த்தேன், வலைல மேஞ்சேன்னு கணக்கு சொல்லலாம். இருந்தாலும் என் டகால்டிய என்ட்டியே காட்டறதா? Anyway புதுவருஷமாவது சுபிட்சமாகட்டும். ததாஸ்து.

Comments

  1. Aaaha. You have read a lot more than me for sure. My reading for the past six months have probably been a few text books. If you don't believe me, I will send you a link to my tech book reviews :)

    Should try to do better this year but my resolution is to write more this year. Which means I need to have an opinion about some books. That is more important than reading those books. Hopefully in your next post you will give your opinions about books not read :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ... and I would have been happy had I read only the two kandams from Kamba Ramayanam.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Reviewing textbooks, huh! Sounds like quite a task.

    As for as your resolution goes, I must say you have started the year with a bang. Keep writing in Thamizh.

    Reading with it hovering in the back of your mind that you are going to have to write about what you read can be quite a pain! But then I shouldn't be the one talking. I realized I was tweeting about each of these books as and when I was reading them :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Macolm Gladwell has been accused (maybe with some justification) to relying too much on anecdotal evidence and stretching limited evidence too far. That should not matter to you, given the title of your blog :-D But to me it appears that he's invited the green eyed monsters over with his stupendous commercial success; besides everyone feels entitled to explain those topics that he seems to enjoy picking. I find it immensely readable, not least because it tallies with some of my own thinking on the topic.

    செய்யுளிலக்கணம் - புலவர் குழந்தை & ஈஸியா எழுதலாம் வெண்பா - இலவசக்கொத்தனார் - idhu rendu pathina (shopping) details /review pottinganna, nalla irukkum. Danksu. I yaam looking to pick up some in-depth gyaan on yaappilakkanam.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Regarding ஈஸியா எழுதலாம் வெண்பா look at me.

    கிழக்கு பதிப்பகம். May be available in Landmark in Bangalore. Very accessible, innovative style and good way to get started.

    ட்விட்டர்ல வந்தீங்கன்னா குறட்பா எழுதி ப்ராக்டீஸ் பண்ணிக்கலாம்.

    செய்யுலிலக்கணம் is pretty good. I am pacing it to suit my digestive juices. I bought in Newbooklands T Nagar.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi,

    I am interested in buying Kamba Ramayanam. Could you please recommend a version with good urai? I am in Pune so can't run around searching the right book. Your recommendation would be much appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Skanda Narayanan

    ReplyDelete
  7. The one I have is Varthamanar Pathippagam (paraphrasing by PoovaNNan). It is reasonably good but I understand it is not the best around.
    The uRai by Vai.Mu.Gopalakrishnamachariar is supposed to be the best.

    Not sure if you'll much option in Pune. You can try udumalai.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks! Tried udumalai.com but no luck (have a lean Rs.50 book without uRai I suppose).

    Will get it from Chennai through friends or family.

    ReplyDelete

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