The Curious Case of a Reader

Reading a book has to be a novel experience. We are constantly reminded of reading a piece of work in complete isolation, without linking it to the writer's personal history.

Don't you think it is extremely difficult to abide by this rule? How can you not be intimidated by the writer? An image is immediately conjured up our minds when we are speaking of a particular author. For example: J.K Rowling- most of us breath the Harry Potter series. When she comes up with a completely new novel, a story line that is poles apart from what she used to write, we end up criticizing her in a bad way. Are we devoiding her of exploring different genres of literature? Of providing her readers/fans with a different world of her's? Can we sour our relationship/bond with her because of this?

Readers play a crucial role in our beloved author's life. The bond is personal and intimate. Every writer speaks differently to his/her reader differently through their piece of writing. Imagine, if tomorrow George Martin comes up with a romance novel or if Dan Brown writes a novel which is not historical or a suspense thriller, what would our reaction be? Their fans would sure as hell be outraged.

Do you realize what we are doing here? We are denying the writer a chance- a chance to write something different, new, a chance to explore, and take risks. Is it fair? Living in a digitally advanced generation, a tweet or a post on Facebook can affect the reading experience of million readers.

There have been long intellectual debates on whether one should read a novel in isolation, with no preconceived notion about the author. Instead, let's ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing? Should we be so critical of the author? Can't we give them a chance to try out something new? Are we that cruel?

Let me know what you think about this. I am open to any kind of views or an experience that you would like to share.

Happy Reading until my next post! 

Mapping Love

'Hubb' is love, 'ishq' is love that entwines two people together, 'shaghaf' is love that nests in the chambers of the heart, 'hayam' is love that wanders the earth, 'teeh' is love in which you lose yourself, 'walah' is love that carries sorrow within it, 'sababah' is love that excludes from your pores, 'hawa' is love that shares its name with 'air' and with 'falling', 'gharam' is love that is willing to pay the price.  

I have learned so much this past year, I could not list all the things I have learned.             

-Ahdaf Souief, Map of Love

I love it when I read works of new authors, the ones I have never read before as it helps me broaden my knowledge on different genres of novels/authors on the block. The same goes with Map of Love by Ahdaf Souief, we were prescribed this book for our term 2 gender paper and it got me pretty excited. Initially when I started to read this book, I was a little bored since I didn't have a clue of what was happening but as I kept on reading, it was hard for me to put down.

The title of the novel is very apt as Souief literally tries to map love. It is an extremely fascinating love story of two different generations, one taking place during the colonial times and the other in the modern era. Set against the colonial backdrop and the impact of European colonialism on a nation with thousand years of culture and history, Anna Winterbourne who is recently widowed finds herself enchanted with Egypt and simultaneously falls in love with Sharif Pasha al-Baroudi. We see history repeating itself years later when Isabel Parker (descendant of Sharif and Anna), recently divorced American journalist, falls in  love with Omar al-Ghamrawi. As the novel shifts to the present, it describes the modern-day aftermath of that period of history in the continuing interference of the West in the Middle East. 

What I really love about the novel is its structure. It doesn't have a normal narrative structure but interweaves Anna's journal entries, newspaper clippings from the past and merges it with the present narration.There is a constant shift from the past to the present and hence makes the readers quite active.The novel can be considered as feminist as mainly women contribute their voice to the story. It is also a post-colonial novel not only because of its fragmented nature but also because it tries to re-shape the past. There is a lot more to the book than what I shared. Being a complex novel, it has multiple layers to it. People with zero knowledge of Eygpt's political scenario might find it difficult to catch up as there are many parts in the novel which goes on to talk about it in detail, but nonetheless you get a hang of it. 

The book is a perfect mixture of history and romance, politics and culture and past and the present. Best I recommend you all to read this novel and experience it yourself. I can guarantee you guys will have a delightful  time reading such a detailed novel. For those who have already read the novel, you are free to discuss this book with me and share your thoughts on it.

Happy Reading until my next post :)

Have you packed your book trunk?

So summer is here! The season of sweaty armpits, mangoes and that of ice-lollies. But the most amazing thing about summer is taking a break and going away, far away from the hullabaloo of the city life. For a book nerd like me, summer equates to a new romance with a new novel. Imagining myself at an isolated island with only books to keep me company, seems like a paradise to me. But the question arises as to what books would make it to my summer reading-list? Have you ever have faced a situation where you are to make a crucial decision regarding what books to pack when you are travelling? Well, after giving it a lot of thought I have listed down a few books that I would read during summer.

  Lord of the Flies  
by William Golding

Being a sucker for classics, this book tops my summer reading-list. I mean, who wouldn't want to read about a group of kids stranded on an island? Jokes apart, it is an extremely powerful read as Golding explores the dark reality of men. I wouldn't suggest this novel to people who want to do some light reading.

Bossypants 
 by Tina Fey

This book has to be in everyone's reading list. It's hilarious, witty and light, which makes it a perfect summer read.

 

 

Harry Potter series 

by J.K Rowling

There hasn't been one summer (after I finished reading all Potter books for the first time) where I haven't reread Harry Potter. These novels are very dear to my heart and my summer would be incomplete without them. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky 

This is a novel most of us relate to. It is very insightful and wonderfully written. I don't really love this novel but I don't even dislike it. It is quick read and apt for a summer afternoon on a beach..

 

The Museum of Innocence  

by Orhan Pamuk

"After all, a woman who doesn't love cats is never going to make a man happy" (Orhan Pamuk). I absolutely loved this book, was introduced to writings of Pamuk by a friend of mine. He has a very unique style of writing and summer seems the perfect time to get lost in Pamuk's world of Istanbul.

 

Lolita 

 by Vladimir Nabokov

Do I really need a reason to reread this cult classic? The story and language are what makes this novel a delightful read.     

These are a few books which I would prefer reading on a long lazy summer afternoon with Lana Del Rey's songs softly playing in a background. I know that you nerds have a different and a unique summer reading list and might not agree with mine, feel free to share. Let me know which books you will be packing this summer!

Happy Reading until my next post :)