I like his narration. Its never boring. I can easily read through it. He avoids all complex usages and keep it simple and pleasant. And I do like how he creates certain scenes. I feel almost touched. But then when I finish the book and get up, I always have this feeling "Oh... This is trash"... Except may be for Five Point Someone, I have felt the same for all the rest. The call centre one, Three mistakes, two states, and now to add to the list is Revolution 2020. Just now finished the book. And started wondering why do I feel the book is below average? It never bored me, and I was hooked to the plot and there was this gallantry ending. So I should be able to at least put it in average list. Some how I don't, and here I am perplexed as to why I don't :)
One explanation could be that its a person's sensitivity. Like how a sensitive cook can identify saccharine from sugar, I have a sensitivity to identify the difference between books, even though both tastes sweet. Wow that's an explanation I would love to adhere to ;)
Or there is a not so great explanation - That I am hooked to certain kind of books. The kind of books that I read in my teens. The beautiful classics, which inspired me and instilled in me the firm belief in good. Books like Mother (Gorky), Citadel (A J Cronin), Good Earth (Pearl S Buck), Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky), The old man and the sea (Earnest Hemmingway), those fabulous Russian short stories and the list goes on. When you put down these books after completing them, you feel humble. Or I felt humble. And the narrations and plots were so natural that in the end you will not feel like "Oh, yet another story with a bold "Moral of the story is...blah blah blah" sort of narration". Yes that's it. CBs stories comes with heavy morals, and forced scenes to assert the morals. Subtlety is missing. Or to an old classic fan like me, it is missing :)
The worst possible explanation is I have simply grown old and has got the "Old Syndrome" which glorifies things of past and looks gloomily at the present. But I REFUSE to accept that ;) As proof for rejecting this last and worst possible explanation, I will add a book that I enjoyed immensely and which belongs to the present... "The Hunger Games"... It came as a gift and I simply loved it. Thanks dear Kathu, you gave me a good read and helped me prove I am still young ;)
One explanation could be that its a person's sensitivity. Like how a sensitive cook can identify saccharine from sugar, I have a sensitivity to identify the difference between books, even though both tastes sweet. Wow that's an explanation I would love to adhere to ;)
Or there is a not so great explanation - That I am hooked to certain kind of books. The kind of books that I read in my teens. The beautiful classics, which inspired me and instilled in me the firm belief in good. Books like Mother (Gorky), Citadel (A J Cronin), Good Earth (Pearl S Buck), Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky), The old man and the sea (Earnest Hemmingway), those fabulous Russian short stories and the list goes on. When you put down these books after completing them, you feel humble. Or I felt humble. And the narrations and plots were so natural that in the end you will not feel like "Oh, yet another story with a bold "Moral of the story is...blah blah blah" sort of narration". Yes that's it. CBs stories comes with heavy morals, and forced scenes to assert the morals. Subtlety is missing. Or to an old classic fan like me, it is missing :)
The worst possible explanation is I have simply grown old and has got the "Old Syndrome" which glorifies things of past and looks gloomily at the present. But I REFUSE to accept that ;) As proof for rejecting this last and worst possible explanation, I will add a book that I enjoyed immensely and which belongs to the present... "The Hunger Games"... It came as a gift and I simply loved it. Thanks dear Kathu, you gave me a good read and helped me prove I am still young ;)
5 comments:
In 'zen and art of motorcycle maintenance', the protagonist talks about the difference between riding a motorbike and driving a car. If My memory serves me right, it goes like "In a car you're always in a compartment, and everything you see is just like TV through that car window. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
I guess that is the difference between books we love, and the books we don't like. some just paint a pretty picture, while we are very much involved in the scenery in others. We might say 'the painting was wonderful', but actually feeling it- that's something only masters can do.
I am wondering why you put some effort to read Revolution 2020 when you knew what to expect?
@Elizabeth- I never promised myself that I will read only the best... Sometimes I resort to MnBs too :)... And I do like Chetan's narration. Its pretty simple...
@Kris- Thats a nice analogy... And u dont have to read the boring content here to return favors ;)
It is boring for you because you wrote it. And I like poetry. go figure :)
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