Hello,
A lot of the books I decide to read are based on reviews I've read through local journals, online journals or on a friends recommendation. This practice inevitably leads me to reading a large number of books by Indian authors. Currently my reading pattern is shaped by two practices:
1. I've enlisted myself for a Reading Challenge by the website goodreads here, where I've pledged to read 30 books by the end of 2014. With just about five months to go, I'm attempting doggedly to pick up the pace!
2. In an endeavor to expand my repertoire, I've decided to alternate fiction and non-fiction works; a big leap for me considering I've grown up on and adore fictional narratives.
Keeping these in mind, I was drawn to purchasing a copy of "Travelling In, Travelling Out: A Book of Unexpected Journeys" while browsing through the "Full Circle" bookshop in Khan Market. It was a rare random buy and I must say it's a lovely find!
It is a treasure trove of articles and essays woven around the theme of travel. I use the phrase 'travel' loosely here, as these articles are not the typical travelogues one would expect, encompassing much more in their scope. These pieces deal evocatively with every aspect relating to travel, from the preparation involved to the actual journey undertaken; emotional upheavals encountered along the way; wistful memoirs of times gone by; and even the idea of travel as the ultimate healer of long-set wounds.
It is of course, understandable that some works were more endearing than others, some better focused on the subject matter chosen and some stood apart on the basis of their superiority of research. The ones that really shined, in my opinion, were:
Edited by Namita Gokhale, this book is a must read for all inveterate travellers!
*Picture has been taken from the net.
* This view is completely my own.
A lot of the books I decide to read are based on reviews I've read through local journals, online journals or on a friends recommendation. This practice inevitably leads me to reading a large number of books by Indian authors. Currently my reading pattern is shaped by two practices:
1. I've enlisted myself for a Reading Challenge by the website goodreads here, where I've pledged to read 30 books by the end of 2014. With just about five months to go, I'm attempting doggedly to pick up the pace!
2. In an endeavor to expand my repertoire, I've decided to alternate fiction and non-fiction works; a big leap for me considering I've grown up on and adore fictional narratives.
Keeping these in mind, I was drawn to purchasing a copy of "Travelling In, Travelling Out: A Book of Unexpected Journeys" while browsing through the "Full Circle" bookshop in Khan Market. It was a rare random buy and I must say it's a lovely find!
It is a treasure trove of articles and essays woven around the theme of travel. I use the phrase 'travel' loosely here, as these articles are not the typical travelogues one would expect, encompassing much more in their scope. These pieces deal evocatively with every aspect relating to travel, from the preparation involved to the actual journey undertaken; emotional upheavals encountered along the way; wistful memoirs of times gone by; and even the idea of travel as the ultimate healer of long-set wounds.
It is of course, understandable that some works were more endearing than others, some better focused on the subject matter chosen and some stood apart on the basis of their superiority of research. The ones that really shined, in my opinion, were:
- 'In Search of Lost Time' by Mayank Austen Soofi, for his description of the hills of Nainital. His beautiful iterations evoked in me a deep nostalgia of many summers spent there in childhood.
- 'Bhangarh: Of Darkness and Light' by Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, for its arresting and perhaps slightly disturbing subject.
- 'A House for Mr. Tata: An Old Shanghai Tale' by Mishi Saran, for the evocative sense of displacement displayed expertly.
- 'Lost Without a Trace' by Aveek Sen, for exploring the myriad emotions behind a seemingly mundane act.
- 'The Foreigner's Situation' by Ali Sethi, for capturing beautifully the dilemma an immigrant in a foreign land faces.
- 'The Persistence of Memory' by Urvashi Butalia, for portraying a tragic story of pain and loss in such a happy/hopeful light.
- 'The Door to the Hospice was Never Closed' by Navtej Sarna, for it's wistful, almost dreamy quality.
Edited by Namita Gokhale, this book is a must read for all inveterate travellers!
* This view is completely my own.
