Benefits of reading!

Since the time babai scared the living daylights out of me about Diabetes, I have managed to keep my diet under control. The exception was 2 Sundays ago, when Durga pinni served a 'light' lunch comprising of

a) 2 kuras
b) pappu
c) charu
d) curd and
e) rasmalai (Kanth's contribution from the local sweet shop)

"emi ledu bujji, koddige chesaale", she said, thus proving herself to be a master of the understatement.

With this heightened awareness of Diabetes (DM), I naturally picked up a leaflet on DM at the Wokhardt hospital for casual reading, as I waited in the reception area one cold evening. I was there to help out a colleague who had a medical emergency in the family.

As I read the booklet, I discovered to my horror that I seemed to be richly endowed with most of the symptoms of DM. As if to rub salt into the wound (or perhaps, sugar into the bloodstream), the booklet also took particular joy in describing the various maladies that one can develop with DM.

But then, I remembered another gentleman, whose rich imagination led him to believe he has all the diseases listed in the Medical dictionary (except for Housemaid's knee). And I decided to follow the advice he had got from his doctor: "don't stuff up your head with things you don't understand". Thus, I restored a measure of calm to myself and exited cheerfully from that medical mausoleum.

So whoever said 'Truth imitates fiction' sure got it right. Thank you, Jerome K Jerome!

(P.S.: For those who haven't read it, I was referring to the 1st chapter of 'Three men in a boat' (http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext95/3boat10.txt). Read it!)

Also, 'On the beach'

Also managed to lay my hands on 'On the beach' by Nevil Shute. The storyline is interesting: a war in the Northern hemisphere turns nuclear and snowballs into a full blown nuclear holocaust, wiping out the whole of the populace of the Northern Hemisphere. The winds are carrying the nuclear dust down South and it is only a manner of months before the last few folks in Melbourne also die an inevitable death. The book is set in Melbourne and tracks those last few months. The book was written at the height of the cold war when the scenario proposed by the book may have sounded too close to potential fulfilment for comfort.

The style is still the same distinctive one that you would encounter in 'A town like Alice' but overall, I thought the book was average. The best part of the book was that it introduced me to an interesting poem by T S Eliot called 'The hollow men'. The book starts with a quote from the poem (which can be read here: http://poetry.poetryx.com/poems/784/). The poem is also a dark judgement on the 'hollow' intellects of the architects of the cold war. The ending (which is the bit quoted in this novel) goes like this:

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

...which is the essential theme of this book by Shute. It is worth reading just for the matter-of-fact starkness of the narrative.

Remains of the day

Recently completed this book by Kazuo Ishiguro, a Japanese-English author. An elderly butler takes a road trip through a part of England and simultaneously reminisces about his past, his thirst to be the ideal butler and finally confronts the cost he paid to achieve that nebulous standard: in effect, he contemplates the remains of the day. The book is thoroughly enjoyable for its excellent prose and its lovable and well crafted central character. Definitely worth a read- a modern classic!

The book won a Booker prize and was later made into a movie by the same name with Anthony Hopkins cast as the butler.

Along somewhat similar lines again, here is an excerpt from Amartya Sen's first essay from his book 'The Argumentative Indian':

As it happens, even the world-conquering Alexander received some political lecturing as he roamed around north-west India in the fourth century BCE. For example, when Alexander asked a group of Jain philosophers why they were paying so little attention to the great conqueror, he got the following - broadly anti-imperial - reply (as reported by Arrian):

King Alexander, every man can possess only so much of the earth's surface as this we are standing on. You are but human like the rest of us, save that you are always busy and up to no good, traveling so many miles from your home, a nuisance to yourself and to others! . . . You will soon be dead, and then you will own just as much of the earth as will suffice to bury you.

Ozymandias

Narsim babai was in Bangalore recently (finally!) and was telling me about the poem Ozymandias by PB Shelly. It is about the fleeting nature of individual human achievement in the passage of time. You can read it here. In one of those funny coincidences that life seems to be peppered with, I came across the adjective 'ozymandian' yesterday, in another book. Anyway, that set me off on an Internet search on the word and I came across this software simulation of the poem . Thought you might enjoy it, Babai.

Daily dose

Check out http://dailylit.com It allows you to get one page a day of your favourite classic on your mail, phone etc. Useful for books that are tough to handle more than 1 page at a time...for eg, I have subscribed to poems of P B Shelly.

Physics for Entertainment

By Y Perelman- available for download here.

http://www.archive.org/details/physicsforentert035428mbp

Good book!

I just finished reading 'Nehru: A contemporary's estimate' by Walter Crocker. This book came out recently and should be on the stands of most bookshops. Crocker was the High Commissioner from Australia to India during Nehru's prime ministership. So, it is truly an objective view (not a British or Indian viewpoint) and also it is a view of the time when Nehru could be seen in isolation rather than in the shadow of Gandhiji. The book is extremely good because:

1. It is very pithy- only 185-odd pages. It also restricts itself to the 16 years of Nehru's rule than his entire life...so no ramblings about childhood incidents

2. It is amazingly knowledgable about India and its psyche, given the book is written by an Australian

3. It is uncannily prophetic- the author had published this book in 1966, and the predictions he made of India are very accurate, if we see the India we have become, 40 years hence

4. It is very sympathetic to India and Nehru: it generates the same sense of respect and awe for our leaders at the time of the independence struggle that usually is the effect of reading Gandhiji or Rajaji

Don't miss it.

A very good read

What does an occupier feel when he is in the occupied country? USA had the experience in several places. But the recent Iraqi occupation has given them lots of problems. The returning GIs had a high rate of mental problems due to the constant atmosphere of hate and fear they had to live through. Along with Papillon, Pied Pier, there are several books that deal with this aspect of human(inhuman) behaviour of people during the wars. Should we have wars?
Anyway read this and empathise.
Go over to the groups page and read moonisdown.

Micheal Crichton dies of cancer

Michael Crichton, the million-selling author of such historic and prehistoric science thrillers as "Jurassic Park," "Timeline" and "The Andromeda Strain," has died of cancer, his family said.

He died Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 66 after a long battle with the illness.

Crichton was a brand-name author, known for his stories of disaster and systematic breakdown, such as the rampant microbe of "The Andromeda Strain" or dinosaurs running amok in "Jurassic Park," one of his many books that became major Hollywood movies.

Sources of JKR's character names

Sometimes, JKR picked the names for her characters from the map. Snape, if you don't know, is the name of a small town somewhere in England. Today's Hindu talks about Grindelwald- it is a place in Switzerland (the author visited the place). Here is the link: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/11/02/stories/2008110250230800.htm
The author also went to Reichenbach Falls (no prizes for guessing its literary significance).

Some HP names that have roots in language, instead of being named after places on the map:
Dumbledore - Means "Bumblebee" in Old English. J.K. Rowling has said that she chose this name because she imagined Dumbledore walking around the castle, humming to himself.
Albus - In Latin, it means "white" (maybe for white beard). Wisdom.
Voldemort= Vol-de-mort= flight from death (which was the driving purpose behind the character's actions)
Severus - Sever means "to cut off." Snape appears to have "cut off" his ties with the Dark Lord through the first five books, and then with Dumbledore and the Order in Half-Blood Prince. "Severe" means "cruel, strict" - two characteristics that accurately describe the Potions Professor. Sounds very similiar to the Latin word "servus," meaning "servant." Is he still a servant of Voldemort's? In ancient history, Lucius Septimius Severus restored stability to the Roman Empire after the tumultuous reign of Emperor Commodus (See Albus) and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus' murder. To read more on this story, go here. The name Severus is also mentioned in Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, a favorite book of J.K. Rowling. Additionally, a Saint Severus of Alexandria (Egypt) was martyred along with a Saint Peter and a Saint Leucius for publicly proclaiming the faith around 309 C.E. Severus, Peter, and Lucius - quite a coincidence!
Sirius-the "Dog Star," the brightest one in the Canis Major ("Great Dog") constellation; a pun on the fact that he can change into a big black dog, and that Sirius black's defining characterisitc was loyality to friends (like a dog)
Malfoy - In Latin, "malus" means "bad" and "mal" means "pale." "Mal foi" means "bad faith, an act with bad intentions, or a malicious act" in French. "Mal de foi" means a "loss of faith." The similar French phrase "Mal fait" can be interpeted as "badly made" or "evil deeds." In Portuguese, (J.K. Rowling taught English in Portugal for a few years) "Mal foi" means "was bad" or "is bad."
Draco - Draco is a constellation that looks like a dragon but is a snake. In Latin, Draco means "dragon." There was also a Greek ruler named Draco who developed a system of severe punishments for the smallest of crimes. "Draconian" means "harsh or cruel." In Romanian, "drac" means "devil."
Lupin - "Lupus" is the Latin derivative for "wolf." Canis Lupus is the scientific name for wolf. To be described as "lupine" means to "resemble a wolf."
Bellatrix - "Bella" is a construct of the word "bellum" meaning "war" and "trix" refers to "a woman in power." Bellatrix is therefore known as the "Female Warrior" and is also the pale yellow star indicating the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, the Great Hunter.
Lestrange - To be "estranged" means to be "removed from society." In French, "etrange" means "strange" or "weird."
Hagrid - J.K. Rowling said: "Hagrid is also another old English word meaning if you were Hagrid, it’s a dialect word meaning you’d had a bad night. Hagrid’s a big drinker. He has a lot of bad nights."

sources: Mugglenet.com & HP Lexicon

Tale of two cities on Google Groups

Most of you probably already have the book, but I posted in Google group anyways.

My Fav 5 -1

I thought a lot, only these characters came to my mind
1. Budugu
2. Parvathesam
3. Dorle Bathani Ginja
and Tom Riddle

peace

Top 10 Status So Far

Only entries with more than 1 votes is shown here. Sherlock is leading the pack so far. OK, time for Ranga babai and Gopal babai to step in! Image can be clicked to see a bigger version...

My List

The title sounds a bit like Microsoft!:)
It is a tough task to narrow things down to 10. Let me try.
A few observations first.
1.Of all the Rasas Karuna is the one that is felt more easily and is the one that comes out quicker than other emotions. (It is rooted in the fact that empathy is a group response and all animals find survival is better in a group. Only predators go about separately.)That is why tragedies and sacrifices make lasting impressions-be it movies, novels, epics or real life.
2.Literature (and literary characters)also follow the same rule and Literature should give us a better understanding of the people around us and the society as a whole. So, more tragic heroes and fewer comical ones. Still eternal optimists, those that never give up, idealists also should form an important part. Alistair Maclean or Sydney Sheldon and the rest of that ilk are interesting to read but will not form a lasting impression on the mind.

So here goes-- as Krupa says. in no particular order.

1. Sydney Carton -- A tale of Two Cities
He goes to his death cheerfully to save the husband of the woman whom he loved. A woman, who goes to the tumbril with him, recognises that he is not Darnay and asks him why he is losing his life like that. His sacrifice gives her courage and she goes to her death with the head held high. That is the value of a sacrifice--that it inspires the others.

2. At the risk of blasphemy--Lucifer. Don't you think there is logic in his arguments?

3.Hamlet--the confused man and Macbeth the victim of his own and wife's greed.

4.The Man in Black--see Gouri's explanation.

5. And Yes!!! Lord Emsworth, the dotty peer.

6. Hank Rearden, who knows his strengths and yet is willing to be exploited by sentiment--you see this in several elder members of the families. Youngsters have all the rights and no responsibilities. I feel John Galt is a bit too practical.

7. For pure horror--Dracula

8. for pure deductive reasoning--which is essential in any field of constructive action--Who else--It is Sherlock Holmes.

9.For applying Psychology--not Jeeves but Miss Marple who studies the village life and from it deduces human nature and the culprits. Yet she is human. In one book she rushes for a sale to buy bedspreads and manages to buy things in the (c)rush.

10. As a doctor I have seen it happen to several greats and I always feel " but for the grace of God, there go I" and hence we always run to keep up with the latest trends--- Dr. Joseph Pearson in Final Diagnosis.

Real nice ones, Krupa and Pinni- specially Pinni's notes. Pinni, The Pied Piper sound interesting- I will try to get hold of it, although I doubt if it is in print. Ranga babai, Gopal babai, Attha-your list? Sudha? Seenu?Vidya?

Kanth, Mrudula, Lavanya, Manasa, Sumana: you have to post on this topic- no excuses! I really want to know your top 10. Dont worry about the list being simple...even my list was simple.

my favourites

These are my choices.
they may be repeated bcoz of their universal appeal
uncle Tom
Dr.Pearson
Sydney Carton
Sherloc Holmes
Dumbledore
Snape
Sindbad,childhood facination
Othello
JEEVES
Hero and Heroine in Birthday gift ,O.Henry story
Telugu
gireesam,budugu,kakki,m.ramanas mother,
ganapathi,athadu aame hero and heroine
ramadasu,karna,oormila in ramayanam
buchhibabu in sweethome

my fav characters

1.SIDNEY CARTON in Tale of two cities(an epitome of love and sacrifice)
2.Dr WATSON in sherlock holmes(you need a whetting stone to sharpen yr intellect i.e watson to SH.)
3.OTHELLO a real life MALE MAN
4.HOWARD in pied piper by Nevil shute(It is about John Sidney Howard,who goes on a fishing holiday in France after the Second World War breaks out, but before the fall of France. Entrusted with the care of two British children, and overtaken by events, he attempts to return to England and safety. His journey is hampered by the unexpected speed of the Nazi invasion of France, and by the fact that he continually finds himself entrusted with the custody of more and more young children. Eventually, he is stranded in Nazi occupied France and he is fully aware that, as an Englishman, he is an enemy to the occupying forces.While attempting to get passage on a fishing boat, he and his charges are discovered by the Germans. However, in a final plot twist, the German commandant allows them to escape on the condition that they take his niece with them and send her to relatives in the USA. His niece is apparently orphaned and had a Jewish mother.The tale is told by an acquaintance he meets in a London club.
5.MOTHER in Gorky's MOTHER.
6.PAPILLON (Papillon is a memoir by convicted felon Henri Charrière.)even today the cruelty remains the same towards convicts (guantanama bay and other such prisons around the world.)
7.MISS MARPLE.
8.MR. MICABER (if your income is one pound and expenditure is 19 shillings you are a happy man if your income is a pound and your expenditure a guinea, desolation and ruin)
expl. 1pound=20 shillings,1guinea=21 shillings.
The present day CREDIT CULTURE is throwing many micabers-not into debtor's prisons but into a worse situation of suicides.
9.MAN IN BLACK--(The Character Of The Man In Black from Citizen Of The World- Letter xxvi by Oliver Goldsmith) see here. I am reminded of my father-in-law who was always a lot of thunder but was very sympathetic and generous to the very people at whom he yelled.
10.Dr JOSEPH PEARSON in Final Diagnosis by Arthur hailey--The disillusionment of a man at the end of his career, after the realization that all his achievements are meaningless because he could not accept changes, is a situation one would not like to face, yet, it is inevitable in each one’s career.One cannot disregard the fundamental rule of nature, “what is new now will later be old”; you can disregard it but at your own peril.


TELUGU
1.PITCHAIH the contented happy man in amaravathi kadhalu.wish I were he.
2.BHIMA and ARJUNA in mahabharatha. It seems one day some one had a doubt who are great? Rama's brothers or Dhramaraju's.sahasam souryam kaligi kevalam bhrathrudharmaniki talavoggina Bhimarjunule goppavallu.
3.THE WIFE in "Midhunam". Actually my mother said the same thing.
4.GANAPATHI(talli verri garabam tho lokampokada theliyakunda poyina amayakudu)
5.MADHURAVANI IN KANYASULKAM
6.RAMADASU IN MALAPALLI
7.AMMA in NAMINI's kadhalu
8.HEROINE in SALIM's VENDIMEGHAM (who fights and wins against gender discrimination)
9.VISHALA RAO in SWEET HOME.you see such characters every day everywhere.
10.DEVAKI in BHAGAVATHAM.biddalundiu devaki godduralu emi lekane yasoda kannathalli.kanatame kaani kadupu theepi pondaleni unfortunate woman.

My top 10

These are the characters that made a lasting impression on me. I remember these characters off and on in some context or other, even when I have not read those books in a while.

These are in no particular order of importance.

1) Miss Marple

2) Dagney Taggart from Atlas Shrugged

3) Jennifer Cavalleri from Love Story

4) Lord Emsworth

5) Uncle Tom
6) Albus Dumbledore
7) Sherlock Holmes
8) Dilbert, who personifies the dysfunctions of American work life
9) Jeeves
10) Obelix

BTW, the no Telugu rule is a bit unfair, since there are a lot of Telugu characters I would like to share as well, so here they go, my quick top 10, again in no particular order.

1) Barrister Parvateesam

2) Pichayya garu in Amaravati Kathalu

3) The couple in Sri Ramana's Mithunam

4) Madhuravani in Kanyasulkam

5) Sankarappa in Vadla Ginjalu

6) Satyam in Janaki Vimukti

7) Vimala in Sweet Home

8) Budugu
9) Kantham from Kantham Kathalu
10) Bavagadu from Amaravati Kathalu

My top 10!

OK, singular lack of interest all round, it seems :) Anyway, here is my quick 10. I thought these were the most complex, most consistent and most entertaining characters that I had read so far.

1. Albus Dumbledore

2. Lord Elmsworth

3. Sherlock Holmes

4. Long John Silver

5. Severus Snape

6. Bertie Wooster

7. Arthur Dent (bumbling Englishman tripping through time and space, completelty out of his depth: from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams)

8. Dirk Gently (a detective who believes in the fundamental interconnection of everything in the universe and thus tries to solve cases in a 'wholistic' manner. Created by Douglas Adams)

9. Captain Hastings (another bumbling Englishman!)

1o. Scarlett O'hara

Now, anyone else wants to go?