Happy Pi Day: 3/14
By auspicious coincidence, on this day celebrating the mysterious π, which has been calculated to trillions of decimal points (I'll just trust them on that), I have at last finished the 1474 page A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Imagine my utter surprise when I learned that it is the longest novel in English ever written. It will not surprise you to learn that had I known this while I was reading it, I would have been shouting it all over town.
This book and its families have been my faithful and much-loved companions ever since November 20th, when I first cracked it on a train trip to Toronto. Its heft has been bowing the structure of my bookshelf however, since soon after I returned from India and moved to Ottawa in 2002, when it was recommended by KD's mom. Now that I am finished, I trust that that the carpal tunnel in my wrists will subside. I am not exaggerating when I say that many a night I narrowly escaped permanent disfigurement, having fallen asleep while reading in bed propped up by a few soft pillows, only to be bashed awake by the tomb falling out of my hands onto my face. And that spine? Not soft.
I so thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is safe to say that is quite likely that I have spent more time with Lata, Maan, Firoz, and the other Mehras, Kapoors, Khans, and Chatterjis, than I have with most of my colleagues over the past few months. Or cleaning . Or cooking. Though as you know, I have likely spent more time blinking than I have spent cooking or cleaning over the past few months. Clearly, "she is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." * This is one of those books, however, where the characters become part of your life, your consciousness, and you know them as you know other close acquaintances in your life. They'd have to, as in the past four months, I have met them nearly every day, and they have accompanied me to five cities and three provinces. They have been in every room in my house, sometimes even innocently sneaking into the bath, they have been on interminable city bus trips, airplanes, trains, and in the front seat of the car with me. I have enjoyed them immensely, I will miss them, and I doubt I will forget them.
*Louisa May Alcott
This book and its families have been my faithful and much-loved companions ever since November 20th, when I first cracked it on a train trip to Toronto. Its heft has been bowing the structure of my bookshelf however, since soon after I returned from India and moved to Ottawa in 2002, when it was recommended by KD's mom. Now that I am finished, I trust that that the carpal tunnel in my wrists will subside. I am not exaggerating when I say that many a night I narrowly escaped permanent disfigurement, having fallen asleep while reading in bed propped up by a few soft pillows, only to be bashed awake by the tomb falling out of my hands onto my face. And that spine? Not soft.
I so thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is safe to say that is quite likely that I have spent more time with Lata, Maan, Firoz, and the other Mehras, Kapoors, Khans, and Chatterjis, than I have with most of my colleagues over the past few months. Or cleaning . Or cooking. Though as you know, I have likely spent more time blinking than I have spent cooking or cleaning over the past few months. Clearly, "she is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." * This is one of those books, however, where the characters become part of your life, your consciousness, and you know them as you know other close acquaintances in your life. They'd have to, as in the past four months, I have met them nearly every day, and they have accompanied me to five cities and three provinces. They have been in every room in my house, sometimes even innocently sneaking into the bath, they have been on interminable city bus trips, airplanes, trains, and in the front seat of the car with me. I have enjoyed them immensely, I will miss them, and I doubt I will forget them.
*Louisa May Alcott
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home