With the "Room with a View" as trigger
The first few moments after one puts down a book - are really wonderful. It is then that in the space of a few moments one concisely understands and appreciates the sum total of the author's philosophy and message - that he has perceived. A thought occured to me while I endeavored to document the same - after having finished, nay expreienced, "A Room with a View" - it would be such a wonderful practice to preserve these thoughts after finishing every book - at least every book that leads us to spend a raptured few moments in awe of all the book represents to us.
As I write this - another thought flashes to my mind. Would it not be so much nicer if we are able to write down our adventures and exploits of life everyday, to chronicle it, so that as we flip through the past, it might often offer us clues to things that have us "muddled up" - because as written by the very great E.M Forster "Life is easy to chronicle but bewildering to practice".
Lest we stray - back to the book and our thoughts on the same. While reading it I came across a few pithy phrases - which at first instinct I was tempted to forget and read on - but when I spent some thought and time turning it around it yielded a lot of meaning. One such phrase that has stuck to my mind is "Both youth and love matter intellectually"
But what is the centre point of Forster's novel ? That there is glory in truth ? In today's world when you are bombarded by messages to the contrary - this statement needs some more thought. Or can we say that there is glory in truth - because in accepting that, we are being truthful to ourselves - allowing the parched lips of our soul to experience the feel of the cool waters of the oasis.
It sometimes gets so difficult to even be aware of what we truly want or feel - covered as it remains over the many layers of self deceit, indolence and convenience with which we face the world at large - and are actually appreciated for doing just that - the tinkling of the high necked wine glasses raised in toast of this continued deception so often comfort us.
But what does Forster talk about ? he talks about the protagonist Lucy who having glimpsed at what lies at the depths of heart still chooses to ignore it. She chooses to escape from it into the arms of solitary numbness rather than rebuilt her entire life. Rather than go and proclaim to the world and more important her loved ones, that till now all the choices she had made were wrong, that all along she had not been following her true desire but was guided by much more convenient socially acceptable choices that floated on top of the ocean of her sometimes "muddled" sometimes resigned and often uncomprehending mind.
Another interesting point that Forster makes about musicians really drew my interest. He says that if musicians were able to in real life talk, behave and analyse matters with the same wiseness and feeling with which they journey through their notes and tones - then it would be as enthralling to talk to them as it is to experience their performance. At the same time with the maturing of Lucy he shows her able to nit just render the music flawlessly but also imbue it with a character and thought of the composer that has seeped into it.
As I write this - another thought flashes to my mind. Would it not be so much nicer if we are able to write down our adventures and exploits of life everyday, to chronicle it, so that as we flip through the past, it might often offer us clues to things that have us "muddled up" - because as written by the very great E.M Forster "Life is easy to chronicle but bewildering to practice".
Lest we stray - back to the book and our thoughts on the same. While reading it I came across a few pithy phrases - which at first instinct I was tempted to forget and read on - but when I spent some thought and time turning it around it yielded a lot of meaning. One such phrase that has stuck to my mind is "Both youth and love matter intellectually"
But what is the centre point of Forster's novel ? That there is glory in truth ? In today's world when you are bombarded by messages to the contrary - this statement needs some more thought. Or can we say that there is glory in truth - because in accepting that, we are being truthful to ourselves - allowing the parched lips of our soul to experience the feel of the cool waters of the oasis.
It sometimes gets so difficult to even be aware of what we truly want or feel - covered as it remains over the many layers of self deceit, indolence and convenience with which we face the world at large - and are actually appreciated for doing just that - the tinkling of the high necked wine glasses raised in toast of this continued deception so often comfort us.
But what does Forster talk about ? he talks about the protagonist Lucy who having glimpsed at what lies at the depths of heart still chooses to ignore it. She chooses to escape from it into the arms of solitary numbness rather than rebuilt her entire life. Rather than go and proclaim to the world and more important her loved ones, that till now all the choices she had made were wrong, that all along she had not been following her true desire but was guided by much more convenient socially acceptable choices that floated on top of the ocean of her sometimes "muddled" sometimes resigned and often uncomprehending mind.
Another interesting point that Forster makes about musicians really drew my interest. He says that if musicians were able to in real life talk, behave and analyse matters with the same wiseness and feeling with which they journey through their notes and tones - then it would be as enthralling to talk to them as it is to experience their performance. At the same time with the maturing of Lucy he shows her able to nit just render the music flawlessly but also imbue it with a character and thought of the composer that has seeped into it.
posted by shantanu | 12:31 AM
1 Comments:
The first few moments are indeed exhilerating. only if the book is a good read. The same with movies too, but you tend to forget it much sooner given that the experience was shorter.
It's very interesting to see what plot writers use for their central theme... and books across eras are so much similar in their theme. It's the setting that changes.
I really liked what you wrote about "the tinkling of the high necked wine glasses raised in toast of this continued deception so often comfort us"..very well put
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