It’s a shame I haven’t been able to update my blog for almost 10 days now.
I don’t even have any excuse for the same : o
Guess I’ve been thinking about a lot of issues over the past few weeks and been doing a hell lot of stuff too.
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One of the basic and preliminary problems I face before blogging about anything is to decide what to blog about. The ‘what’ factor dominates my head for a long period of time. It battles with my small-sized brain challenging its limited potential until I (or rather the brain) see Nirvana at the end of the proverbial tunnel. And once I see the light, I cannot rest in peace until everything is put in words. Until my fingers ache of too much typing. Until my brain complains of over-exposure. Until my eyes crib about too much monitor viewing. But it doesn’t stop. I’ve tried my best to stop it, trust me. But it doesn’t. And, I’m probably glad about it.
Now, let’s come to the other secondary (but no less important) problems faced while blogging.
After deciding the ‘what’ factor comes the ‘how’ factor. Now that I’ve FINALLY decided what I’m going to blog about, how do I put it in coherent, simple, understandable words? That’s quite a task, to say the least. To tell something in simple words is a rare art. I may not possess the same (as you might have even noticed at some point in the middle of my rants) but I am working towards developing it. That is precisely why books written in simple language interest me the most. This is not to say that I dislike the canon or the plethora of writers who insist on using flowery language or bombastic words. It’s good, in a way, because it forces me to grab that dictionary and gobble up the meaning of the new word I just read. It increases your vocabulary which is good as it’s most likely to help you in the long run.
But, I would probably prefer Tagore over any one else for the sheer simplicity of his writing. What makes some authors stand out, for me, is the way they express extremely complicated issues and themes in the most simplistic manner. Khaled Hosseini is another author that comes to my mind when I talk about simplicity of expression and language usage. There are probably many more…half of whom I’ve never read and the other half I cannot recall.
Hmmmmm….
So, after having figured the ‘what’ and the ‘how’, is the job over?
Nope. There is still the ‘why’ factor. But, I think, that may be temporarily ignored as long as your what and how are strong. Sometimes you don’t need a reason to blog about something and sometimes you do. Since blogging, by its very nature, is very individualistic, it is also very subjective (like most other things in life which is what makes life so interesting *winks)
Ok.
We’ve had enough of blogging/ (creative) writing lessons for the day. I certainly do not wish to sound like one of those teachers trying to instill the (eluding) skills in the ever-curious pupil.
Since I’ve ranted so much about reading and writing, I think I’ll end this post with what is currently on my reading-list.
My uncle recently gifted The Palace of Illusions (2008) by Chitra Banerjee Devakaruni
I have just begun reading it and I am already getting a feeling that this one’s going to be a good read. Usually, if I get such a feeling so early on, the author has done his/her job of holding the interest of the reader (in this case: me)
"Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Through her narrator Panchaali, the wife of the legendary five Pandavas brothers, Divakaruni gives us a rare feminist interpretation of an epic story.
The novel traces Panchaali’s life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods, and ever-manipulating hands of fate."
Source: Here
They say that the two Indian epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata are supposed to be the most intriguing stories ever written and composed. Though mythology is an area that doesn’t interest me per se, having read parts of The Mahabharata in my college years and listened to all those mythological tales from my mother and grandmother in my growing years, the epic still manages to hold its charm. The epic’s real ‘hero’ is still a debatable concept which is great as it encourages you to think, question and ponder over the very concept of who a ‘hero’ or a ‘villain’ is.
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Banerjee’s earlier work The Vine of Desire (2002) is a novel I vaguely remember. But I do recall that it was about relationships and marriage—a topic that has interested me for a long while now. And I do remember having recommended it too to a few of my friends
Yes. By now, I think, you might have figured that I love flaunting whatever limited knowledge I possess!!
After all, shouldn't knowledge be shared? * ;-)
Pictures courtesy Google Images
