One problem common to all people who love to read and have to contend with is that of lack of time to read all the books that they have picked up by the dozen. I do not know about others but I pick up books from the pavements and elsewhere at the rate of at least two books a week. At that rate I end up with over a hundred books on my shelves every year. This is normal for me but what is not normal is that only half the books get read what with the demands of the job, family, friends, writing taking up most of the time leaving little time to indulge in the pleasure of reading.
On an average I manage to read five or six books a month which means that there is a very large mountain of books waiting to be read. One book of the many that make up this mountain of unread books in my house is Malcolm Muggeridge’s ‘The Green Stick’ that I happened to find at a second hand bookstore a couple of years ago. Though I haven’t found the time to read ‘Green Stick’ by Malcolm Muggeridge I found and bought another of his books last Sunday. I picked up his ‘Tread Softly for You Tread on My Jokes’ for only twenty rupees at Abids and that was the only interesting find of Sunday.
No one who is serious about his/her passion for reading and books can claim not to know Anne Fadiman, the superb essayist, bibliophile and also fountain pen lover. I don’t really remember where I read about her and the book she wrote- ‘Ex-Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader’, but the title remained in my mind. I was desperately hoping I’d find it in a second hand bookstore or on the pavements of Abids though it appeared quite impossible. But then, like I said several times I am quite lucky when it comes to books, so on one magical afternoon a couple of years ago I found the book. It was in the Best Books Store at Lakdi-ka-Pul where I had gone one afternoon when I had a lot of time on hand. I saw the book on one of the racks and my heart gave a jump. I grabbed it immediately and was ready to pay any amount but seventy five rupees was what I paid for it. All the essays in it are wonderful but one that I read again and again is one about fountain pens with the title ‘Eternal Ink’ which I think everyone who loves fountain pens must read. Anne Fadiman doesn’t seem to have written many books but last week I got lucky with another of her book of essays.
Last week I happened to be at a bookstore where I came upon a treasure trove of books that I hope to pick up from at least one a week. I have a list of half a dozen good titles I plan to buy and the first book I picked up from the trove was Anne Fadiman’s ‘At Large’ that I got for a hundred rupees. Anne Fadiman is one of those rare souls who loves books, writing with fountain pens and also writes extremely well which is where I realize I am different from her. 'At Large' is a hardcover book with twelve essays on nature, coffee and other topics that really seem everyday ones until you read them. I haven’t read all of them except ‘Coffee’ which is really good but I think the essays in ‘Ex-Libris’ are the ones I love more which maybe because they are all about books and the love of reading. Next week maybe I will pick up a title on something slowly becoming a passion with me- cooking and chefs.
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