The Sunday Haul (on 28-06-2020)

Another Sunday amidst the semi-lockdown and yet another haul at the Abids Sunday second hand book market in Hyderabad. Actually I had seen a lot of books that I ought to have bought. I saw a nice hard cover copy of ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ by Richard Flanagan, a copy of a Brit Bennett title, a copy of ‘Jasmine’ by Bharati Mukherjee, and also a title by Herta Mueller that I somehow did not buy. But I have marked them to be picked up next Sunday.

Last Sunday the first title I picked up was one I had seen earlier but did not buy. The second time I saw it I took it. It was a nice copy of ‘A Year by the Sea’ by Joan Anderson. I first read a review of this book a long time back in The Hindu. I think I still have the cutting somewhere in my papers. Anyway, I am glad I bought it because I love reading such kind of books where someone lives alone away from family in a far off place to heal and recover from whatever is troubling them. I got this book for fifty rupees.

Now a days I am heavily into reading about countries and places by journalists and other writers. A few days ago I finished reading ‘The Emperor and the Shah of Shahs’ by Ryszard Kapuscinski. Even before I could finish it I found a copy of ‘All the Wrong Places’ by James Fenton. It was a Penguin title and I felt it could be a good read and hence picked it up.

The other Sunday I had seen a copy of ‘On the Banks of the Mayyazhi’ by M. Mukundan in Chikkadpalli with one of the sellers. But I did not buy it since I had bought almost half a dozen books and did not wish to add to the haul. I told myself that I would pick it up the following Sunday. At first I could not find this title with the seller with whom I had seen it. I was a bit disappointed thinking it got sold and the seller too, not a bright guy, said it was gone. But I was surprised when I saw it with another seller. I grabbed it right away. But I did not find the issue of Indian Literature I had also seen the previous Sunday. I had noticed that it had a short story by Pudumaipithan who writes fantastic stories. I have a feeling that I might find it next Sunday.