December 17, 2006

BYB - Books!

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Books are often called a man’s best friend and that is what they indeed are. A good book is a treat for the mind and one of the best ways to spend time.

A book is a time machine, as it takes a person from the present to the past or the future. It is a guiding light as it can help a one in making various decisions in life. One can learn from mistakes that others have committed before him and can follow in the footsteps of people who have achieved greatness.

Books help in transmitting knowledge from one generation to the next. The new generation can move on from where their predecessors had left. Before the day of the book, the transmission of knowledge was mainly oral; this had the risk of being erroneous. But once a word is printed in a book, it will stay unchanged and withstand the tests of time.

Over the years there have been many books that have affected me in some way or the other. They have been my constant companions since the day I met them for the first time. There were many books that, once read, were hard to forget. Here I will try and attempt to choose the five books that I read and liked more than others.

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a story of a simple guy who is labeled Idiot by the society because of the simplicity of his heart. Though this book is set in Russia of yore, the theme of the novel is relevant even today.

Don Quixote by Miguel De Cerventes is one of the earliest novels to be written. It tells the tale of a middle aged man who believes himself to be a knight errant and sets out on his adventures. The result is comic and tragic in turns but it is a story well told and is a reflection on human wants and desires even today.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein is a book about which enough has been said and written, so I will not add anything.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is the story of Dorian and how his beauty and youth turn out to be a curse to him. It can be said that the story emphasizes the basic fact that some things are short lived and they are better left that way. In today’s world we see a race among people to “look” young, when in fact it would be a better idea to age gracefully and stay young at heart. How ever hard one tries to hold on to the looks, they will go.

The entire Sherlock Holmes stories and novels by A.C. Doyle, not for something they mean but because they make enjoyable stories.


There are many other books that I like but these are the five that I could think of at this time. But , I can say this: books have been a great blessing in my life. Have a great week and Merry Christmas to everyone around the world.



6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting book choices there - and yes they are a blessing and we need to fight to keep them.

Blessings X

Unknown said...

i enjoyed the few stories i have heard of don quoxito (havent found the whole book yet... or havent been looking hard enough ;)

enjoyed LOTR tremendously as well

sherlock holmes is not bad too

also into Mitch Albom (5 people you meet in heaven, For One More Day), RA Salvatore (D&D Drizzt series) & Neil Gaiman (Sandman series)

Books!

CyberCelt said...

I like your choice in reading materials! Books are a blessing because through them we may visit any time and place in the world and beyond.

I think Sherlock Holmes was the forerunner to popular science-based television series such as CSI, NUMB3RS, BONES.

Have a blessed season and may your 2007 be the best year ever!

Whatever said...

For me, books are one of those curious things where "less is more." A book does not give me pictures (OK, some books have pictures but I've moved on from them...for the most part), but when I read a good story, I create the pictures in my mind. Often times I like my own images better than the ones that have been created when a book is made into a movie.

kuanyin333 said...

Aha...another book lover! I have an enormous library, and even when I give books away, more come back to me! Happy BYB day from Kuanyin

Blue Panther said...

msdemmie We do need to emphasise that whatever new ways of entertainment come up, books should never lose their appeal.

stev I am sure if you looked hard enough, you will find the book in a store near you. I will look into the books you mentioned. Thanks!

cybercelt: A great year 2007 to you too.

whatever: That is true! One cant help creating images in mind when one reads a good book, and sometimes they are better than the movies they are made into.

kuanyin Oh Thats good, In my case when someone borrows a bokk, I never see it again. :)

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