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A book is far more pleasing than a film
SEP 05 -
Samartha Tuladhar is a pilot with Yeti Airlines. After completing his piloting degree in the Philippines, he has been flying in Nepal for two-and-a-half years now. An avid reader, Tuladhar shared his thoughts on why reading is a pleasure with Ujjwal Pradhan.
Why do you read?
I read for pleasure, ideas and inspirations. It is one of the luxuries that are easy to afford in my busy flying schedule. Books are my friend in the journeys crisscrossing the skies of Nepal. We are posted in different corners time and again. So I never miss tucking in some fiction while I am travelling. If we have a stopover or a delay, I spend the time reading books.
Reading is also important in shaping your personality. It enhances your expression and writing skills. Books allow you to relate the characters in your real life and broaden your perspective on reality.
What are you currently reading?
I am reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. The book chronicles the adventures of an Australian convict in India while escaping the authorities. The author himself was a convicted Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escaped from a prison and fled to India where he lived for 10 years. While partially based on Roberts’ own experiences, Roberts himself has clarified that the story is largely fictional. Overall, the book is extremely interesting.
What books do you usually read?
I usually prefer fiction because they are easy and fun to read. Fiction provides an escape from our everyday lives. I enjoy imagining while reading a book. It is the best thing about reading. The writer engages you by playing out the story in your head. That is far more pleasant than watching a movie. It is something I have realised after completing all the Harry Potter novels. I like a book that is realistic and character-driven. It might be overtly fictional but should be based on characters that you might bump into every other day in the streets. I am not quite comfortable with the bulky classics. I tend to read a lot of those in condensed or abridged forms.
One book that you think is a must-read?
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by
Jonathan Safran Foer is surely a must-read. The protagonist is a nine-year-old boy named Oskar Schell who has lost his father in 9/11. Oskar discovers a key in a vase that belonged to his father and that inspires him to search Manhattan for information about the key.
In this process, he gets to know his father more closely. I liked the book because of the writer’s innovation in writing. He has used typesetting, images, spaces and even blank pages to give the book a visual dimension making the narrative really stimulating.
Any favourites?
The Old Man and The Sea (Ernest Hemingway) is my all-time favourite. This book was inspirational. It coerces you to question your life. This book is a strong example of how life has two sides to it. It taught me to persevere and to devote my life to a cause. I think this book has most influenced my life.
Books that you would recommend others?
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a really powerful book. It is rich in narrative and characters. I liked the insights that the book provides into the lives of Afghans. I also liked reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie is also a good book.
Any overrated and underrated books?
I think Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is unnecessarily overrated. The book is just pure fiction which tries to create scandals by involving the faith of so many people. Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay and Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone also do not deserve the attention they garnered. I am also doubtful as to why J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye had such a huge following.
In underrated works, The Old Man and the Sea is definitely one. The book does not seem to be as popular as it needs to be. Many still have not heard of the book.
Posted on: 2010-09-06 07:52
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