A couple of things happened today. Two of those things that evoked many emotions and consumed a considerable amount time were something that led me to believe I was not short listed for an interview (I still am not, but its not final yet) and my reading of the book, Life of Pi.
I want to talk about the second. The book won the Man Booker Prize in 2002 and ever since I read Kiran Desai’s Inheritance of Loss in high school, I’ve steered clear of Booker prize winning books. Its understandable I think. I was was looking for a story and I got something that reflected the despair that tends to lace daily life. Life of Pi on the other hand, gave me a story as well as a deeper understanding of the world that characterizes Booker prize winning books. It is a deeply profound story that I believe must be read, it is food for thought. I don’t know what the movie will give you compared to the book, but that’s a different thought all together.
I consume books. Its what I do. I’m not the kind that will pause and think about each scene or character. I dive head first into it and emerge at the very end of a novel, overwhelmed and intensely moved, then proceed to spew all my feelings and observations into a piece of paper. But the observations are minimal. I always think that I should read a story again, much more slowly and observe the writing, the details and the parallels that they may suggest. But that hasn’t happened very often. A couple of years ago, I intended to pursue a BA so that I could understand the mechanics of writing better. Unfortunately, and fortunately too I suppose, that never happened. And I strayed away from what I wanted and walked a path of confusion in the real world and slowly understood how to deal with it.
And then, now with this book I’ve gotten a very good combination of both. The story kind of centres around that kind of reflective understanding. It’s given me a headway into understanding the structure of stories and I don’t think I really need to pursue a degree to gain that understanding any more. I think my own explorations will yield results that are more relevant to me than an Indian education would. I think what Life of Pi gives you is magnificent. I believe all writing should have some purpose like that, and while I adore stories that completely transport me, I’d like to come up with a decent combination of thought and flight of fancy.
Of Whiskey and Chocolate 