SHABIHA NUR KHATOON, OP
Avid readers have a fascination for tomes that heighten the
playful, romantic spirit of monsoon
“It is a good sound to read by — the rain outside, the quiet within — and, although tin roofs are given to springing unaccountable leaks, there is a feeling of being untouched by, and yet in touch with, the rain.”
— Ruskin Bond (Monsoon Diary)
Monsoon is a unique season that makes its grand entry with a special music of its own — from the pitter-patter of the falling raindrops to the chirping of birds and the beautiful dance of peacocks everything about the rainy season is sweet and warm. When the sky turns dark and grey, a mug of coffee and a book make for great companions. Although the passion for reading is not restricted to any particular season, Sunday POST encounters a few book lovers who say that there is a certain charm about monsoon that makes reading a lovable choice during the season.
Madhumita Nayak, an English Honours student of Rama Devi University, finds monsoon a beautiful season as it brings relief from the scorching heat. That apart, she finds the smell of the wet earth intoxicating.
“When it rains for hours and I have nothing to do, I rustle up a cup of well-brewed coffee or tea and, of course, my best companion is a book of choice. However, you should pick up only those books that can retain your interest for an entire day. I am sure people who read a lot do not necessarily choose books according to the flavour of the season. But then every season has its unique impact on our moods and emotions. I find monsoon fascinating, dreamy, romantic and, at times, magical.
“As a teenager, I remember reading Ruskin Bond’s Monsoon Diary which is still so fresh in my memory. I could literally feel the rain piercing into my soul. So, for me, it is a hot pick along with something from the Harry Potter series. Currently, I am reading F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby maybe because I find it really amazing. There are many books that can gel well with monsoon; for example, you can always turn to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books. And for a perfectly woven story I will rather try Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. I can never get enough of that book. And finally my all time favourite is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
For Aishwarya Patra, another Rama Devi University student, monsoon is the season of mists and romance. “At a very young age, I fell in love with monsoon and the smell of the wet earth arouses the deepest emotions in me. Spending some time with a book gives me aesthetic pleasure. For an avid reader, selecting a few favourites is quite a task. But certain books are meant to be read only during monsoon. My personal favourites are poems of Pablo Neruda and Rumi. I also enjoy books of James Patterson. Reading Rabindranath Tagore during the season somehow connects me to my roots and tugs at my heartstrings. Rain, coffee/tea, a comfy blanket and a book are any book lover’s fantasy.”
Madhu Pal, who works as a PR professional, loves monsoon and misses the magic of Mumbai’s rains. “The season lifts my mood,” she says. Her monsoon reading list usually features romances, though this time she is exploring books by Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes, even though it doesn’t fit into the light reading category.
HOT PICKS
When it comes to books we all have our own favourites and the season is redundant. As monsoon has set in, Sunday POST lists a few books that capture the essence of the beautiful season:
The Blue Umbrella, Ruskin Bond
The Blue Umbrella set in the hills of Garhwal is the story of Binya, the protagonist. The special quality about this book is that it has the power to transport you to your childhood. The story leaves you with a deep sense of fulfillment once you complete it.
One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
What can we say about Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s epic novel that hasn’t been said before? If you haven’t read it yet, then doing so during the rains will make you feel extra special. Natural elements take their toll on the fictional town of Macondo where, at one point in the book, it rains continuously for five years without a break! Magical realism at its finest.
The Hungry Tide, Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh’s detailed observations and research on the Sunderbans produced this wonderful novel that tells a story of past and present as fluid as the falling rain. The Hungry Tide is a must-read for its rich story and unforgettable characters. And when the country is hit by a major hurricane, it forces you to realise that the very same rain falling gently against your window can take on truly destructive proportions.
English August, Upamanyu Chatterjee
Slightly different from the other books in this list, English August is set during a sweltering summer in Madna – a hot, dusty and a back of the beyond town, where the protagonist Agastya Sen begins his government job. This book provides some of the best insights you’ll ever get into the lives of babus who rule the country. Author Upamanyu Chatterjee’s darkly comic tone is relevant more than a quarter of a century after the book was published.
Life of Pi, Yann Martel
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is as much a journey of discovery as it is about the protagonist’s coming-of-age, and the thread binding the two themes is rain. Martel uses rain as a metaphor through most of the book and understanding its different uses in the narrative is one of the joys of reading it.
Red Earth And Pouring Rain, Vikram Chandra
Vikram Chandra’s novel is a multi-layered tour de force written in some of the most beautiful and lyrical language ever used by an Indian author. The multiple stories in the novel might take some getting used to in the beginning, but once you get into the flow of things, this fascinating book won’t let go of you until you come to the final page.
The Forty Rules of Love, Elif Shafak
This book tells a story set in two narratives, one that’s contemporary and another that’s set in the 13th century (during the time of Rumi). Uniquely told with a very realistic perspective on love, this one is a keeper for the rains, and otherwise.
