In the past few days, the weather conditions have been very sharp here. No Sun. Cold. Chilly wind. And I am inside my ‘eiderdown’ posting all my pending reviews on the books. Just random thoughts, indeed. ‘Eiderdown’, this word I found in a Katherine Mansfield story I was reading yesterday. It is a sort of duvet which is made up of soft feathers from the breast of the female eider. But mine is not. I have not seen any eider in my life, It looks British. I am just using the word. You can call it a quilt. A fancy word, ‘continental quilt’ will be fine!
I have read short-short stories of Ray Bradbury, Katherine Mansfield, and Issac Babel, in the past few days. All of them gave my chilled room a sort of cozy air. They all are amazing. Too hot to handle. But today there is bright sun outside. The sky is blue. And whenever this blue color prevails near me and I notice it, I remember one book, and that is The old man and the sea! I don’t know why but when I first read this book five years back, it filled me with cerulean! Whenever you will talk about this book to me, a blue color blind will float in the background inside my head; as a blue portière hung over a door!
That thrill of deepsea fishing, that big game hunting. The spiritual themes of the story enhanced its impact. I read in the introduction of this book that ‘ it is impossible to read this story without believing that in many respects it represents Hemingway’s own ideals of manhood.’
The old man was redoubtable.
“The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck.”
There was a strange simplicity in this story, yet its simplicity passed to jolt me out of my present.
And that boy, so innate, so untaught yet very sensible, not at all childish!
“And the best fisherman is you.”
“No. I know others better.”
“Que, va.” the boy said. ” there are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you.”
“Thank you. You make me happy.”
Yes, The boy was right. There was only one like the old man. There was one old man and there was one sea! Hemingway’s writing was too touching and his approach was as easy as falling off a log. But if you like a simple story written extraordinarily well, this is the one.
It is like a medicinal herb. Chew it well and get all the juices!
19th Century 20th Century Adventure Africa American Asia Booker British Literature Children Classic contemporary Crime Detective Drama Essays fantasy French Literature German Literature Gothic Historical Fiction Horror Humor India Indian Literature magical realism Memoir Music Mystery Nature Netgalley Nobel Prize Non Fiction Novel Novella Philosophy Play Poetry Race Romance Russia Russian Literature School Short Stories War Women
BOOKBROODER 