 |
| Gabriel Garcia Marquez |
“Do not allow me to forget you”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Of Love and Other Demons
About me
- H.K.
- What started out as a pastime soon turned into a hobby that turned into a passion until it eventually became a necessity. Reading is a need so beautiful that I feel I must write about it every day.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Under the spell of Marquez
“Do not allow me to forget you”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Of Love and Other Demons
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
A solitary passion.: Devastating imagery
A solitary passion.: Devastating imagery: The month of April is regarded as the National Poetry Month . So I thought I'd share my favorite poem. It's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufr...
Monday, 2 April 2012
World's fastest reader
Okay wow! She's just as fast as she's cheeky. I'd love to see an argument between her and Nicki Minaj!
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Every banned book is worth reading
Here is my list of books that have caused massive controversy since their release and are a must read. Most have been subjected to censorship, which has prompted me and many other readers to hunt them down and read to see what the hullabaloo is about. Let me tell you; these are books that require you to think and in the words of Wilde ''...show the world its own shame'' which is precisely the reason they are banned. However, it is interesting to note how all these books are considered to be some of the greatest in literature and are widely read despite being frequently challenged. Read on to see why these masterpieces deserve your time.
1) Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
Banned for: Profanity, sexual references and immorality. This is one of the most banned, censored and challenged books of all times.
Why you must read it? How often is it that you come across a morally fallible, world-hating, teenage character? Not often. Searingly honest and brilliant in its disillusionment, this is one book that every person must read if they want to experience a classic, coming-of-age story unlike any other.
Note: In 1980, a young man named Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon and later gave the book to police as an explanation for why he did it, making this book stand out as an icon for teenage rebellion.
Just don't interpret the book the way this retard did.
Banned for: Being "a real downer''.
As if a real life account of the biggest genocide in the history of mankind is supposed to be a joy fest!
Why you must read it? One of the most prominent accounts documenting the experiences of Jews by the Nazis. One that shows us a victim's unwavering faith in humanity even in the worst of conditions. I was deeply upset after reading the book but reflecting on the writing of this young legend made me realise the true message of inspiration and hope it contains for the world. It reaffirmed my faith in the goodness of humanity.
3) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
Banned for: Offensive language and racism due to the use of a racially charged word. One administrator branded it as the "most grotesque example of racism I’ve ever seen in my life."
Why you must read it? It's Twain. Need more convincing? Well, after reading this book in grade 5 and being forever fascinated with 'Huck Finn', I reread the novel recently. Not only is this book Twain's finest work, it is also the cleverest anti-slavery and anti racist work ever written. The used of the word 'nigger' in the novel is used to depict the disgusting connotations of the word and actually attempts to challenge the racism Twain saw around him. A must read.
4) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Banned for: Charges of racism and the accusation that it "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature'' and "promotes white supremacy".
Why you must read it? It paints a true picture of the struggles of it's time and is one of the greatest anti-racism books of all time. With memorable characters, great plot and a thought-provoking storyline, this book has secured it's place as the most loved classic.
5) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Banned for: Anti-Christian sentiments
Why you must read it? Read it as fiction and it will exhilarate your senses. Take it a bit too seriously and things will get disturbing. It sold millions of copies, caused widespread outrage, its a page turner and gets you interested in Art History. Enough reasons to read it if you haven't already.
6)The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Banned for: Sexual references and profanity.
Why you must read it? This book is not only featured in every 'Must read' list, it is also Fitzgerald's best work. His words are simply beautiful. This tragic love story truly captures the fascinating lifestyle of the Jazz age. Jay Gatsby is quite an interesting character himself, the utter loneliness and emptiness that he exudes is bound to strike a cord with most readers.
Banned for: Obscenity, indecency and sexual explicitness.
Why you must read it? This book is about the life of a highly intelligent murderer and pedophile who seduces a 12-year old girl! However, this is no How-to manual for perverts. Read it simply because it is the most beautiful love story you will ever read (in a very demented way). A tale of forbidden obsession; Lolita is sure to leave you heart-wrenched, mesmerized and a tad bit disturbed- just what a good work of literature should do.
Note: This bone-chilling story is not for the faint of heart.
8) The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
Banned for: Violence, profanity, racism, and sexuality, including a rape scene.
Why you must read it? This book is a personal favorite. It evoked in me infinite respect for the black women who survived a miserable time living in South America in the 1930's and their struggle for independence and equality. Written as a series of diary entries and letters by the protagonist to God, the novel chronicles the life of black woman's poignant journey towards a better life. This is one of the most gripping novels I have ever read and one that everybody must read once.
9) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
Banned for: Profanity, portrayal of smoking and drinking and questionable themes such as anti-religious and anti-establishment sentiments.
Why you should read it? Talk about irony! This books deals with the issue of censorship itself. It is a novel about book-banning in a futuristic society. The descriptions of modern society made in this book written more than 50 years ago are eerily obvious now. This is one of the most important novels in American literature and rightfully so. For those who find Bradbury's lengthy prose burdensome, here's what he has to say: "If teachers and grammar school editors find my jawbreaker sentences shatter their mushmilk teeth, let them eat stale cake dunked in weak tea of their own ungodly manufacture." Touché!
10) The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Banned for: Themes of homosexuality.
Why you must read it? This masterpiece will indulge you in a world of opulence and corruption, immerse you in shameless pleasure and in the end, make you gasp in horror. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest books ever written.
FYI, I am the proud owner of the original version published for the very first time after the book's release 120 years ago- 'The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition' edited by Nicholas Frankel.
How many of these forbidden masterpieces have you read?
Banned for: Profanity, sexual references and immorality. This is one of the most banned, censored and challenged books of all times.
Why you must read it? How often is it that you come across a morally fallible, world-hating, teenage character? Not often. Searingly honest and brilliant in its disillusionment, this is one book that every person must read if they want to experience a classic, coming-of-age story unlike any other.
Note: In 1980, a young man named Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon and later gave the book to police as an explanation for why he did it, making this book stand out as an icon for teenage rebellion.
Just don't interpret the book the way this retard did.
Key quote: "In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw."2) The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
Banned for: Being "a real downer''.
As if a real life account of the biggest genocide in the history of mankind is supposed to be a joy fest!
Why you must read it? One of the most prominent accounts documenting the experiences of Jews by the Nazis. One that shows us a victim's unwavering faith in humanity even in the worst of conditions. I was deeply upset after reading the book but reflecting on the writing of this young legend made me realise the true message of inspiration and hope it contains for the world. It reaffirmed my faith in the goodness of humanity.
Key quote: ''How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.''
''I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.''
Banned for: Offensive language and racism due to the use of a racially charged word. One administrator branded it as the "most grotesque example of racism I’ve ever seen in my life."
Why you must read it? It's Twain. Need more convincing? Well, after reading this book in grade 5 and being forever fascinated with 'Huck Finn', I reread the novel recently. Not only is this book Twain's finest work, it is also the cleverest anti-slavery and anti racist work ever written. The used of the word 'nigger' in the novel is used to depict the disgusting connotations of the word and actually attempts to challenge the racism Twain saw around him. A must read.
Key quote: "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n*****; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.
4) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Banned for: Charges of racism and the accusation that it "represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature'' and "promotes white supremacy".
Why you must read it? It paints a true picture of the struggles of it's time and is one of the greatest anti-racism books of all time. With memorable characters, great plot and a thought-provoking storyline, this book has secured it's place as the most loved classic.
Key quotes: ''You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.''
''She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man."
5) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Banned for: Anti-Christian sentiments
Why you must read it? Read it as fiction and it will exhilarate your senses. Take it a bit too seriously and things will get disturbing. It sold millions of copies, caused widespread outrage, its a page turner and gets you interested in Art History. Enough reasons to read it if you haven't already.
Key quote: "Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false."
Banned for: Sexual references and profanity.
Why you must read it? This book is not only featured in every 'Must read' list, it is also Fitzgerald's best work. His words are simply beautiful. This tragic love story truly captures the fascinating lifestyle of the Jazz age. Jay Gatsby is quite an interesting character himself, the utter loneliness and emptiness that he exudes is bound to strike a cord with most readers.
Key quote: "Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."7) Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov.
Banned for: Obscenity, indecency and sexual explicitness.
Why you must read it? This book is about the life of a highly intelligent murderer and pedophile who seduces a 12-year old girl! However, this is no How-to manual for perverts. Read it simply because it is the most beautiful love story you will ever read (in a very demented way). A tale of forbidden obsession; Lolita is sure to leave you heart-wrenched, mesmerized and a tad bit disturbed- just what a good work of literature should do.
Note: This bone-chilling story is not for the faint of heart.
Key quote: "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul.
8) The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
Banned for: Violence, profanity, racism, and sexuality, including a rape scene.
Why you must read it? This book is a personal favorite. It evoked in me infinite respect for the black women who survived a miserable time living in South America in the 1930's and their struggle for independence and equality. Written as a series of diary entries and letters by the protagonist to God, the novel chronicles the life of black woman's poignant journey towards a better life. This is one of the most gripping novels I have ever read and one that everybody must read once.
Key quote: "I see Sofia and I don’t know why she still alive. They crack her skull, they crack her ribs. They tear her nose loose on one side. They blind her in one eye. She swole from head to foot."
9) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
Banned for: Profanity, portrayal of smoking and drinking and questionable themes such as anti-religious and anti-establishment sentiments.
Why you should read it? Talk about irony! This books deals with the issue of censorship itself. It is a novel about book-banning in a futuristic society. The descriptions of modern society made in this book written more than 50 years ago are eerily obvious now. This is one of the most important novels in American literature and rightfully so. For those who find Bradbury's lengthy prose burdensome, here's what he has to say: "If teachers and grammar school editors find my jawbreaker sentences shatter their mushmilk teeth, let them eat stale cake dunked in weak tea of their own ungodly manufacture." Touché!
Key quote: "We know all the damn silly things we've done for a thousand years and as long as we know that and always have it around where we can see it, someday we'll stop making the goddamn funeral pyres and jumping in the middle of them."
10) The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Banned for: Themes of homosexuality.
Why you must read it? This masterpiece will indulge you in a world of opulence and corruption, immerse you in shameless pleasure and in the end, make you gasp in horror. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest books ever written.
FYI, I am the proud owner of the original version published for the very first time after the book's release 120 years ago- 'The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition' edited by Nicholas Frankel.
Key Quotes: "Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different."
"My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.
How many of these forbidden masterpieces have you read?
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Poetry at its best!
Good poetry is meant to stir a feeling in the reader. It can be any feeling: delight, sorrow, rage, desire, shame, envy, sympathy but never indifference. One of the common features of all the soulful lines listed below is their universality which makes them appeal to everyone and inspire differing emotions, depending on the interpretation of the reader. These are undoubtedly the most beautiful verses of poetry ever penned:
''Drink to me only with thine eyes,/ And I will pledge with mine;/ Or leave a kiss but in the cup,/ And I'll not look for wine.''
-Song to Celia II, Ben Jonson
"I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills, / When all at once I saw a crowd, /A host of golden daffodils"
-I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."
-The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
''I will show you fear in a handful of dust.''
- "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
''Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me.''
-Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Emily Dickinson
''She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies.''
-She Walks in Beauty, Lord Byron
"here is the deepest secret nobody knows / (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud / and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows /higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) / and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart / i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)"
-i carry your heart with me, EE Cummings
"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; / The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;"
-O Captain! My Captain!, Walt Whitman
"I stand amid the roar / Of a surf-tormented shore, / And I hold within my hand / Grains of the golden sand-- / How few! yet how they creep / Through my fingers to the deep, / While I weep - while I weep!"
-A Dream Within A Dream, Edgar Allan Poe
''When to the sessions of sweet silent thought /I summon up remembrance of things past, / I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,/ And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste.''
-"Sonnet 30″ by William Shakespeare
''Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold''
-"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats
''I knew a woman, lovely in her bones, / When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them; /Ah, when she moved, she moved more ways than one:/ The shapes a bright container can contain!''
-"I Knew a Woman" by Theodore Roethke
''It is not a carol of joy or glee,/ But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,/ But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings/ I know why the caged bird sings!''
-I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
''How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. / I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight / For the ends of being and ideal grace."
-How Do I Love Thee?, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"I can promise all my heart's devotion; / A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow; / A love that's true and ever growing; / A hand to hold in your's through each tomorrow."
-These I Can Promise, Mark Twain
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate"
-Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit / Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste / Brought death into the World, and all our woe, / With loss of Eden, till one greater Man / Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, / Sing, Heavenly Muse"
-Paradise Lost, John Milton
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep."
-Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
-"But / if each day, / each hour, / you feel that you are destined for me / with implacable sweetness, / if each day a flower / climbs up to your lips to seek me, / ah my love, ah my own, / in me all that fire is repeated"
-If You Forget Me, Pablo Neruda
"Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! / You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light. / When you have done pray tell me, Then I, my thoughts, will dim. Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging / I may remember him!"
-Heart, We Will Forget Him! Emily Dickinson
"Scarcely a tear to shed; / Hardly a word to say; / The end of a summer day;/ Sweet Love dead."
-An Evening, Gwendolyn Brooks
"Our whisper woke no clocks, / We kissed and I was glad / At everything you did, / Indifferent to those / Who sat with hostile eyes / In pairs on every bed, / Arms round each other's neck, / Inert and vaguely sad."
-"Dear, Though the Night Is Gone", WH Auden
"Darkness settles on roofs and walls, / But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls; / The little waves, with their soft, white hands / Efface the footprints in the sands, / And the tide rises, the tide falls."
-The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
''But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, / That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. / Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - / Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - / On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' / Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'"
-The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe
''When we two parted / In silence and tears, / Half broken-hearted / To sever for years, / Pale grew thy cheek and cold, / Colder thy kiss; / Truly that hour foretold / Sorrow to this."
-When We Two Parted, George (Lord) Byron
''I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,/ And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.''
-Sea Fever, John Masefield
"At twenty I tried to die / And get back, back, back to you. / I thought even the bones would do. / But they pulled me out of the sack, / And they stuck me together with glue."
-Daddy, Sylvia Plath
''From childhood's hour/ I have not been/ As others were; I have not seen/ As others saw...''
-Alone, Edgar Allan Poe
Share some of your favorite lines or tell me the ones you like best from the list :)
''Drink to me only with thine eyes,/ And I will pledge with mine;/ Or leave a kiss but in the cup,/ And I'll not look for wine.''
-Song to Celia II, Ben Jonson
"I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills, / When all at once I saw a crowd, /A host of golden daffodils"
-I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."
-The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost
''I will show you fear in a handful of dust.''
- "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
''Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me.''
-Because I Could Not Stop for Death, Emily Dickinson
''She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies.''
-She Walks in Beauty, Lord Byron
"here is the deepest secret nobody knows / (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud / and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows /higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) / and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart / i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)"
-i carry your heart with me, EE Cummings
"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; / The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;"
-O Captain! My Captain!, Walt Whitman
"I stand amid the roar / Of a surf-tormented shore, / And I hold within my hand / Grains of the golden sand-- / How few! yet how they creep / Through my fingers to the deep, / While I weep - while I weep!"
-A Dream Within A Dream, Edgar Allan Poe
''When to the sessions of sweet silent thought /I summon up remembrance of things past, / I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,/ And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste.''
-"Sonnet 30″ by William Shakespeare
''Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold''
-"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats
''I knew a woman, lovely in her bones, / When small birds sighed, she would sigh back at them; /Ah, when she moved, she moved more ways than one:/ The shapes a bright container can contain!''
-"I Knew a Woman" by Theodore Roethke
''It is not a carol of joy or glee,/ But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,/ But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings/ I know why the caged bird sings!''
-I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
''How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. / I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight / For the ends of being and ideal grace."
-How Do I Love Thee?, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"I can promise all my heart's devotion; / A smile to chase away your tears of sorrow; / A love that's true and ever growing; / A hand to hold in your's through each tomorrow."
-These I Can Promise, Mark Twain
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate"
-Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit / Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste / Brought death into the World, and all our woe, / With loss of Eden, till one greater Man / Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, / Sing, Heavenly Muse"
-Paradise Lost, John Milton
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep, / And miles to go before I sleep."
-Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Robert Frost
-"But / if each day, / each hour, / you feel that you are destined for me / with implacable sweetness, / if each day a flower / climbs up to your lips to seek me, / ah my love, ah my own, / in me all that fire is repeated"
-If You Forget Me, Pablo Neruda
"Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! / You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light. / When you have done pray tell me, Then I, my thoughts, will dim. Haste! ‘lest while you’re lagging / I may remember him!"
-Heart, We Will Forget Him! Emily Dickinson
"Scarcely a tear to shed; / Hardly a word to say; / The end of a summer day;/ Sweet Love dead."
-An Evening, Gwendolyn Brooks
"Our whisper woke no clocks, / We kissed and I was glad / At everything you did, / Indifferent to those / Who sat with hostile eyes / In pairs on every bed, / Arms round each other's neck, / Inert and vaguely sad."
-"Dear, Though the Night Is Gone", WH Auden
"Darkness settles on roofs and walls, / But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls; / The little waves, with their soft, white hands / Efface the footprints in the sands, / And the tide rises, the tide falls."
-The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
''But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only, / That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. / Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered - / Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before - / On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.' / Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'"
-The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe
''When we two parted / In silence and tears, / Half broken-hearted / To sever for years, / Pale grew thy cheek and cold, / Colder thy kiss; / Truly that hour foretold / Sorrow to this."
-When We Two Parted, George (Lord) Byron
''I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,/ And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.''
-Sea Fever, John Masefield
"At twenty I tried to die / And get back, back, back to you. / I thought even the bones would do. / But they pulled me out of the sack, / And they stuck me together with glue."
-Daddy, Sylvia Plath
''From childhood's hour/ I have not been/ As others were; I have not seen/ As others saw...''
-Alone, Edgar Allan Poe
Share some of your favorite lines or tell me the ones you like best from the list :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
