Monday, 9 December 2013

Reading & Reflections, 001



Novels of another era-
CHEQUER BOARD
One of my fav novels was The Chequer Board---by Neville Shute, of late 50s. -
In my search through my debris of books and accumulated stuff in a "De-clutter home" operation, found the book intact . PAN books of UK; absolutely stained and old, but still intact. I was astonished to read in the old style preface, this quote.
quote

"Tis all a chequered board of nights and days,
Where Destiny with men for pieces play.
Hither and thither moves , and mates and slays,
And one by one back in the closet lays.

translated by Edward Fitzgerald (from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam) --
The novel features a John Turner in WW2 who travels all across in his later years to visit some three - he met in a hospital ward after the War --This includes one section of Burma and an RAF Pilot- one American and British soldier for a goodwill visit and all about their lives-
Read it at Sea during my sea career several times in mid 60s- Maybe, later have scanned thro many more times..some passages later; Loved it and treasured it .

Chequer Board is to say the least-just amazing and fascinating of ordinary people -who lead "extraordianary" lives and quietly with great sincerity, dedication and passion ; A story set in a time all but forgotten now--I liked it more because of my family and Burma connection, my late fathers Army service and in Burma lasting about 1890- 1962. Cant read this dull brownish stained print easily and soiled with Time..but will try and go through slowly--I have Ocular MG -restricts this. Books were my fav pastime from age 6 till a few years ago. (maybe see if i can get it on a Kindle E-Book Reader !! Maybe --_

YES,LIFE INDEED IS A CHEQUER BOARD
Rgds
TR

1 comment:

  1. Sharing this with avid readers on Reading habits and to think we used to travel to Libraries for reference study and that now all data is now on E-Learning & E-Mail or E-Reader for kids too!! Books still sell in India and abroad but a much smaller percentage are avid readers today. I cant believe how the methods have changed in last 80 yrs-from a primitive travelling library by Bullock Cart to Organised Reading Rooms to Lending Libraries to E- readers.
    We used to share books,novels and magazines and pass them on from one to another till as late as the 1980s. Old magazines and novels were read,re-read, rebound, bound again- covered, stapled together till it had seen it cycle end. Second hand books inc school texts were still valued and given to others.
    Referencing was mostly at the British Council & USIS, which were the favourites for academic assignments in 50s- 60s.
    Today a Library visit seems rare.
    I had to visit the Adyar Theo Society Library recently for a rare gem of book 97 yrs old, out of print, which was asked for by a Scholar and family friend (Elder) and recalled the Library visits of earlier times. Arranged a photocopy with the library who searched the archives for it & found it
    I stopped reading novels (all light print, small fonts) a few years ago due to a neuro eye junction problem)
    My daughter still does a Friday Library visit to get magazines and novels. Small groupsa still it do this, but overall, what a change it is with internet and google referencing in academia.
    Cant believe this speed of change-
    rgds-
    TR

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