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
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.
ReplyDeleteWe 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