First time in 2 weeks I woke up at 9.
I finally used the gift vouchers from the HPS quizzes, Dhaaji made me buy his share of the coupons…so I had 1350 rupees worth of books to choose from, and in the oldest bookshop in Hyd, no less. Neat collection they have, unfortunately not all the salesmen know how to find books. Nothing upsets me more than a bookseller who doesn’t know his own collection.
Anyway, the other guys, arun and anil bought their stuff soon enough; as usual, I had trouble deciding. I mean, I have a lot of things to bear in mind…like – i shouldn’t be buying books that I get for a fraction of the price at 2nd hand stalls. Definitely not books that I would read only once and then forget.
After a long search and agonized decision-making, bought ( no, GOT) three.
Rock: A Rough Guide. Kinda like the Encyclopaedia of Rock stars ( which I already have, but with a lot more writeups, and MORE bands. Goody! )
The Count of Monte Cristo. Wordsworth Edition. I know I have read this a lot of times, and already have a version, but this one is close to my heart. If I get a chance to make a TV serial, the script will be an Indianised version of a classic, this one. :-) It has everything – loads of characters, a LONG timeline, love, betrayal, treasure, adventure, mystery, well-etched villainry….hoo hoo hoo, TRP ratings, here I come.
(afterthought: i hope Ekta Kapoor doesn’t read this and make it herself. Renamed as “Kkissa Kristo Ke Kount Kaa” :-)) )
Anyway, love this book. Good reading. Good fun. So there.
The third one is interesting. It’s part of a 4-volume work called “The Masks of God” by Joseph Campbell. It’s about mythology and the evolution of myths in civilisations….I bought book III – Occidental Mythology. Will get the other ones soon, I hope, if I like this.
More interesting was the list the owner showed me….a list of Wordsworth titles he could order for me. Includes “The Golden Bough”, the definitive book on the occult, and for a paltry 200 bucks. ( i still kick myself for letting it go by even after getting it for 80 bucks once), the Wordsworth book of Classic movies, the Wordsworth book of Sci-Fi….
The best one: he’s holding a book for me, (and I know 2fargon is gonna smile when he reads this )
“A Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Biography”.
I know, I know, sometimes I read trash too.
:-))
Priceless
Would you mind giving their respective prices as well?
Loved your comment abt Ekta Kapoor. The Count.. was the inspiration for the Malayalam blockbuster Padayottam as well. The makers graciously gave credits to Alexandre Dumas in the titles.
Re: Priceless
Monte Cristo – 100
Joseph Campbell – 354 ( all other books in the quartet are the same price, except for Creative Myth which is 740)
Rough Guide to Rock: 832
One interesting that happened was – when i told friends that I bought “The Rough Guide To Rock” , they thought it was a book by The Rock (the wrestler) :-))
Thanks for the Padayottam funda…I think it was remade into Telugu as a Chiranjeevi movei, remember a friend of mine mentioning it.
Re: Priceless
One interesting that happened was – when i told friends that I bought “The Rough Guide To Rock” , they thought it was a book by The Rock (the wrestler) :-))
Last time I went shopping for clothes in SwapnaLok Complex (Sec’Bad) I asked the guy salesman do you have any rcok tee-shirts.And he shows me Rock the WWE wrestler tee-shirts.When I told him that I’m looking for Rock Bands Tee-Shirt.He says he never heard about a band whose name is Rock.That sales guy in the shop didnt had a clue about rock bands. :)
The masks of God is really interesting. it happened upon me in the UCF library and every time i visit the library out of boredom, i read a little of it. thought of borrowing it , but if i get it home, i wont read it.
i passed up on the pink floyd biography. i would most certainly pass up on a biography of God, or Mother Earth. Some things are best revered blindly, in awe.
If I were you, I would think about writing a definitive PF biography.
Does this tell u anything about what I am planning now?
good luck.
it has been done before (pf)
its difficult to be in my shoes unless you hear hear strains of floyd interweaved with your thoughts and feelings