Library: Readers' Paradise And The Writer's Destination - Page 2

Thank you so much, Ri! You have written beautifully as well. And you said it.. India really does need a public library system. There are very very few of those here.

I agree, India does need a better public library system. It is not uniform even in the same city.

There are some large established libraries with good collection, that are either part of a large (government) library network or were established during the British era. But they are very few in number and certainly not in every neighborhood.

Originally posted by: DreamOfEndless

Our school libraries had too many constraints regarding what books we were supposed to issue, I did not enjoy that. Rather, I thoroughly enjoyed whenever I went to public libraries with my dad, because he allowed me to take any book I wanted to read and explore at my own pace. Dad never said that a book was too difficult for my age. Instead he said I should use a dictionary if I did not understand something, and those days there were no digital dictionaries on figertips. Anyways, I listened to him and picked up any book that grabbed my interest and this really boosted confidence in the kid version of me. I would spend hours exploring genres and writers, cultivating my own taste and issuing books using my dad's library card.

My favorite memory as a kid, of a visit to a public library was when I had picked up the non-adbriged version of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I had read its abridged version before this and I was so happy to find the book that I had finished quite a few chapters of the book during my library visit itself.

Also, remember watching Great Expectations on DD a long time ago.. the actor who played Miss Havisham would creep me out!

Relate so hard to the dictionary-in-hand-to-find-the-meaning-of-a-word but me with my customary impatience and eagerness to get through the book would always start with good intentions, but the dictionary would invariably get ditched a few pages into the book and I'd begin 'guessing' the meanings based on the context of the word. Of course, getting many of them wrong in the process but it was kind of exciting to play that game with myself!

I tend to go for easier reads these days but still revisit some classics now & then.. Oscar Wilde is a particular favorite. So is Jane Austen.

Originally posted by: DreamOfEndless

I agree, India does need a better public library system. It is not uniform even in the same city.

There are some large established libraries with good collection, that are either part of a large (government) library network or were established during the British era. But they are very few in number and certainly not in every neighborhood.

I now recall spending some summers in Kolkata when my aunt lived there, and her neighbour had this imposing book collection. All I did was read, read, read! There used to be a lot of load-shedding and lights would go off every evening, so I'd take a flashlight, sit out in the porch (cos it was unbearably hot in the summers!) and read with my mum yelling at me that I'd spoil my eyesight, but never let that deter me!

Thanks Mrina! 😊

Charles Dickens's books are indeed magic. His 'Oliver Twist' was another book that used to be one of my favorites growing up.

We had Christmas Carol by Dickens in the ninth grade, not the entire play but an excerpt. I read the whole play. We also had except from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the tenth grade, but this time it was too difficult to read the entire play on one's own.

There is a web series on Hotstar based on the novel Great Expectations. It's a 2023 release.

Oscar Wilde is my favourite too. The Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Canterville Ghost. He and Mark Twain were one of the first authors who introduced me to wit in literature.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice never gets old

Originally posted by: minakrish

Here's a piece I wrote a few years ago. It's based on my personal experience, which I later adapted for the main character in my fanfiction..

As I stepped into the library, a wave of calm washed over me, the familiar scent of old books and polished wood greeting my senses. The soft rustle of pages turning and the faint murmur of voices created a soothing symphony, inviting me into a world of imagination.

I wandered through the aisles, running my fingers along the spines of books, each one a portal to a different world. The shelves towered above me, lined with stories waiting to be explored and adventures waiting to be embarked upon.

Finding a cozy nook tucked away in a corner, I settled into a plush armchair, the weight of a tome in my hands grounding me in the present while transporting me to distant lands. Lost in the world of words, time seemed to stand still as I devoured page after page, losing myself in the magic of storytelling.

Occasionally, I would glance up from my book, taking in the sight of fellow bibliophiles lost in their own literary journeys, each one a silent companion in this sanctuary of stories.

As the afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow over the library, I reluctantly closed the book, already longing for my next visit to this haven of imagination and discovery. With a contented sigh, I returned the book to its rightful place on the shelf, knowing that within these walls, adventure would always await.

As if it was a book in itself 👏

Originally posted by: Spideyweb

As if it was a book in itself 👏

Thank you. That is a huge compliment.

Originally posted by: DreamOfEndless

We had Christmas Carol by Dickens in the ninth grade, not the entire play but an excerpt. I read the whole play. We also had except from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in the tenth grade, but this time it was too difficult to read the entire play on one's own.

There is a web series on Hotstar based on the novel Great Expectations. It's a 2023 release.

Oscar Wilde is my favourite too. The Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Canterville Ghost. Him and Mark Twain were one of the first authors who introduced me to wit in literature.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice never gets old

Oh wow.. you love OW too? He's just so so witty and so quotable! I loved the movie too TIOBE...with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth! Bunburying is such a phrase!

Mark Twain.. yes my friend's class had Tom Sawyer and I read that one then. Another author I simply love is Lewis Caroll. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass should be mandatory reading for all kids and adults, imo! JA and P & P.. yeah the original enemies-to-lovers romance! My UN should tell how much I love it.

If you haven't, do watch Lost in Austen. It's a web series where this modern girl who loves Austen & Darcy & P&P gets transported into the P & P world and becomes entangled with the characters. It turns P &P on its head and it's so so funny!

Madhu, it would be fun to have a book club here. We could have it for multiple genres. Do consider it, and if you need ideas, I'm here to help.

I'm part of an online book club on FB and it's been fun so far.