What do I read?

I usually carry a book with me wherever I go-work, shopping, movie, anywhere. The idea is to read it during the commute, when I am waiting for someone or in any of those "interstices” as Umberto Eco puts it in this interview. However, I almost never get around to reading anything mainly because I have short commutes and I get so mad if am kept waiting that I can’t read.

I have carried seriously heavy books (Philip Roth’s ‘American Pastoral’, Thomas Mann’s ‘Buddenbrooks’) for substantial periods of time without reading a single word. But, I still do it anyway. Much like a boy scout I want to “be prepared”. I used to take a wide selection of reading material with me just to cater to the reading mood that I am likely to be in, even if I know I can read only a few pages. Now, I have at least stopped filling my bag with several books like I used to. I have reduced it to a book or two and perhaps a magazine.

So, people see me, book in hand, and question me about my reading preferences. I am asked these questions frequently and I find it very difficult to give a satisfactory answer. For one, I strongly suspect that these people are fans of Harry Potter or worse still Dan Brown and any conversation with those of that ilk, let alone on the subject of books, might be a little painful. For another, the answer to that question cannot really be given off hand.

There was a time when I read any book that was lying around the house. There were quite a lot of books at home, although, I am yet to figure out who they really belonged to. I do recollect though that many had the stamp of some library marked on them, which along with the name of the library, also included a helpful reminder “please return within seven days”. I should have felt some sympathy for the poor optimistic souls that actually thought that the reminder would be heeded. But, I just thought it was hilarious that not only did someone think that the book would be returned but also that it would be done within the strictish time frame of a week.

Anyway, it was good fun. I read absolute gems like, ‘Of human bondage’ and ‘The razor’s edge’ by Somerset Maugham, E.L.Doctrow’s ‘Ragtime’, ‘The castle’ by Franz Kafka, Jean Paul Sartre’s ‘The age of reason’, ‘A catcher in the rye’ by J.D. Salinger, books by Pearl S. Buck, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley, Truman Capote and hundreds more, not to mention the discovery of P.G.Wodehouse, which of course cannot be covered here.

I never quite read any duds, however, I had to wonder why I had read several books by A.J. Cronin and Daphne Du Maurier. The whole randomness of reading the first thing that I could lay my hands upon did not seem right given that there is only limited time and unlimited books. I wanted method and I have developed just that over a period of time.

I read the section on books in ‘The New York Times’, ‘Salon’ and the ‘The Guardian’ apart from reviews from other newspapers, magazines and sites. I don’t know whether these are the best sources. But, they are comprehensive. I am used to these sites and their writers and I find the information that I get to be adequate.The combined reviews are good enough to tell me whether or not I am interested in any book. As biased as reviews are, they can be quite useful especially because I read from varied sources.

Knowing exactly what I want to get out of my reading I can decide what books I would like to read and I build a list (which by the way is so huge that even if I stop right now, I will never be done). For example, I know that I want to read ‘Special topics in Calamity physics’ by Marisha Pessl, and ‘The Emperor’s children’ by Claire Messud from latest fiction.

I spend far more time reading about books than I do in actually reading them. But, even if I don’t get around to reading a book, reading multiple reviews is rewarding as, very often, the essence of a book can be found in the review, which is very useful when it comes to non-fiction. Also, literary criticism is in itself a very rewarding read some times.

I have come to love the methodical approach. Of course, it is much less spontaneous this way. Also, I know so much about a book before I start reading it that there are very few surprises left. However, I do get the most out of the precious little time that I am able to give to personal reading and I am happy.

And that is the answer to the questions about my reading preferences.