Book Shelf

If music be the food of love, then literature is definitely fodder for the mind. A mind that is slowly being numbed by the idiot box. So put away the damn remote and head to a bookstore to check out the following new releases:

The Harper Collins stable this month has Amita Malik8217;s Amita 8212; No Holds Barred 8212; recommended as a good read by most reviewers Rs 295; Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay8217;s Pather Panchali and Aparajito 8212; classics that can now be read by everyone, a must buy Rs 195; and Tara Deshpande8217;s 50 and Done Rs 295. Why are we not saying anything about Bombay Boys8217; Dolly8217;s efforts? Well, we are trying to keep our prejudice aside. Frankly we are sick of the quot;I think therefore I must writequot; syndrome that has hit every model, actress and TV type. May Tara be the exception but play it safe and wait for the reviews.

On the other hand, don8217;t too long before you check out this novel: The Saadhu Testament by Daya Dissanayake. The tale of anIndian saadhu who becomes a source of inspiration for millions, it explores man8217;s need to believe in forces outside his mind. While the tale sounds intriguing, what makes for even more interesting reading is the presentation of the novel. It is a full length novel in the electronic format, ie available for free online reading. Dissanayake, who has previously written Kat Bitha, comes from Sri Lanka 8212; an island responsible for producing writers like M Sivanandan and Ramesh Gunasekara. Of late they have given the the most vibrant literature to the sub-continent, minus the hype that Indian writers receive. This one, you can be sure, will be a good read.