[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Hello Arindam, its great to know that there are a fair number of Wodehouse fans here. I have tried to follow the BBC series (The World of Wodehouse) and after a few episodes I found that - for me - the flavour of the language was getting lost somewhere in the transition from book to screen!

There is no question about the fact that a lot of the essence of a great book does get lost when reproduced through the visual or audio medium. I for one am extremely particular about the nuances of the text being preserved to the maximum extent possible whenever such an adaptation is attempted. Case in point: the Sherlock Holmes series. Though there have been numerous screen adaptations made over the last several decades, there is only one, in my opinion, which strikes me as being the most true to the book, which is the BBC series starring Jeremy Brett in the titular role. Its a pleasure to watch, and again, highly recommended for Holmes fans. Similarly, I find the recent adaptations (Benedict Cumberbatch, or Robert Downey Jr titular roles) to be not at all true to the book, and I avoid watching them because it pains me to see how much of the original narrative has been completely obliterated to cater to "modern" viewership tastes. In fact, I cannot identify with these series at all

That said, I find the BBC Jeeves and Wooster series to be quite true to the book, and enjoy watching them. True, some bit of the essence is lost in translation, but it still remains one of my favourite classes TV series.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by subraiyr

I do. I do. My fav till date has been IT. What a brilliant book. I first read it when i was 14 years old. I was traveling with my sister to Delhi from Chennai. Our first trip alone without parents and the book sent me into a sleepless zone for 3 days. And to back it all up, my brother in law took us to Nightmare on Elm Street. What a combo with a clown and Freddie.

Hi subraiyr, I have been a total duffer when I replied earlier to your post - thinking it was about The Shining, when you meant his other book IT. The fact is I haven't read the book IT, and I assumed it was a typo error. Now I shall get hold of the book since you have given it such a high rating! - please excuse the asinine mistake on my part.
Regards,
Shashanka

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Hi subraiyr, I have been a total duffer when I replied earlier to your post - thinking it was about The Shining, when you meant his other book IT. The fact is I haven't read the book IT, and I assumed it was a typo error. Now I shall get hold of the book since you have given it such a high rating! - please excuse the asinine mistake on my part.
Regards,
Shashanka

Hey Shshanka - We bibliophiles are pretty asinine at times. No apologies.

Shining is yet another great book. I preferred the book to the movie. In fact i prefer books to most of the movies made on books. The closest i have seen a movie come to a book is Godfather. I guess it is all about our own imaginations and picturisations when we read a book

[subraiyr]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

That said, I find the BBC Jeeves and Wooster series to be quite true to the book, and enjoy watching them. True, some bit of the essence is lost in translation, but it still remains one of my favourite classes TV series.

Hi Arindam
If you like the J&W TV series, i would suggest you watch M.A.S.H. This started somewhere in the 70s and is quite brilliant. Esp when the character of Major Winchester enters. He is ala wodehousian chap.
Their books too are very interesting. I had a hard time finding them here, but managed to get a couple which is now sadly tucked up in a loft since i dont have much space for book display
Incidentally, i read a book by Stephen Fry quite a while back called The Liar. It is quite funny but does have some serious undercurrents as well. Suggest you give it a shot

[Piyadassi]

Prose.
It's fluidity. It's grace. It's poetry.
It torments. It bewitches. It mesmerises.

This book by the Nobel prize winning Turkish author raises writing to a new level. And hats off to the translator.

Another excellent reading after Chinua Achebe"s Things Fall Apart.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

....Case in point: the Sherlock Holmes series. Though there have been numerous screen adaptations made .............

Hi Arindam,
This subject is one of my favourite old chestnuts! - Jeremy Brett's Holmes, Michael Ande's Der Alte, Albert Finney/Peter Ustinov's Hercule Poirot, Robert Mitchum's Philip Marlowe, as well as the various faces of Miss Marple! They are all classics in the best sense of the word.

As you said, the current practice of glib one-liners from the mouth of the revered Holmes (as practised by Downey Jr.) is sacrilege - chaps have been drawn & quartered for less, as good old Pelham would say!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by shashanka

I have tried to follow the BBC series (The World of Wodehouse) and after a few episodes I found that - for me - the flavour of the language was getting lost somewhere ...

Hi Shashanka,

Im not sure that we are talking about the same series here. Just to clarify, I am talking about the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Wlaw78JN4

This is season 1 episode 1, others are also available on Youtube. This may not be a BBC production, in which case, I stand corrected on my earlier statement in this regard. However, if you are talking about a separate series, and have not come across this one, do give this a try. I have a feeling you might like it.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

1. Lee Child - Night School tops the list.

Just finished reading this one. Really nice. The last time I read a book was when I was in school. Some Agatha Christie novel it was.

Managed to find another Lee Child book on board so that will be next followed by Forces of Nature.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Hi Shashanka,
Im not sure that we are talking about the same series here.........and have not come across this one, do give this a try. I have a feeling you might like it.

You were right Arindam - this one is a separate series. But I watched it and must confess that I enjoyed it. As Subraiyr said "it is all about our own imaginations and picturisations when we read a book."

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by shashanka

You were right Arindam - this one is a separate series. But I watched it and must confess that I enjoyed it. As Subraiyr said "it is all about our own imaginations and picturisations when we read a book."

Great, glad you enjoyed it. Do catch the other episodes as well. I am a big fan of this series and have watched several reruns.

These books are like comfort food. When one is down and wants literary fodder which are easy on the brain, yet evokes instant nostalgia, Wodehouse hits the spot real quick. Kind of like Jeeves' famed pick-me-ups

Has been, and will remain my go -to series for a long long time to come!

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Great, glad you enjoyed it. Do catch the other episodes as well. I am a big fan of this series and have watched several reruns.
These books are like comfort food. When one is down and wants literary fodder which are easy on the brain, yet evokes instant nostalgia, Wodehouse hits the spot real quick. Kind of like Jeeves' famed pick-me-ups
Has been, and will remain my go -to series for a long long time to come!

'Comfort food' is right! I like to think of them as 'soul food' and cram a lot of other stuff in the envelope as well - great books (of course) from a broad genre, memorable photographs (there's a whole anthology of them in the "official non-auto images" thread from some great camera artists on our forum), great music (with old bollywood items taking centre-stage!) and various odds & ends that you come across along the way!

[skdking]

Just finished re-reading "INDIA SHASTRA :Reflections on the Nation in our Time" by Tharoor.

Heartily recommended.

[murillo]

So, in about the last month or so, I have read these books:

• The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
• The Shining - Stephen King
• Casino Royale - Ian Fleming
• Love Story - Erich Segal
• Killing Floor - Lee Child

Current read:

• Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Queued:

• Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
• The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino

Wishlist:

• Well, this is an interminable list. Books-to-read are so many and One Life is Not Enough to read them all.

[kozhissery]

I voted for "Paper Book", but while reading "When Breath Becomes Air" I felt that I should have bought this book in my kindle as there are lots of words (medical terms) which are unknown to me.

I prefer the book in paper format as I tend to exchange the books with multiple persons and I love the smell of the new book. Another advantage is that it will last a long time so tend to buy classical books in paper format.

I like kindle for its compactness, ability to read in night (without disturbing master of house) and can carry lots of books during trips.

[murillo]

Update - Read these last week:

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
The Devotion of Suspect X - Keigo Higashino
Anton Chekov short stories

Current read:

A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham

Queued:

Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey