After a Gap
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By
A. N. Nanda
16-10-2008
Muzaffarpur
________________________________________________
The other day I received a letter from a friendly source commenting on my book. It appears he has been way too polite. Maybe he is careful that a new author needs plenty of encouragement. Phew, authors need not be too sensitive about the comments, even though unfair ones sometimes hurt. But in this case my friendly reader, Mr. A. K. Singh has written nice words, more so as he encourages me by sharing his surprise how he discovered my book in the library of his centre. Let me quote some two paragraphs out of the letter.
"It was sheer chance while visiting library, that I discovered this book and happened to read all short stories.
"Though, I feel, I am not competent enough to review or after [offer] my comments on it, but personally I enjoyed reading every page of it. Mundane characters in it, with various shades and twists and turns in the stories, definitely make it an interesting and enjoyable book to read."
The comments reassure me, to say the least.
I'm planning to bring out the second edition of the book but then another book of mine "Virasat" in Hindi has already reached the final stage. I'd like to see it in book form, the sooner the better. "The Remix of Orchid", to go to its second edition, has to wait. Maybe for a year or so.
_________________________________________________"It was sheer chance while visiting library, that I discovered this book and happened to read all short stories.
"Though, I feel, I am not competent enough to review or after [offer] my comments on it, but personally I enjoyed reading every page of it. Mundane characters in it, with various shades and twists and turns in the stories, definitely make it an interesting and enjoyable book to read."
The comments reassure me, to say the least.
I'm planning to bring out the second edition of the book but then another book of mine "Virasat" in Hindi has already reached the final stage. I'd like to see it in book form, the sooner the better. "The Remix of Orchid", to go to its second edition, has to wait. Maybe for a year or so.
By
A. N. Nanda
16-10-2008
Muzaffarpur
________________________________________________
posted by The Unadorned at
6:33 PM
6 Comments:
dear sir, u left in a hurry orissa, i could'nt give my comments on the book nor i could return the extra copies, beg u'r forgiveness, me & bharati both enjoyed reading all the short stories end 2 end and soaked in the raw ambgiences of all the settings of those stories, hats off 4 such simple yet emotionaly prgnant blending of facts & fictions. in the mean time tried 2 locate ur email 2 send invitation 4 pooja's marraige 0n 23rd nov.failed 2 day reffered to the book & got this blog address 2 contact u.pls send ur e mail add 2 doctorsx007@gmail.com wising ur good health, dr a.k.mahapatro, postal disp, cuttack
By
doctorsx, at 11:39 PM
Thanks for dropping in..:)
And you are a writer...that is so well...amazing to know:)
could you please let me know which bookstores in Delhi stock thhe book?I could then perhaps attempt to get my hands on it:)
By
Indyeah, at 8:58 AM
hello Indyeah,
My book will be available at Midland, G-8 Basement, South Extension Part I, New Delhi.
Thanks for the enquiry.
Nanda
By
The Unadorned, at 3:14 AM
very rightly! authors need not be too sensitive about the comments!
By
desihabits, at 4:26 PM
Dear Mr Nand
My apologies for encroaching upon your valuable time. I just couldn’t help it when I went through your book “Virasat” which I chanced to see lying unclaimed on the floor of our local post office which runs in my building. I leafed through it and immediately claimed to borrow it from the Postmaster, but now he wouldn’t part with it unless I paid him Rs.100/- for it. So did I and the book was mine to read it at my own time and pace. Very soon I found out that I didn’t have to regret my decision. I am not qualified enough to write a review of a literary creation. I am simply trying t put my own views and experience :
While reading this book, I kept on wondering how did you do it, being such a busy person as you must be ? But then, I knew creativity isn’t constrained by time and circumstances. I finished the first story and was tempted to read the next one and then the next one and so it went on till I finished the whole book, admitting to myself all the way how well you have plotted your stories out of the mundane activities of a postal department. Our professor of Creative Writing classes always used to say, “to narrate means to recite or to tell, but to create is to bring into being from nothing”. How you have been able to inspire life and interest into the nondescript people and activities is something possible only of a master craft man, who, apart from being skilled in the art of writing, not only sees; but also observes, for few people write so well that they can sell a story written around a character or theme only. Your readers become emotionally and mentally involved with your characters. It’s nice to see your characters in ‘Virasat’ emerging out of conflicts and thus securing reader’s sympathy and love. The stories have a ring of truth in them. You have been able to write convincingly, your locations and settings are well planned around postal activities which you seem to know like the palm of your hand. That may be very natural for a writer who heads such a department, but then it has gone a long way in planning your material sufficiently within your own experience and understanding so that you have been able to write with great conviction. Every scene is like a dream picture, growing out of actual experience. Simple, beautiful stories with no complexity of plot. The stories published in this book are the “less obviously plotted” stories type, which is the trend of the day. The art of opening and closing being the essence of such stories, has been well managed - while the opening intrigues the reader immediately, the closing leaves him fully satisfied. I hope the same goes for your novel, too.
I am raring to read your “Remix of Orchid” and “In Harness” which I am sure to get one of these days from the Writers Workshop, Calcutta through one of my literary friends. As to your book, the “Remix of Orchid, the foreword by Ruskin Bond”, my favourite writer, who was recently here in Calcutta on the launch of a childrens’ book, makes it more compelling for me to read that book of yours, I must admit.
Last but not the least, I take the opportunity of congratulating you profusely on writing such a beautiful book in our language. It has enriched our literature. We expect many more of your ramblings in times to come. Kindly keep it up. Are you writing any thing new? My literary friend circle will be very glad to know of it. Aren’t you thinking of getting ‘Virasat’ translated into English.? If so, please let us know.
With kind regards and best wishes,
- M Jha,
Calcutta
09830054185
By
M Jha, at 12:02 PM
i have read your "virasat" which is based on postal employees and his families life.
kamra number 3 is very intersting about 150 yrs. of india post.
thanks for your openion and thinking by your publication. this book is most useful and memorial foe every postal employe and others.
happy new year 2010.
ARVIND KUMAR VERMA
CHAIRMAN
POSTAL SOCITEY OF INDIA CUM DISTRICT MARKETING EXECUTIVE
MDG KHAGARIA - 851204
(BEGUSARAI DIVISION)
BIHAR
MOBILE- 09431417361
By
Anonymous, at 4:05 AM
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