Have you ever regretted reading a book — which one and why?
I love reading books. If I recall, my first book was You Can Win by Shiv Khera, which my English teacher gave me, and that was the start of my reading journey. I was fascinated with books from an early age. When we went to the school library, I always wanted to get children’s books. I remember trying to get hold of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and the librarian wasn’t very friendly; he acted like the books were coming from his house.
My dad subscribed us to Nanhe Samrat. Also, the newspaper hawker was our friend, so he used to give us new books to read. My mother used to read lots of magazines at that time – Sarita, Manohar Kahaniya, and novels by Gulshan Nanda. This habit passed from my elder sister, who reads a lot, to me, and finally to my younger sister. When we siblings meet, we discuss the books; it’s such a pleasure.
Right now, I am reading The Mist by Stephan King and Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty. I have read Kafka, Stephan King, Grisham, Premchand, Chatursen, Wells, and so many notable authors. Each of them impressed me with their writing and taught me something.
I was chasing the classic novels and came across Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, which is by far my only regretful read. Nothing against the novel; maybe I couldn’t understand the author’s point, or I wasn’t the right audience for it. After reading that book, I felt like I had to take a holy bath in the Ganga River.
The story is told from the perspective of Humbert, an aging professor in love with a 12-year-old girl he calls Lolita. Throughout the book, he fantasizes about the girl and justifies his actions by calling it love. I don’t know how this novel is a classic; I found it perverted. It took me almost 6 to 7 months to finish this masterpiece, even though it’s roughly a 330-page book. I have a habit of finishing what I start, whether I like it or not; that’s the only reason I finished it.
What’s the most uncomfortable book you’ve ever read — and did you finish it or put it down?”
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling!!!
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