Yup, that's me. I am not just a book lover, I am a textbook-lover.
I think language textbooks are an underrated branch of literature. While the texts were anthologies of essays, prose, poetry and short fiction, the non-detailed texts condensed classic novels into simple reading. The pictures that went with these texts introduced us to different cultures. The annotations made it so easy to understand the difficult words. Now, when I pick up a book to read, I miss the pictures and annotations badly! Who said adults didn't need them?
When I visit anyone's house with kids, I usually ask to look at their textbooks.
The smell of new textbooks!
As a student, when the new academic year started and textbooks were bought, I'd pounce on to the language textbooks and finish reading them in a day or two. Then I'd peruse social textbook. Maths and science stressed me and scared me so I'd leave them alone till a teacher decoded them for me. But languages, ha! By the time school started, I'd have had already read all the lessons! This continued till college and when I chose English for my Masters, I had a blast discovering new writers and literary history. I had a habit of keeping all my language textbooks with me. Didn't resell them or pass them on to a junior. But while shifting houses and when the household clutter became too much, I had to give away some of them and I regret it to date.
The greats I met through my textbooks
It was my English textbooks that introduced me to Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, O Henry, Maupassant, Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and so many other greats. As mentioned before, I got to read classic novels because they were simplified into a non-detailed text. Great Expectations, The Hound of Baskerville, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (I remember being thrilled to read about India in an English mystery novel!)
Its because of Telugu textbooks I know the complex grammar and rules of Telugu poetry. There were these asterisk marked poems that we used to call 'chukka padyalu' that were mandatory to be memorized. I remembered some of them till few years back but then adulthood crept in and pushed them away to accommodate some useless memories. Apart from the classic Telugu literary personalities like Pothana, Ashtadiggaja kavulu, Tirupati Venkata Kavulu etc, we were also introduced to contemporary poets and writers such as Narayana Reddy garu, Nayani Krishna Kumari garu, Suravaram Pratapa Reddy garu, Joshua garu, Narla varu and so many others.
I am equally grateful to have been exposed to quality Hindi literature through my textbooks. (Sarvasri) Premchand, Nirala, Harivansh Rai Bacchan, Maithili Sharan gupt, Makhanlal Chaturvedi (I still remember the first few lines of his poem - PUSHP KI ABHILASHA).
Whether Karuna Sri wrote Pushpa vilapam or Makhan Lal Chaturvedi wrote Pushp ki Abhilasha, both were speaking for flowers although the sentiments were quite different. The textbooks gave us a chance to explore both and understand how each write approaches a subject which may seem similar but has their own take!
There was a poem called 'Sisuvu' in Telugu by Joshua garu. I was surprised by the poet's take on a baby. Generally, such poetry tends to highlight the cuteness and innocence of babies. Some even call them Gods! But Joshua garu describes how the baby is a tiny human already by showing distaste for certain foods, making slaves of its parents and several other discriminating things. The poem ends with the poet wondering what the future may hold for this flawed baby.
But why am I talking about textbooks?
Last Sunday's Hindu paper paid tribute to Sri Keki Daruwalla. He was an Indian English writer, poet and received Sahitya Academy and other honors for his writing FYI. For me, it was one of those names that I didn't know where I heard before. Yes, I am an English Literature student but in our syllabus we didn't have his writing. (I know because I still have my M.A English textbooks!)
It took me 2 and half hours of google searches and some memory jogging to remember. I didn't just hear of him, I read his story. Just one. It was part of an anthology. And what a collection of short stories it was!
But, no! Not going to reveal it in this post. I have so much more to share about that particular anthology! A small tragedy associated with it, the importance of holding on to textbooks, the summaries of all the stories I read from that anthology, how the names from that anthology connected different dots in my life.... so much to share! That's in the next post!
Please do share your favorite text book memories, would love to know them!! See you soon.
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