Leafing through the pages of a book and
absorbing the many nuances of a story has an appeal of its own. Yet as we
immerse ourselves in the digital world, this pleasure is slipping away. “People
prefer summaries or a movie to reading an entire book. But when you read a
book, you are the director where you can direct your thoughts and perceptions,”
observes voracious reader and MA Literature student Esha Nadkarni, whose
apartment is the proverbial ‘house of books’.
Keen to share her love for reading, she
joined hands with another voracious reader, renowned art critic and mentor,
Apurva Kulkarni, to start a book club, ‘Between the Lines’. “The starting of
the club was fuelled by our love for reading and voracious appetite for books,”
Apurva concurs of the origin of the book club whose primary aim is to encourage
people to take a stimulating and soul-enhancing plunge into the pages of a
book. It hinges on the belief that we are what we read, each literary piece
influencing and moulding our lives. “On one level, it looks at the objective
and critical analysis and on the other, at the subjective and emotional response,”
explains Apurva.
By that premise, the reader is the pivotal
point. “The reader is the centre of the club and his responses to the book and
the airing of the responses will form the basis of the club,” emphasises
Apurva, who envisages finding fellow travellers in the world of books, where
the exchange of perspectives will enable them to enrich one another.
Open to any book lover from the age of 16
onwards, the club will discuss all genres of books, fiction, non-fiction, works
in translation, books about literature and reading in general as well as books
authored by prominent and upcoming Goan writers. “At our opening session, we
will be discussing Arundhati Roy’s 1997 Booker Prize Winner ‘The God of Small
Things’. Our readings and discussions will include new as well as timeless
classics which stimulate us till date,” Apurva clarifies.
While Esha has selected the book for the
first session, the others will choose a book by rote. And while it is preferred
that one reads the book before discussions, the presenter will also hand out
small notes on the plot and description of the storyline before they commence.
In keeping with the current social media trend, the club has created a special
Facebook page. Considering the fact that it has already registered 78 likes
gives fillip to Apurva and Esha’s hopes of the club organically evolving into a
success.
(Between the Lines will commence on July
24, 2015 at Gallery Gitanjali from 6pm to 7.30pm)
