Page 18 - Book Reading
A gambler in the casino called Wall Street
Mr Gupta is a raconteur par excellence. His autobiographical account could give any good work of fiction a run for its money
 "A gambler in the casino called Wall Street")
Rare first edition of The Great Gatsby lists at $360,000
Harrington will soon bring a first edition of the 1925 book, widely considered F Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, to New York's International Antiquarian Book Fair, which runs from April 21-24 at the P
 "Rare first edition of The Great Gatsby lists at $360,000")
Rebels in the footnotes
One striking aspect of the RIN mutiny was that Indian naval officers did not back the ratings and remained loyal to the navy
 "Rebels in the footnotes")
Mythology and geography
What do such stories say about the interconnectedness of mythology and geography? If not facts, aren't these stories fascinating?
 "Mythology and geography")
Mark Twain: The travelling philosopher
Humour isn't out of place in Mark Twain's journals, though. In fact, it ripples through his descriptions, creating traceries of light upon the grim landscapes of colonial rule
Brief escapes
During the Covid-19 confinement, in the breaks from the laptop and the jhadu, pocha, bartan, kapda routine, The Penguin Book of Japanese Verse became a refuge of sorts, writes Aditi Phadnis
Locked down and empty shelves
Publishing has come to a virtual halt because the retail shops are shut and, as result, so are the large distributors
How the republic falls
If you want to understand today's politics, read novels about the fall of Rome. Populism is democracy's oldest and most enduring disease
Nobody likes lists
Everyone and their editor is convinced that we want to know exactly what they were reading this year.
Serial entertainers
Literary fandom in East Asia is certainly of a different, and usually more intense, quality than elsewhere
Without festivals
Those of us who look forward to book festivals will no doubt have to accept that this is going to be a lost winter
 "Without festivals")
Immigrant worlds
If ever there was a book that begs, demands and screams for film adaptation it is American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Bird watching with Sálim Ali
Our nocturnal friends, the pygmy owlets and shriek owls, are alas, fewer now than when we moved in first two decades ago
Western delusions
Mr Mishra points out that western liberal intellectuals are now sensing a serious challenge to the West-led world order, defined by democracy, free markets and globalisation
 "Western delusions")
Hands across the border
Suketu Mehta makes a passionate case for the immigrant's right to free movement
 "Hands across the border")
Society, science & technology
This is a slim book but it requires your full engagement to understand the questions and nuances raised by each example
 "Society, science & technology")
Suvarnabhumi's legacies
It's not often that current news echoes one's reading of events of more than 800 years ago.
Possibilities of escaping your room amid lockdown are endless. Read books
Who wants to read about disease, or be reminded of one's mortality, during a pandemic?
 "Possibilities of escaping your room amid lockdown are endless. Read books")
Time to read
It's possible you want to escape the reality of what's happening to the world - countrywide shutdowns, worry and concern, divided politicians
The DNF phenomenon
DNF is short for "did not finish". There is no more potent criticism of a book, of course, than to admit that you did not finish it