Saturday, February 05, 2011
love hate relationship with books and authors...
i've often wandered why i like books and writings by authors that i know i won't like to be friends with. these writers i find distasteful in some ways and not people that i would even want to meet or be associated with in any way. but i can read all their books no matter what they write on.
and today while going to the bathroom as usual i picked up a book at random from my library which has now spread into my bedroom . the book is (again) orhan pamuk's other colors and the first page i flipped open turned out to be chapter 52 titled Andre Gide. here mr pamuk mentioned gide's visit to istanbul in 1914 and the experience of the visit found it's way into his famous diary which mr pamuk described it as to contain some derisive and angry comments on turkey.
First Gide describes meeting a Young Turk on the train to Istanbul. This pasha's son had been studying art in Laussane for six months and now returning to Istanbul with Zola's popular novel Nana tucked under his arm; finding him superficial and pretentious, Gide turns him into a figure of fun.
well, i can understand Gide's feelings perfectly. exactly how i feel about the wogs in kuala lumpur...except that it's not that simple. looking at my library content and what i read and like i'm beginning to think that i too think and behave like that most destestable and pititful creature the wog. oh how complicated life is!
and sometimes i wonder why i collect all these books the authors of which i have no interest whatsoever to meet or make friends with even if they are still alive and if i have the opportunity. but a sentence mr pamuk wrote in chapter 52 on Andre Gide rings true...
We admire writers for their words, their values, and their literary prowess, not because they approve of us, our country,or the culture in which we live.
this explains somewhat the books that i like but the authors of which i may even hate...
