Book Review – On Writing, Stephen King

‘What is the point of reading the Scriptures anymore, now that I have listened to the Sermon on the Mount?’

This exact line came to my mind when I finished reading this book. Who else can teach you the art of writing better, if not one of the best writers of our times? Now, Stephen King may not have won Nobel for literature, but tested in terms of the number of readers and monetary success, he is one of the top ten authors in the world currently. In fact, one of the recent issues of Forbes placed him fifth in the list of world’s highest paid authors for 2016.

I haven’t read even a single book of Stephen King prior to this nor am I a big fan of his brand of fiction. But that didn’t deter me from picking up this book, when it popped up in my Amazon recommendation list. I am glad that I did.
 

This book consists of three parts. The first part forms the memoirs of Stephen, starting from his not-so-happily-memorable childhood of having been raised by a single-mother struggling to make ends meet by doing every odd job available. Stephen’s love and admiration for his mother subtly shines throughout the book. His formative years as a writer and his journey towards the pinnacle have been captured in good measure as well. Any person who goes through all that Stephen has and still retains his passion for doing the thing that he loves deserves to win, I would say.

The second - and more important - part for which I picked the book is filled with suggestions and tips about the art of writing. I didn’t want to go through a formal, boring list of Do’s and Do Not’s that would make a dent in my natural flow as such and Stephen King has stayed true to his reputation. If you are looking for a formal course on the art of writing, sorry, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want to listen to a senior and accomplished writer sitting by your side and sharing his wisdom with you in a matter-of-fact manner, then this is a book that you must read. I was really impressed going through the pages. Dreaming of becoming a writer myself, I could identify my flaws, ascertain my strengths and get some warm affirmation while reading through these pages.

In the last part Stephen shares his harrowing experience in a van accident that threatened to hamper his physical movement, and his recovery from it, both physical and mental. Aptly titled ‘On Living’, this chapter is a touching end to a lovely book. As I finished reading, I couldn’t help admire his ability to keep even a non-fiction book so riveting. An interesting book on the art of writing, starting from framing ideas in the mind to putting them on paper, to handling that dreaded disease called ‘writer’s block’ which every person successfully wielding the pen has gone through at least once in his/her writing career.

A must read, if you’re a budding writer or are wanting to become one!

Happy Independence Day - 2016!

Seven decades ago, the Sun coming up on the Eastern horizon of this country would have noticed joyous scenes all around. All through His whole sojourn up there, He would have noticed people waving the tricolor, chanting, dancing and jumping with joy, for it was the day when this nation woke up redeeming its pledge, fulfilling its 'tryst with destiny'.

The Sun, 70 years older today, would be witnessing the same nation going through the motions with the spirit of Freedom and patriotism watered down, manipulated and moulded to fit each of our own narrow interests.

While it is easy to get carried away and feel a bristling sense of 'patriotism' amidst all the special events and symbols of the nation freely flaunted today, the real patriotism is what we carry in our hearts and display on a daily basis.

Go through the lives and letters of all those leaders and little-known freedom fighters that gave their all for attaining freedom for this nation of theirs and we will know that we are incapable of the level of ethics, honesty, grit and morality that they displayed as a matter of habit.

While it may not be possible for us to follow them in their giant footprints, having become the corrupt and selfish puny ones that we are all today, we may try to emulate as little of their deeds as possible to us.

There are 364 days more for the next Independence Day and let's make a pledge today. For the next 12 months, let us try to become the worthy citizens of this great land. Let's fight corruption and let's equally fight pollution. Let's obey the traffic rules and also the tax laws. Let's learn the lives and words of the past giants, while trying to shake off our petty interests. Let's work for the common interest, while working on overcoming our human selfishness. Let's treat our women with equality, while they learn what their real freedom is. Let's take a pledge to protect the national monuments, while caring also for her natural resources and ecological system. Let's burn our narrow caste and religious identities, while evolving spiritually, brightening the beacon of spiritual wisdom that this glorious land of ours was once for this whole world!

Overall, let us be the real patriots that silently and solemnly keep working for the welfare of this land as well as that of this whole beautiful world, instead of reserving our 'patriotism' for some special days or for sports matches.

Let's ensure that the pledge we made with the destiny and our tryst are consummated to the whole, instead of wilting away as just another failed affair!

Jai Hind!

Modern-Day Rishyasringas!

Those who have a fair idea of Hindu Mythology and Puranas would have definitely known about the sage Rishyasringa. Brought up only by his father Vibhandaka, a sage who hated the entire womenfolk due to the treatment meted out to him by the celestial dancer Urvashi, he never knew the presence of the opposite gender. He grew up without even knowing about the existence of women and the pull of the primal instincts. Having been brought up as a perfectly chaste and unique celibate, he fell face down at the first sign of 'trouble'. He was very easily seduced by a courtesan from the kingdom of Angha, whose mere sight unleashed all the unfelt desires deep inside his mind and he was very easily conquered by the lure of physique.

These days, I am feeling that all of us are being turned into Rishyasringas of a different kind. Have you ever noticed the increasing amount of advertisements for sanitisers and washes - ranging from face to body to 'intimate'?! Now there is even a special sanitiser for use after cutting vegetables!

Where is all this senseless and hedonistic hygiene headed?! What are we trying to protect ourselves from? Are we growing so insensible to the fact that the more we keep ourselves hidden from something the less immune we become towards it? And, any person with a very basic idea about the human body will be very much aware of the fact that this whole human body is teeming with micro-organisms of varied kinds, that having a 'clean' body without the proverbial 99.99% 'germs' is impossible. While basic hygiene is essential and a good thing for our own sakes, as for the sake of those around us, splashing the chemicals on our bodies and splurging on such cleansers and sanitisers is definitely not the right thing to do. It may be good for those companies that make such products, but for us mere mortals, such hedonistic indulgences in personal 'hygiene' will end up only in our turning more flimsy, fragile and vulnerable to the first signs of 'trouble'. After all evolution and immunity work by facing the challenges and overcoming them, not in such superficial measures and methods!