I was alerted to this gem of a book by a review in The Hindu Literary Review earlier this month. Referring to it as "a stylish, cultural landmark communicating one man's passion to a larger audience", reviewer Suresh Menon wrote:Sebastian's essays make erudition accessible, as he discusses the French philosopher Diderot, C.S. Lewis, Amar Chitra Katha, Shakespeare & Co and other bookshops, Umberto Eco, antiquarian books, the first editions of J.D. Salinger's novels, Nabokov, book thieves, collectors and much more with an easy familiarity. And all this is done without once showing off, which is an achievement in itself.
(Read the review in its entirety here: "A modest miracle".)
Well, I just had to get my hands on the book so off I "went" to Flipkart, my favourite online bookstore, to order The Groaning Shelf. Ten minutes ago, it was delivered to me at home. Which is why you are now reading this post. And which is why I am now going to log off so that I can go curl up with my latest possession.
Meanwhile, if you like, you can take a look at my Flipkart wish-list here. And you can check out my library on Google Books.
Do we like the same books?
UPDATE (November 18, 2010): It was serendipity that led me to read Suresh Menon's review of The Groaning Shelf, and I am so grateful. Pradeep Sebastian not only loves books, he also knows how to get other people to love books.
Not every essay in The Groaning Shelf will appeal to all readers, but there's so much in this book that will get you thinking about reading and writing. It is here that I first learnt about Michael Dirda, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic of the Washington Post Book World who has written many books about the joy of reading. I just had to have one of Dirda's books and I am now reading — and enjoying — Classics for Pleasure, first published in 2008. And Classics for Pleasure has introduced me to another wonderful book, The Lifetime Reading Plan, by Clifton Fadiman, which I have ordered on Flipkart. (Clifton is the father of Anne Fadiman, the author of At Large and At Small and Ex Libris; book-lovers will find both to be delightful reads.)
So thank you, Pradeep Sebastian, for introducing me to new ways of thinking about books and, especially, for reinforcing my belief that we are what we read.
UPDATE (June 4, 2012): Here's another terrific book, which I have just finished reading: Would You Like Some Bread With That Book? And Other Instances of Literary Love, by Veena Venugopal.
