““Twenty years was yesterday, and yesterday was just earlier this morning, and morning seemed light-years away.” — Call Me By Your Name”
POCKETDIARYBOOKCLUB
MINUTESOFTHEMEETING
YEAR2023
29thAugust2023/ 03:00PM/ AkshatDramaGroupStudioEdition21
Attendees(15)Ruchi,Bharath,Prince,Sonam,Rajesh,Prashant,Gaurav, Mitesh,Bhavita,Raxil,Kusangi,Pankaj,Sandeep,Nirali,PriyaandChirag.
“Twentyyearswasyesterday, andyesterdaywasjustearlierthismorning,andmorningseemedlight-yearsaway.”- CallMeByYourName
Theroomfeltlikeit stillhadn’t gottenoverthenighteditionanditsafterglowlingeredand remindedusofthatmagicalworldofwords.Thestudionow- a – daysfeelslikeinsteadofair molecules,it is heavywithwordsandthe scentof booksmixedwithcamphor. (Justexaggerating;itisthediligentroomfreshenerhissingevery45minutes.)
Priyabreezedin theroomcladin a cutespringsummerdress,lookeddreamy. BhavitawassittingwithherheadbumpinginthebookshelfandoutofconcernI lockedeyeswithher;onelookonherfaceandI couldtellthatshewasdoingthebalancingact.(Inhouseveryownmime.)In themeantimea strangerrangerbythenameNehawalkedin carryinga greylittlediary.Rumoristhatdiaryspewssomenastyjokes.
ReadyPlayerOnebyErnestCline
ReadbyBharathInhismatteroffactstyleBharathtellsusthatitisatypicalquesttofindeastereggstoescapetherealworld.Whatintriguesonehereisthe puzzlesstrewnovertheentirenarrative.Bharathassuresusthatthisbookwillinterestthenongamersequallyas its essentiallya treasurehunt.Oneof thebestwrittengamingnovels…Priyamanagedto flipthebookopenona pagethattalksaboutthegamer’s loveinterest.Bharathenlightensusabouthowit wasvirtualandhowtheybarelymeetinreallife.”We satthere awhile,holdinghands,revelinginthestrangenewsensationofactuallytouchingoneanother.”
Everygamerisnotjustanunemployedloserintheirmother’sbasement.Mostofthemhaveabetterchanceata”Lovestorythanyounongamers.Who’sabumnow?”(hateful).
CallMebyYourNamebyAndrèAciman
ReadbyRuchiWe wantedto hearsomethingsoothingandRuchibroughtchirpingbirdsandcricketsandsunshineonthatcloudygrayafternoon.Asshereadweclosedoureyesandweretransportedtoawarmcozyconjuredupescapeplaceofourown.Eyesclosedanda smileonhisface,I sawPrinceenjoyingeverybitof thereadingandhedidteleporthimselftosomeplacepeaceful.Ruchibeganwitha shortdescriptionandwenudgedhertogiveustheentireplot.Ruchiandhersparkleintheeyewhenshetalksaboutabookshereallylovesishardtomiss.Asthisbookkeepsondoingacomebackandwekeeponaskingaboutthetitle…“I’mlikeyou,’hesaid.’Iremembereverything.’
I stoppedfora second.Ifyouremembereverything,I wantedtosay, andifyouarereallylikeme,thenbeforeyouleavetomorrow, orwhenyou’rejustreadytoshutthedoorofthetaxiandhavealreadysaidgoodbyetoeveryoneelseandthere’s nota thinglefttosayinthislife,then,justthisonce,turnto me,evenin jest,or as anafterthought,whichwouldhavemeanteverythingtomewhenweweretogether, and,asyoudidbackthen,lookmeintheface,holdmygaze,andcallmebyyourname”
AHouseCalledAwfulEndbyPhilipArdagh
ReadbyPrincePrince’s excitementtoreadthebookwasliterallyinfectious.Hewassoexcitedhecalledthebooknonsense.Beingkind,notthinkingofpassingthebookaroundtoknowtheend,butendedupgivingintothetemptation.Thebookhadwaytoomanyinnuendos…
Princeclaimsthebookbeingwrittenundertheinfluenceofhallucinogens.
(Notetoself:buythebooktopairwithyourstashofhall…nevermind)
चलेखाby
भगवती
चरण
वमा
ReadbySonamSonambeginsemphasizingonhowfirstimpressionscanbemisleading…themainprotagonistChitralekhabeinga courtdancerandhowthecharacterturnsoutto be a dynamiteof apersonality. Rajeshji andSonamweretrippingoverthestorylineleavingus allfeelinglike
peoplefromtheChitraguptera.RajeshbeingRajeshbroughtinthereferenceofPyaasamovieinheretoo.Sonammaintainedhercalmandwithasmiletoldusthatthisbookisallwisdom…andtowhichPriyasmiledandquipped,onlywisdom?Thebookskirtedaroundtheelusivelovevslustdebate.Thequestion
पाप
या
होता
है
?I wouldnotattemptatthenittygrittiesofthecharactersandtheirlinksitwillactuallyrequireacomplexmindmap.
WatchmenbyAlanMoore
ReadbyRajesh
मेरा
माल
कहा
है
?Rajeshcallshisbooksmaal,wellthat’ssomethingmeandPriyaagreeon…weplantogetourhandsonallthatmaal.NotquietsurewhattripNehagoesononceshehearsthewordmaal.Thecomicremindsoneof allthingsgoryandrepressing,theredwedding,wethepeople,V forVendettaandthelistcontinues.I seePriyasquirmingatallthegore.Watchmen,althoughheavilyinfluencedbycoldwarandnucleararmsracealsowasinspiredbyBobDylan’s masterpieceDesolationRow.
Gory, repression,vigilantes,TO-BE-READ.ThebookalsoquotesFriedrichNietzsche.
PrideandPrejudicebyJaneAusten
ReadbyKusangi“OhMr. Bennet!”Kusangireadtheveryfamousintroductorypassageoftheclassic..theentryofa handsomeandsurlyMr. DarcyandsweetandcharmingMr. Bingley. Thefactthattheinitialexpressionsontheirfaceandintheireyeshadnoimpressionthatmoneycouldnothide,howtheentirestoryunfoldsaroundbrieffirstimpressionscreatingprejudicebeitofLizzyorMrs.Bennet,wastherecipeofaclassiclovestorythatwouldbeusedandrevampedinyearstofollow..
MirzaGhalibbyGulzar
ReadbyGaurav
उन
के
देखे
से
जो
आ
जाती
है
मुँह
पर
रौनक़
वो
समझते
ह
क
बीमार
का
हाल
अछा
हैAreadingdedicatedtoGhalibnevergoeswithouta sherortwobythelegendanditleadtooneof ourreadersgoballisticonthewaahwaahs.(Nobrowniepointsforguessingthename).GauravkeptonsmilingandwentontoreadsweetanecdotesfromthelifeofGhalibandhisloveaffairwith
दल
. We ropedinSandeeptosharehisclosetotheheartanecdoteofhisvisitto
मज़ार
–
ए
–
ग़ालबandhowhereciteda fewchoicecoupletssittingthere.Hearingitfromhimwealmostfeellikewetoohavebeentherewithhim…
SomebodyWhoWillLoveYouInAllYourDamagedGlorybyRaphaelBob-Waksberg
ReadbyPrashantAlmostseemedlikea pangolinabouttocurlupin ballandrollaway…smiledthewidest(afterSonamofcourse)andseemedasifhewilljustdisappear‘poof’ whilesmilingandturningall redoutof beingcornered.(Hewasliterallysittinginacorner)
Soa bookwithoutrageouslylongtitleandsurprisinglyshortstories,hesentmea storytoreadandI endedupreadingtheentirething.Hereadtwostoriesthecashewoneandtheonewithconsciousmeat.Bothstorieshadtoomuchtounpackandthatspilledovertheteabreakmuchmore.
Saltedcircuscashew- BoxofTraumathatmakesyoucynical.
THISTIMEITSGONNABEDIFFERENT
Thesecondstoryshouldhavetriggerwarningtorvegans.
िज़दगी
आइस
पाइसby
नखल
सचान
ReadbyMiteshMiteshwentontoreadthesnippetsofa life…themaincharacter’s namebroughtoutgigglesfromusreaders..Chiragtheprotagonistgoesthroughwhatwecansafelycallas emotionalawakeningas isdescribedina veryrawandunfilteredwayintheformofsnapshots…OnthatnoteI wouldsayPocketDiaryBookClubisadultingandhow(winkwink)
Miteshseemscompletelyateasesittingamongstus…helooks(onlylooks)likea shy, demurefellow, hewasactuallysingingunbashfulalittlebit(verymuch)outoftune…
चराग़
उह
जब
तक
देख
सकता
था
,
देखता
रहा।
रोता
रहा।
और
रोते
रोते
गाता
रहा।
‘
ीत
बना
के
तूने
जीना
सखाया
हँसना
सखाया
,
रोना
सखाया
जीवन
के
पथ
पर
मीत
मलाए
मीत
मला
के
तूने
सपने
जगाए
सपने
जगा
के
तूने
काहे
को
दे
द
जुदाई
काहे
को
दुनया
बनाई
तूने
काहे
को
दुनया
बनाई
।
‘
और
फर
एक
दन-
कुछ
याद by
नसुदन
शाह
ReadbyRaxilAmemoir, oneofitskind,honest(whichcanbeperceivedonthevergeofbeingbrutal).Filledwithfunanecdotesfromthelifeoftheveteranactor’s daysofstruggletomakinganameinthehindifilmindustry. Raxilreadwithanincreasingcrescendo- meandPriyalookingateachother- thepassagetalkingaboutfilmsnevermade- SandeepandChiragdiscussingaboutmoviesthatneversawthesilverscreen- somemasalaonbollywoodfamilies,thewhoandwhichofthewhointhepassages.
VeronikaDecidestoDiebyPauloCoelho
ReadbyBhavitaakaVeronikaVillettewastheplacefromwhichnoonehadeverescaped,wheregenuinemadmen—senttherebythecourtsorbyotherhospitals—mingledwiththosemerelyaccusedofmadnessorthosepretendingtobemad.
Bhavitais a shapeshifter, sheturnsintothecharactershereads..SonowwelistentoVeronikaandherfailedtrucewithdeath.Thedoctorwhosavedhergavehera falsehopeoftheeternalpeace.Hence,Bhavitabeginswith“Heartwillstopfinally”;wellwhen?Youfickleferociouslittlethingwhen????
LittledidVeronikaknewthatthedoctortoowasthepartofthecouppulledoff bydeath,itsnotthateasytodie,youhavetolivealifetimetodeserveit.
ItsalmostlikeVeronikahereisa prototypeofeachandeveryoneofustoyingwiththeideaoflifeandfinallyconsideringourselvesasthemosteligibleina psychward.Readingthisbookmightmakeyoucontemplatethe“Wouldlivinginamadhouseactuallybemysalvation.”
Tranquilizers.Andwejusthadhallucinogens.
“Apsychwardtohelpyougetridofyourrelatives?Signmeup?”
Sheiswaitingtodie;isittoosoontosaygoodthingscometothosewhowait?Whenthestoryends,I realizeitwastoosoon.Veronikahasbeendupedbydeath,deathcomesknockingonlytotellher, deliverynottoday.
“Youcanbeyourselfonlyinapsychward.”
Niraliisa genius.Thisisa trueaccountofNehahavingaeurekamomentandacknowledgingafellowreader’sgeniuslifehack.
17:21Niralidroppedathirdthing
17:34Niralidroppedafourththing
17.40Niralidroppedafifththing
SomehowNehawasamazedathowa humanbeing,sittingona chairwitha gazillionthingsinpossessionwasdroppingthingsoneafteranother. MaybeitwastheaftereffectofPiyushMishrabeingrecitedbySandeep.
मखमल
क
नाज़ुक
दवार
भी
हगी
कोन
म
बैठ
बहार
भी
हगी
खड़क
क
चौखट
भी
रेशम
क
होगी
चदन
सी
लपट
हाँ
सेहन
भी
होगी
संदल
क
खुबू
भी
टपकेगी
छत
से
जब
शहर
हमारा
सोता
हैplaywrittenbyPiyushMishrahidesthisgemofapoemwhichwhensungserenadesanystonehearttomush.
Withheartsdreamingof
उजला
ह
उजला
शहर
, comics,onemorekulhadofchai,travels,lightyearsandwhatnotwepartourwaystomeetattheteaspottospotaninsanegrasshopper.
Writtenby:NiraliTrivediEditedby:PriyaSogani