““I don’t know if they lived happily ever after. But they lived and they were happy.” — Stephen King, The Dark Tower.”
POCKETDIARYBOOKCLUB
MINUTESOFTHEMEETING
YEAR2023
30/04/20233:00PM
PHASEII
Edition11
“Idon’tknowifthey livedhappilyeverafter. Butthey livedandthey werehappy.”DarkTower,StephenKing.(Somehowthisstatementkeepsreturningtothemeets)
Theheadofthefamily, Nirali’s jawdroppedwhenshesawthebiggest consignment (ofbooks)Pocket Diary BookClubhaseverreceivedfromthereaders. Around30books fromRajesh.That’showPhase-IIhasstarted.
Theheadofthefamily, Nirali,gave ustheinstructionswithadvicefromherconsiglierePriya.Andwemovedontothefirstbook.
THEDAVINCICODEbyDanBrown–Heaskedusifwebelongedtosomecult.Asifwewouldtellhimifwedid.I sawtheyoungenthusiasminhisvoiceashegushedaboutthejoyoffindingDanBrowninone’s greenyears. Hereadtheprologueasofcourseit is oneofDanBrown’swritingstylestocaptivateattheverybeginning.
Princewasreadingthebookjustlikethemoviebasedonit.Fast-pacedandthrilling.Hethoughthewouldn’tbeableto doitintime.Butaftertheinstructionsfromtheconsigliere,I thinkhewilldobetternexttime.
Afteralotoframblingsanddiscussionswewereremindedof40rulesofPriyaandNiraliisthetorchbearer.
PELIKANbyDavidLozellmartin:
Hesaidhewouldnotgive usany context,tookapauseandvery airilysaidbecausehedidn’twant to. “I havesomethingto tellyou,shehada bowelmovement whilegivingyoubirth,Charlie.
Whyareyoutellingmethis?
Totellyouthat,youwereborninshitandblood.AndI wasthere.”
Priya madeRaxilreadthispartandthenhemovedonto readtheparthechoseto read.EveryonelaughedlikecrazybutallRajeshwantedtoknowwas‘WhoisAmanda?’
Thefathersonconversationat deathbed,whatcaughteveryone’sattentionwashowthefatherwantedeveryonetobereallyremorsefulat hisfuneralandhisinstructionstoliterallysnapandchideanyonewho’sspottedgossipingortwiddlingtheirsmartphones.
ReenareadTHELITTLEPRINCEby AntoinedeSaint-Exupéry. A children’s bookthat youcanrelate to evenif youare anadult.Heckyoucanrelatemore whenyou are an adult.Reenareadoneof myfavoritepassagesfromthebook.
Tamedhearts,tamedpeople,tamedlives,tameddreams,tameddesires,tamedcuriosities.Tamedhumanpsyche.Andoncethespellbreaks thetamedandthetamergetsintoacatandmousetrapwhichwillneverend.
Thebellkept ringingandallwerelost intheworldofthelittleprince..butweunliketimewhichitselfislimitlesswearetimebound.
Shauryawasheretochillthistime&ringthebell&laugh.SomethingRaxilwantstodo.Shauryaisagoodladforthefamily. Ringingthebelljustatasignaloftheboss,Nirali.Bossishappy.
Rajeshcamewithauniquestoryagainasalways.
हर
घास
क
छपर
बाल
झोपड़ी
और
बौना
पहाड़byVinodKumarShuklaAgainachildren’sstorywithbolu, kunaandother kids.
बोलु
चलते
चलते
बोल
सकता
है
बैठ
के
नहं
और
बोलू
क
दोत
कु ना
सपने
देखती
है
पर
सुबह
भूल
जाती
है
और
दुसरो
के
सपने
जानना
चाहती
है
।
There
is
a
very
beautiful
passage
where
there
is
“inception
like
moment”
where
all
the
kids
have
the
same
dream
sequence
and
they
try
jumping
from
oceans,
to
moon
to
hobbit
huts
to
the
tiny
hill.
It
reminded
me
of
Murakami’s
work.
KunahasacrushonBolu.Whenevershetriestospeakwithhim,Boluwalksawaywhiletalking.I thinkheisbehavingexactlylikeacrush.
छपरismadeofdriedgrassalwaysand
पहाड़isalwaystall,clearedRajesh.
Shaurya hasbeenringingthebellfora minute&one-timeeveninRajesh’s ears,butwekeptdiggingformoreinformation.
NewthingwasannouncedinPDBCbytheboss:Buddyreading(PairReading)Ruchi&Niraliorchestrateda pairreadingwitha bookwhichwasapparentlyspecialtoboth.RuchiandherfriendsfoundsharedloveandstrengthinthebookandwellNiralifoundjustthebalmforthebruisedheartandherdaughterlovesit.
THEBOY, THEFOX, THEMOLE& THEBOY by CharlieMackesy. It follows thedevelopingfriendshipbetweenfourprotagonistsofthetitle.Aheartwarmingandafeelgood/liftmeupbook.
Ruchireadherpart.There is a spotofatea-cupinapage,whichwasdoneaccidentlyby theauthorandwaskeptasitis.Moleisobsessedwithcakeandsomeofusaretoo.Niralireadanotherpart,whichstartedwith“Wedon’tknowabouttomorrow.”Theboy’sbestdiscoveryis,“Iamenough.”
We cameto know that there is a parodyofthebook,ThePanda,theCat andthedreadfulTeddy, without
पेला
हुआ
ान
।Rajeshkeptlaughingallthetime.ThelaughI wouldn’twanttohearindark.
THIRDWAVEby AlvinToffler– classicstudyoftomorrow. Readby Yogeshwithsome
गहराई
।
Yogesh
had
mentioned
this
book
in
earlier
editions
where
he
brought
the
concept
of
Black
Swan
to
the
club.Abookthrowinglightondisposablerelationsanddisposablethings.Publishedin1980thebookwas in its timea predicament of what wouldbe.Theclassicoldcivilisationvs thenewcivilisation.Servingsometruthsontheveryrealandinyourfaceissuesofdistractionanddecay.
SHOEDOG–AutobiographyofPhilKnight, founderofNikeAyushdrawsour attentiontothenetflixseriesArt of Abstract..healsoveryaptlypointsout howthesuccessstorieshavethisverypredictablegraph. It remindedmeof theParabolacurve. Alsotheprotagonist alsoseemedtoberunningbehindtheeverelusivebalanceinlife.Rajeshlaughedsilently whenPhilKnight’s girlfriendleft him.Why hethinks he’s a failure,Niraliis confused.Rajeshclearedtheclouds–becauseheissinglenowandlookingatshoesinapairhurtshim.Everyone’sstoryofstruggleisalreadythere,we’rejustwaitingforsuccesssaidSmit.
SmitreadHIPPIEby PauloCoelho– autobiography of PauloCoelho, inwhichPaulois onajourneyfromEuropetoIndia.SmitandI bothagreeonthisspecificlineandwereadittwice.Thereal killingisthekillingof what makesyoualive.
India
आये
बना
कोईHippie
नहं
बन
सकता
।ThefirstbooktoconfuseRajeshandwewilluseitasaweaponagainsthim,hahaha.Kushangirangthebellfuriouslywhilelaughingandwemovedtothenextbook.
GAUTAMBUDDH–Dr.RadhakrishnanMiteshopenedthebookandRajeshsaid,“Sosmall!
इसे
तो
कागज
घोषत
कर
देना
चाहए
।”Noonewasmovinganinchormakinga sound,except theconsigliere.Discussionsbeganontyagandtapasya.Onestatement didroundsinmy mindlikeonprayerbeads,“ભોગયાવાગરયાગવાનોકોઈઅથનથી ”(Thereisnopointingivingitupallwithouthavingitall.)
HUSHbyAntonChekhovwasreadbyAsad. AsadmeanslioninArabic.Thisstory encapsulatesthestrugglesof everyday familylife of a manwithanunsuccessfulcareer. Theauthorflirtswiththetitleinthestory. Averytongueincheekhumoraboutawritercribbingaboutthesamesurroundingsofwhichhewilllaterwrite aboutwhilesittinginthehushedsilenceofthesamehousetryingtorecapitulatethesoundsofthehouseinwords.
OutoftheblueRajeshwantsapieceofpaper, andstartsaslowdeliberatetearingofthepaperwhichfillstheotherwisehushedroomwithalowmuffledrippingsoundcoaxingRaxil,ShauryaandNiraliintomutelaughter. Andtryingtoendthetyranny Niralitoreitapartlike,JUSTDOIT.WhydidRajeshmakeachit?Weinformedourconsiglieretolookintoitrightaway.
NirbhayreadTHEMYTHOFSISYPHUSbyAlbertCamusWefeltSandeepji’s absenceduringthisbook’s reading.Itisatitsverycore anessay onsearchingforthemeaningoflife.Requiringalotof intellectualdiscoursesto actuallyunderstandwhatis beingintendedtobesaid.In certainsituations,replying”nothing”whenaskedwhatoneisthinkingaboutmaybepretenseinaman.Thosewhoarelovedarewellaware ofthis.Butifthatreplyissincere,ifitsymbolizesthatoddstateofsoulinwhichthevoidbecomeseloquent,inwhichthechainofdailygesturesisbroken,inwhichtheheart vainlyseeksthelinkthatwillconnectitagain,thenitisasifitwerethefirstsignofabsurdity.Themind’s firststepistodistinguishwhatistruefromwhatisfalse.However, assoonasthoughtreflectsonitself,whatitfirstdiscoversisacontradiction.Uselesstostrivetobeconvincinginthiscase.Overthecenturiesnoonehasfurnisheda clearerandmore elegantdemonstrationofthebusinessthanAristotle:”Theoftenridiculedconsequenceoftheseopinionsisthatthey destroy themselves.Forby assertingthatallis trueweassert thetruthofthecontrary assertionandconsequentlythefalsityofourownthesis.Andifonesaysthatallisfalse,thatassertionisitselffalse.There seemsnoperfectway ofunderstandingit..FallinginthetrapofNirvanaFallacy. Irestmycaseandbecomeahumblelearner.
TUESDAYSWITHMORRIEbyMitchAlbomwasreadthisSundaybyAnkit.‘Love eachotherorperish’I noteddowntoo.Theconversationturnedintohowandwhy thiscycleofparentshavingexpectationsfromkidsandkidshavingexpectationsfromparentsbringsomany traumasanddramas.Talkaboutgreatexpectations.Ankitwasabittakenabackbythepolarviewsoncontinuingthegenerations.I felthebeggedtodiffer.Ankitheardthebellthistime.(Rajeshiswritingapoem.)Weneedmoreinfoonthis.
PSYCHOLOGYOFMONEYbyMorganHousel, wasreadbyRiddhi.We thinkRiddhiis a prettyconfident readerfora first timerandthiswasherfirst editionatPDBC.I feelshewillbeafamiliarfaceat PDBC.I havehadthisbookforayearbutneverreada
word. Thebookteacheshow peoplethinkaboutmoney & how to make bettersenseofitthroughshortstories.Riddhiseemstohavebeenbesottedbythebook.Sheaskedusdreamers,”Doyouknowthedifferencebetweenwealthy andrich?”Andsomewhereinmy mindechoed“Wherethereisruin,thereistreasure.”
kUDOStoSoumyafor havingtheguts, courageandtheheart totouchatopicassensitiveassexual abuse. It meansalot. It meansthat youareinasafespace. It meansthat youareasfearlessasyoushouldbe.Shedrankat a party, passedout,woke upinthehospital,andcameto knowthat shewasabusedby a Stanford Universityswimmer. Two Swedishstudentscaught himintheactandfought him.What isshamefulofthishorrificstorytitled‘KNOWMYNAME–memoirofChanelMiller’ readby Saumya is that theperpwasnotpunishedasheshouldbeandthat’s a big‘Shameonyou’tothejusticesystem.
Afterthat painfulstory weneededsomethingtorecoverfromit.That’s whereKushangicametoourrescue.HARRYPOTTERANDSORCERER’SSTONEbyJ.K.Rowling, Chapter-12It’sChristmas.Harryseeshisparentsinthemirror.Dumbledore–Onecanneverhaveenoughsocks.ItremindsPriyaofwhyNiraliisnotwearingsocksthistime.Issheoutofsocks?WhatwillPriyaputonthestorynow?
Outofcontext toallbutafewwhocouldunderstandwhathemeant Rajeshsaid,“
मुझे
लगता
है
हम
सब
मर
चुके
ह
और
यहाँ
हमार
आमाएं
बाते
कर
रह
ह
।”Andthisishell..
“ButI’malso …I don’tknowifanyoneevertoldyou—I’myourgodfather.”Siriussaid.
Yeah,I knewthat,”saidHarry.
Read Pruthviraj, HARRY POTTER ANDPRISONEROFAZKABANbyJ.K.Rawling, Chapter–TheDementor’skiss.
“What’sthat?” hesnarled,staringat theenvelopeHarry was stillclutchingin hishand.“Ifit’sanotherformformetosign,you’vegotanother—”“It’snot,”saidHarrycheerfully. “It’saletterfrommygodfather.”“Godfather?”sputteredUncleVernon.“Youhaven’tgotagodfather!”“Yes,I have,”saidHarrybrightly. “Hewasmymumanddad’sbestfriend.He’saconvictedmurderer, buthe’sbrokenoutofwizardprisonandhe’sontherun.Helikestokeepintouchwithme,though. . . keepupwithmynews. . . checkifI’mhappy. . . .”And,grinningbroadlyat thelookof horror onUncleVernon’sface,Harrysetofftowardthestationexit,Hedwigrattlingalonginfront of him,for what lookedlike a muchbettersummerthanthelast.
Pruthvirajhadthisverypeacefulsmileplasteredonhisface.That’saPotterhead’shappiness …