“Shaurya starts the session by distributing secret tickets to outer space (postcards!). Prince brought ‘Just Checking’ by Emily Colas, a book about OCD.”
POCKETDIARYBOOKCLUB
MINUTESOFTHEMEETING
YEAR2024
17/03/20243:00PM
EditionNo.31
WrittenbyRuchi.EditedbyBharath
Venue:AkshatDramaGroupStudio
Shaurya startsthesessionby distributing(secret)ticketstoouterspace. Postcards.They’repostcards.
Princebrought Just Checkingby EmilyColas, a bookaboutOCD. Thisisthefirst timeI’veheard someonewrite abouttheirfirst-handexperiencewithOCD. Thewonders ofexpressiononpaper.
“Paperismorepatient.”-TheDiaryofAnneFrank
“I barpracticaljokesbeforebreakfast,”exclaimsBertieWoosterinSambhav’sreadingofMyManJeevesbyP.G.Wodehouse.
ShankarspokeoftheironyofdroneclubsinWodehousebooks.
‘A dronebeinga malebeethat doesnowork,livingoff thelabourof others, it aptlydescribesthelate1920stoearly1930sstereotypeofrich,idleyoungclubmembers,thoughsomeofthemhavecareersandevenjobs.’
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drones_Club
Bharathsummarizesthecommotion.‘Basicallythesebooks areFRIENDSepisodes.Youcanpickthemfromanywhere.’
Karan readsfrom Saurashtrani Rasdhar, a collectionof folklore fromSaurashtra byJaverchandMeghani.HereadsMarashyaNiMoj, astory ofthegrief oftherequiemssungby peopleaftertheirlovedone’sfunerals.Two linestouchmethemost, whoseEnglishtranslationsare:
“Nowthatyou’regone,there’snooneformetohug.”
“EverydaylivedwithoutyouisarentI payfortherestofmylife.”
After suchheart-touchinglines,thehusbanddecidesto informthewife that hewasn’tactuallydead.Just pretendingtobe,towhichthewiferightlyasks himtogoawaybecausewhy shouldshegothroughthepainofmourninghimtwice?(Isthisfunnyorwhat?Playingwithsomeone’semotionsto gauge how sadwouldthey feelonceyou’re gone?I don’tknow.)
NijareadsfromThinkLikeaGirlbyTracyPackiamAllowaywhichexplainsthepsychologyofthinkingbiasesinmenandwomen.Itseemsmorelike”thinklikeahuman”tome.Clickbaittitles,I tellyou.
JaytakesustotheheistsofLiesofLockeLamora, thefirstbookinTheGentlemanBastardsseriesbyScottLynch.
““I onlystealbecausemydearoldfamilyneedsthemoneytolive!”
Locke Lamora madethisproclamationwithhiswineglassheldhigh;heandtheotherGentlemanBastardswereseatedattheoldwitchwoodtable …Theothersbegantojeer.
“Liar!”theychorused
“I onlystealbecausethiswickedworldwon’tlet meworkanhonest trade!” Calocried,hoistinghisownglass.
“LIAR!”
“I onlysteal,”saidJean,”becauseI’vetemporarilyfalleninwithbadcompany.”
“LIAR!”
At last theritualcametoBug;theboy raisedhisglassabitshakilyandyelled,”I onlystealbecauseit’sheapsoffuckingfun!”
“BASTARD!”“
Shreya readsfromTheHiddenLife of Treesby Peter Wohlleben, whichis more of awondrousnon-fic fantasy ratherthana proper, well-researchednon-fictionbook.OrasPrinceexclaimed,‘There is nothingmore humanthanprojectinghumanelements onnon-humanthings.’
Speakingof non-humanthings,I noticeda cockroach(Bharath’s note:probablywasn’tacockroach;butcloseenough.Ruchi’snotefollowingBharath’snote:Keedathakoi.Bas?)hasmadeitsway into theeditionwithoutpayingfortheticket. Mantra flicks it like a carromstriker. Heisscaredofcockroaches,heclarifies.At thismoment,I’msogladwearenottheoneshe’sscaredof.
Mantra brought Dante Alighieri’sTheDivineComedy(Bharath’s note:andto befair, LaDivinaCommediaaswell).Forthefirst timeinPDBC, hereadstheoriginalversesinItalian,thenreadstheEnglishtranslation.BharathsummarizesthisseriesassomethingDantewroteasafanficforhisgirlfriend.Tohyesabtabsechaltaaarahahai.Chalofirapnegenerationkoblamekarnabandhkarein.
Mantraalsohasaninsidejokeonthisbook:
“‘WhydidDantenotgetmisplacedinhell?’
‘BecauseeventheDevilcouldn’treplacesuchaverboseguide!’”
JanvireadsfromGulzar’sRaat PashmineKiaboutthechroniclesofaBuddhaDariya(lit.oldriver).We go backto thetopicofanthropomorphism.Shauryagetslost inthemazeofhismind,lookingtodissectthelogicbehindtheBuddhaDariya.
Nijagentlyplacesthecockroach(thekeeda)ona pieceofpaperandkicks himout.Nexttimeticketlekeaana.
ManishreadsfromStephenHawkings’s ABrief HistoryofTime.AdebateensuesbetweenSaganiansandHawkingnians(I madethoseup. Pleasedon’tbanishme,Sagan andHawkings.)TheconclusioncameinfavorofSaganbeingmoreofalayman-orientedsciencefellowvsHawkingbeingapurist.
SudhanvareadfromHimalayanQuest, apicturebook,byEdViestursandPeterPotterfield.”Tasveerienkheechnazarurihaikyukiaayneguzrahuawaqtnahibatate,”hequotesanInstapost, on theimportanceof pictures. (Bharath’s note: thisroughlytranslates to ‘it isimportanttotakepictures,becausemirrorsdonotrecounttimewhichhaspassed.’)
Aishwarya readsfromA Bookof SimpleLivingby RuskinBond, whichagaincausesadiscussionto ensueonthetopicofclimate change.Shaurya speaks oftheimportanceofkeystonespeciesinnature.
‘Ina marineecosystem,orany typeofecosystem,a keystonespeciesis anorganismthathelpsholdthesystemtogether.’
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/keystone-species/
JuhireadingfromTheHundred-Year-OldManWhoClimbedOutof theWindow andDisappearedgivesmeasenseofcalm.I cannotstoplisteningtoherread.
Shankar bringsan old copy of GrahamGreene’sAnHonorary Consul. Hesaidhestoleit fromtheBritishLibrary. Well,ifit’sstealingfromtheBritishit’stakingbackwhat’syours,notstealing.
Bharath’snote:
A charactercalledAquinoinhisbooktalksa lotaboutdeathandattributesit to loveanddeathbeingtheonlytwosubjectsforaman.
Me?I’mbusy nottryingto shitmy pants.I’vereadStephenKing’sPet Semetary, the
onlybookthathasmanagedtoscarememorethanreality.
“Andthemost terrifyingquestionofallmaybejust howmuchhorrorthehumanmindcanstandandstillmaintainawakeful,staring,unrelentingsanity.”
Priya’sP.S.:JanvimadebookmarksforPDBC.
I remembershewasmakingbookmarks on18.02.2024whenwewererunningEdition30,thelast editionbefore theDehradunretreat, but[to think]shewouldmakesomany, andeachofthemisbeautifullymade,finishinganddetailwork …I amamazedandhumbledbythehardworkputinthese.