Sunday 21 March 2010

And I guess the thorn bush did turn white ... well almost!

Fiction? Is reading fiction 'worth' it? What does one gain during the period of time which one spends reading those fictional stories? There ain't any knowledge, per se, that's assimilated as it is, at the end of the day, all fictitious, with any resemblance to any person, living or dead, purely coincidental. All one gets involved with is a make believe world, authored artfully by its creator. Nothing concrete like what one derives by reading history, politics, business or technology. So to speak!


With such a cynical attitude towards fiction I have shunned such writings hitherto and have enjoyed the dubious distinction of having read only a couple of books which deal with fictional stuff even though I am supposedly a voracious reader. Sounds ironical but then that's how it's been. But is this how it is to stay in the future? Well ...


Taking a break from my usual routine in a bookstore, I sauntered into the 'fiction' section with an aim to checkout the (now outdated) first installment of one of the best selling fiction series of all time, a story about a tender, rebellious belle and a brooding vampire - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. The idea was born out of natural curiosity as I had just gotten over with watching the movie (yeah, usually it's the other way round - people read a book first and then watch a movie based on it .. but then ... eh!) and what I experienced while I went through the first chapter was surreal! Transported into an altogether different world where it rains a lot and vampires and humans can co-exist, I could actually feel the clattering of pattering rain. While partially it was due to the fact that I had watched it all in motion picture in the movie (and this aided the visualization), the other reason was the power of the pen that these crafted fiction-storytellers wield - ability to create a new environment describing every little detail with such precision that it all comes alive mixing and matching the moods and feelings of the characters therein. The real world shut out for me. I was hooked! And that's how I define entertainment - when you can block the mundane world out of your mind and get engrossed in what you are doing as 'entertainment'. Totally!


And now I guess I know why people read fiction - it 'refreshes' them in the true sense of the word. It eases the mind throughout the process as while reading fiction one only needs to fantasize. One does not need to analyse constantly as to what business deals have happened or how many dollars have been spent or why globalization is a relevant issue in the current scenario or why Caesar's mindgames were not very well comprehended by Pompey or why in Java do we have the concept of a final class that can not be inherited! Fiction sets the mind free -  all the braincycles can then be employed to the cause of building the character and trying to feel 'that' environment, trying to wonder about being a part of it and unleashing one's imagination as well as delighting in vicarious pleasure while one reads what the characters are upto. Fiction sets you free. And that's wholesome entertainment. So, while ignorance may be bliss, this one left me devoid of it!


This is not to say that fictional writing is dumb. It ain't. It does provoke one to think on issues, but in a not-so-mentally-taxing way unlike the above mentioned examples. For instance, the very first chapter of this book lends weight to the love-at-first-sight syndrome. While the debaters may argue, it does seem like a clear case of the lady getting immensely attracted to our vampire at first sight. What else do phrases like 'devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful', 'absurdly handsome' and 'voice like velvet' suggest? Or am I jumping to conclusions? Well I think I can answer that once I have read it completely :). (But I know I know - she's unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him!)


I guess the world of fiction, just got a new convert ,even before the thorn bush could turn white!

20 comments:

ArkAngel said...

:D :D :D !!!

So the Twilight attack has been working! eh?

I give all the credit to we-know-who for making YOU read FICTION....more so for choosing the absurdly mushy Twilight from the Fiction shelf!! :P

I cannot explain how ecstatic I am!

Welcome mondodello...to our fantasy world :D !



P.S.: I have to have to add this anyway....you wrote all that in 12 minutes!! If typing frantically can produce something like this...please stick to this style of blog writing :P !

mondodello said...

@ArkAngel: Huh! credit snatchers :P!

But yeah ... it's good ... for once I can use the term 'gripping' for something other than Cold Steel (yeah, my recommendation that you have been reading for ages now!) :D!

PS: mondodello calls it impulse :D! lol!

Nandita Mathews said...

welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

mondodello said...

hehe ... thanks!

ArkAngel said...

@ mondodello

::SMUG:: !

uffff course the credit goes to me! :D

Trying challenging that :P !

PS. You had to tell the world i'm reading that book since ages na! :x


@ Nandita

We see someone succumbed to the pressure :D

Fivestars said...

See i told u, u would like it.. i think i did.. at least for the movie.. anyway even i m planning to catch up on the novel these coming holidays..

mondodello said...

@Fivestars

Yeah right! You told me about 'Avatar' ... we never discussed Twilight and even the 'Avatar' recommendation was primarily because it released on your birthday so I guess someone was trying to bring her birthday into the conversation :P!

Fivestars said...

@mondodello.. Lol.. hehehe.. i m sure i must have talked about it with u.. may b not now but when i was at amity.. as when i m talking with u, i talk abt any kind of crap that comes to my mind...
twilight is great.. i saw itlong back.. i have clippings of the movie all over my orkut fav videos..the meadow scene n the secene in which he sucks out the venom from her blood..

anyway i was too smitten by the movie to have "not talked about it"

As for avatar it has a special place too..

Its all sectioned u see.. heheh

mondodello said...

@ Fivestars

Umm ... I don't know what to conclude from your comment... let's just list out the options for a start:

a. You talk crap; (ouch!)

b. You talk crap with me (ouch! again)

c. You have a tendency to appreciate the morbid elements in a screenplay and you want to discuss that with me

... help me out ... eh :| :S !!!


@ArkAngel

Guess you got competition :P !

ArkAngel said...

:(

Nope....not allowed! :P !!

Fivestars said...

@ mondodello
Lets do it your style
a. You talk crap; (ouch!)
By crap I mean even the “not – so- important- things” ... like movies apart from the important ones..
b. You talk crap with me (ouch! again)
Probably because i m at the liberty to do so.. coz at times v don’t have any better things to talk abt.. so i talk abt such “not – so- important- things” as i just mentioned
c. You have a tendency to appreciate the morbid elements in a screenplay and you want to discuss that with me
The screenplay is awesome.. look at it optimistically.. he is saving her from from becoming a vampire.. n more than that i like the song sung by Robert himself playing in the back ground.. with the lyrics like...
“i was damned by the light coming out of her eyes”
“she spoke with a voice that disrupted the sky”
“I will wrap u in my arms”
U think its morbid?.. i don’t think so..
d)@ArkAngel

Guess you got competition :P !
I m sure arcAngel is a veteran in this entire “piece of work”... i consider myself just a miniscule as i haven’t even read the book.. n u stop putting ppl at competition like u always do( You can definitely use an “ouch!” here)
Hope the options got sorted.. see i helped u.. hehehhe..

Fivestars said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fivestars said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mondodello said...

@Fivestars

Ahem ... ahem ...

Appeasements galore ...

uff course you are free to speak whatever you want to... was just pulling your leg :P :D...and yeah, now don't you run to Aunty and complain about me, forcing her to register a complaint with Mom :P !!!

Thanks for all the help ... and yep ... the screenplay is intriguing and the background score... well ... I've written a lot about it in my Orkut vid libraray description already ... !

And I am not pitting you against anybody ... you both are skilled enough to take it all by yourself :P !! You don't need my help ... Gosh ... what did I just utter ... !

@ArkAngel
Your sole competition got neutralised ... all by itself ... be amazed! Your fear prevails! "Andhera kaayam hai" LOL!

ArkAngel said...

@ Fivestars

lol...thanksss!!! :D
People are putting others at competition to earn some comments it seems :P !

@ mondodello

hehe...I hope you are taking me more seriously now!

mondodello said...

@ArkAngel
Yeah right! I know of better ways to add in comments ... for instance describing one's shopping experience on one's blog ... but I dont need to resort to using them ... huh!

And yeah ... you got all the reasons to be happy ... after all it's your day today :P :D !!! ROFL !!

@Fivestars
Great timing... you chose the right day to complement someone here :) !

ArkAngel said...

@ mondodello

:x !!!

Fivestars said...

@ arcAngel.. in case its ur b day.. wish u a very "great Happy Bday" from my side...
my net doesn't work regularly so couldnt ckeck on the updates on orkut..
In case its sth else congratulations for the same..

Any this whole competition thing by monodello n i getting neutralized is total crap.. n crap in the real sense..

Oh my God give me break!.. can't 2 ppl just talk abt things w/o competing with each other?..

I guess some ppl dont feel so..

N darling u do continue to b the veteran.. no denying that..


@ Mondodello
thanks for the appreciation abt that screenplay wch u described as "Morbit" just abt yesterday....(ouch! that really hurt)

n lol... i would not complain dont worry.. now i have grown up n with all these years experience i think i m in a position to handle u better myself...

mondodello said...

@ Fivestars

It is April Fools' Day! LOL !!!

And 'handling me better' ... LOL again!

mondodello said...

@ Fivestars

It is ArkAngel ... !