Selective Amnesia

Orhan Pamuk on his father

Zigzackly saar sends me a mail of Pamuk’s Nobel speech. I haven’t read any of Pamuk’s books yet, but reading this one speech, I am left with an image of a quiet man who will laugh with you when you mock him. Brilliant words. One particular paragraph of that speech caught my attention:

My father had a good library – 1 500 volumes in all – more than enough for a writer. By the age of 22, I had perhaps not read them all, but I was familiar with each book – I knew which were important, which were light but easy to read, which were classics, which an essential part of any education, which were forgettable but amusing accounts of local history, and which French authors my father rated very highly. Sometimes I would look at this library from a distance and imagine that one day, in a different house, I would build my own library, an even better library – build myself a world.

My father too had a library, though I am not sure how many books it did have. My father travelled a lot, when I was much younger. And he would always come back with a book or two. Robert Ludlums and Sidney Sheldons and PG Wodehouses and the like. Sadly, I don’t remember seeing any French author. I too thought of building a bigger, better library one day. And I am. Slowly, with much hesitation, a library is forming in my cupboard. 30 books strong, and almost as many genres.

But, my father was, and is, a generous man. Cousins and uncles and friends would come over, and borrow a book. Never to return. I am sure there are about 300-400* books out somewhere, all bearing my father’s initials. I don’t think I will see them again. Which is why, I am a bit selfish about these books I’ve bought. They are never out of my cupboard for more than 2 days at a stretch, and when friends borrow it, they prepare themselves for reminder-calls every 24 hours.

In spite of which, 4 of my PG Wodehouse signature editions are missing.

(That reminds me: I need to return Anand’s Bach)

*Yes, I agree 300 is an exaggeration. But…