Favorite Love Stories

Valentine Specials: Favorite Love Stories

Just like any other kid, I grew up on fairy tales. As my mother and grandmothers tucked me into my bed at night, telling me my favorite bedtime stories, I really did believe that Snow White would wake up when kissed by true love or that Cinderella's prince will certainly come to find her and then they shall live happily ever after. On a different note, though, I do wonder why all fairy tale love stories were named after the damsels and the princes' names weren't even mentioned. Anyways, as I grew up, I did mature enough to realize that there was more to love than a pretty damsel and a valiant prince and an evil stepmother/ogre. That love was not about happily ever afters but more a case of moving to the next set of merely happily while overcoming subsequent stepmothers/ogres. Of course, the love stories I now read were very different from the childhood fairy tales. It were these stories that shaped my ideas about this weird, inexplicable yet amazingly strong feeling called love and also kind of made me fall in love with the idea of being in love. Presenting my top ten favorite love stories (among the ones I have read, of course):
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: I read it first when I was thirteen. My very first understanding of love stems from this book. As I seem to have ranted on previously, Fitzwilliam Darcy was my first love. For the first time in my life, I came to understand love as something deep that develops over time, accompanied by admiration and respect, as opposed to the at first sight tosh fed by the happily ever after fairy tales. Ask any girl who has read it, she would swear by it, and by Mr Darcy.
P.S. I Love You, Cecelia Ahern: There are some love stories that transcend life and death. This is one such story. Holly's life comes to an end after Gerry, her high school sweetheart-turned-husband of six years, dies following a battle with cancer. If only Gerry's love was weak enough to let her give up. Though separated in physical form, Gerry guides his love to adjust to a life without him, helping her live again, laugh again. Makes you realize that some memories might actually be enough to last a lifetime.
A Walk to Remember, Nicholas Sparks: I remember crying buckets at the end of the book. But somehow, I cant recall feeling really sad at the death of the book's central character. The book somehow represented hope and strength derived from love, that doesnt cease even when the one you love ceases to exist. I still dont know what touched me more, Jamie's guidance of the lost soul that was Langdon or Langdon's making sure Jamie had everything she had wished for before she finally goes.
Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul: A collection of heart-warming love stories, contributed by regular people around the world. Seems like every ordinary couple has an extraordinary story behind them. Losing faith in love? Go read any two-page story from the book. And you will find yourself believing in the power of love once again.
2 States, Chetan Bhagat: Does not qualify as a love story in the real sense of the word. Neither does it explore any kind of deep attachment or profound bonding between its protagonists. But it explores something that only Indians can understand, the whole concept of a marriage not being a union of merely two individuals but some hundred individuals comprising two families, Indian families, implying not just parents but also their parents and their siblings, to the dai ma who changed your diapers to the kaka who used to get you chocolates.
Love Story, Eric Segal: Among the first mature love stories I read. Who has not felt a pang of pain for Oliver when he loses the love of his life Jennifer. That life isnt fair, after all they had so little time together. But what really brought tears to my eyes was the father-son reconciliation at the end of the book. A lot of people have categorized the book as as being diabetes-inducing sweet, but probably for the nostalgia associated or for the fact that I might still want to think of love as being that sweet and simple, it will always figure on my list of favorite love stories.
Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare: Has any talk of great love been complete without a mention of Mr Montague and Miss Capulet? A love story that has been cited as an example for generations. Albeit ending in tragedy, the story gave the term till death do us part a totally different meaning. There was a time I used to wonder why they had to go to all these lengths just to be with each other and why Juliet could not simply settle for Paris. Well, I was a teenager then. Now I appreciate that better.
Notebook, Nicholas Sparks: When I had first come across the words for better or for worse at an acquaintance's wedding, I used to believe it was kind of a given. Never had I understood how bad the worse could get and how deep would the love have to be to sail through a storm that you know can never end in happiness. I do wonder, though, how Nicholas Sparks manages to write love stories which end in tears but still leave your faith in this all powerful emotion cemented even more firmly.
Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer: To what lengths would you go to protect the one you love? Especially if the one you love could possibly be your favorite meal? And would you be willing to leave your soul behind to be with the one you love? Such has been the impact of Twilight and its sequels that one of my friends had once remarked, "Damn Edward Cullen! Why on earth do all girls demand an Edward-like lover?"
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell: I read the book because my Mom told me that there was no love story as this one. Well, she was right. The book is painted in shades of grey and showcases the bitter side of love. With Scarlett's obsession for Ashley, Rhett's love for Scarlett, Melanie's faith in her husband, this book, set in the backdrop of the American Civil War, makes for a bitter love story, an all time great nonetheless.
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 9:52 PM 12 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2010

Vampire-struck

Before I begin, I must admit that like most high school and college girls around the globe, I am completely and irrevocably in love with vampires. In fact, I often have a tough time deciding which among Edward Cullen, Stefan Salvatore and Damon Salvatore should be ranked higher on the hotness scale. Most of my guy friends have adopted a weird habit of cursing all the abovementioned characters. The grapevine says men around the globe are baffled and at a complete loss to fathom the bizarre attraction these undead lethal creatures hold to girls around. They have come up with various hilarious theories for the same including one suggesting that women love vampires because the vampires are perfect depictions of gay guys. Preposterous, right? Guess its time to get a girl's perspective.
The fact that most of these fictitious vampires are described as being nothing short of Greek Gods makes up only the tip of the iceberg. They are also described as having these superhero characteristics, the mind reading, all the ultimate macho qualities, and top it all with extra dollops of sensitivity..and what do you get..its the perfect guy. Almost all high school movies have shown girls falling for the football team captains. The strong athletic vampires are no different from the typical high school jock who dates the prom queen and is every girl's dream hunk. With a difference, our new hero is empathetic and understanding, he listens, he shares, he even weeps. Be it as Edward or as one of the Salvatore brothers, he would go to any lengths to protect the love of his life, even if it involves putting himself in danger. Come on, which girl wouldn't fall for such a guy. His described lifestyle choice makes him shine out as a good guy, who makes a conscious decision not to be a monster, despite what nature has bestowed upon him, unlike most guys who use I am a guy, nature made me so as an excuse to get out of any and every thing girls want to do. Of course, we are bedazzled by him. And honestly, which girl has ever come across a guy who would pull back from a girls embrace because he doesn't want to hurt her. Of course, we swoon at him. Add to that the classic allure of the ultimate forbidden romance, he becomes totally irresistible. If only he were real. Call me vampire-struck, you bet!


POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 7:29 PM 10 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS, LIFE, PEOPLE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2009

Karma Circle



Flipping through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the nth time, came across the following lines:

Draco Malfoy was no longer strutting about the school as though he owned the place.
On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky.
On the other hand, Ginny Weasley, was perfectly happy again...

Loved it. Life's little pleasures. :).
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 9:51 PM 4 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS, PHILOSOPHY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

Pottermania Remembered

People often said that the craze surrounding Harry Potter books and everything else that got associated with the boy wizard was over hyped. Well I dont know if it was a case of brilliant marketing or simply superb writing, the series has been an integral part of my growing up process. What probably clicked with kids (back then) of my age was that as we matured, the characters themselves matured, the plots grew darker. Every single HP fan has tried finding himself in some or the other character in the series. It had shots of thrill, drama, emotions, humour, everything. Every character, from the protagonist and his friends to guest appearances like Stan Shunpike and old Archie, seemed so real. The excitement of waiting for the next book, discussing theories, crying over Sirius and Fred and Lupin, to the eventual sadness from realizing that the defeat of the Dark Lord marked the end of an era in our lives. There are some quotes from the series, which I absolutely love, be they laced with sarcasm or deep sentiment:
Prizoner of Azkaban, Lupin: You heard James?
Goblet of Fire, old Archie, on being asked to wear Muggle trousers instead of lacy nightgowns: Thanks but I am comfortable with these, I like it breezy around my privates
Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore: Differences in habit and language are nothing as long as our aims are identical and our hearts open
Ron Weasley, Order of the Phoenix, when he sees the blood on Harry's hand: You said you were just writing lines
Dumbledore, Half Blood Prince: Please, Severus
Snape, Deathly Hallows: Look at me Harry
Harry, Deathly Hallows: Albus Severus, you are named after two headmasters of Hogwarts, one of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew
Anymore, Anyone?
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 11:44 PM 11 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS, NOSTALGIA
SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009

The Cut-Off

Today's Sunday supplement of Hindustan Times, Brunch, carried a short story by Chetan Bhagat. Titled The Cut-Off, it is the account of a school topper who plans to take his life because he will not be able to get into SRCC or Stephen's despite scoring 92% in his CBSE 12th Board Exams. "Everyone tells you how to live your life. But no one ever tells you how to end it.." is how the narration starts. It goes on to talk of the burden the eighteen year old carries from having made one calculation error in the exam. While he does draft a letter off to the Education Minister complaining of the lack of enough universities for even the top 5 students of every major school in the country, he eventually ends up blaming himself for not having worked enough to earn that extra 3 per cent that could have gotten him into SRCC. The expectations of parents, neighbours and relatives, disappointment at not living up to your own expectations, the futility of scoring 90% in boards, everything has been brought out in a way that it grips your small intestine, pulls it out and wraps it around your throat. The Hindustan Times E-Paper carries the story. Would recommend a reading, I'm sure most of us shall identify with at least parts of it. I know I do.

POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 6:07 PM 5 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Tagged!!
There is this game that I have seen people play on the blogosphere, usually when they are out of topics to rant and rave about. Called Tag, it asks you to blog about something in particular, favorite songs, disastrous dates etc and then you pass the baton on, asking others to do the same. The rules of this one are as follows:
“Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag up to 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose”

Well, considering the fact that I have just spent close to two months here in a practically deserted hostel ( you know, haunted would have been better, I might have at least had the ghosts to talk to), books are what have kept me sane or close to sane. Anyways, this asks about the books you think will always stick. So, here I go:
Harry Potter series: Nearly everyone loves them and I'm no different, happen to belong to the class of people who used to draw the lightning scar on their foreheads with sketch pens and henna dyes and can recite anything related to the series, from the method of brewing the Draught of Living Death to Mrs Weasley's favorite song, A Cauldron of Strong Hot Love by Celestina Warbeck.
The Diary of Anne Frank: Someone rightly said that if marooned on a deserted island, he would like to have a copy of this book with him. A ray of sunshine bringing hope in the darkest times, Anne has always been a faithful companion since I was 15.
Chicken Soup Series: Not really putting them out as separate books. Love the simple, enriching, heartwarming stories that help me kinda keep faith in life, in others and in myself.
Pride and Prejudice: The first love story I ever read, the first crush I ever had, my notions of love, sharing and bonding all seem to stem from this classic.
Little Women: Another warm family bonding book that I love to this day and don't mind re-reading.
Freakonomics: A wonderful set of case studies about the hidden hand of economics in a host of world phenomena.
India Unbound: Probably sprung to mind because I recently heard Gurcharan Das speak at the E4SI workshop last weekend
What They Dont Teach You at Harvard Business School: An amazing insightful book on management skills by Mark McCormack. And no, HBS bumping me has got nothing to do with this choice.
Love From Your Friend, Hannah: Wow, don't really know how that came up. Was among my favorite books when I was 13. Its the story of a lonely young girl, growing up during the Great Depression, who finds unlikely friends in her pen pals which includes President Franklin Roosevelt.
Power of Positive Imaging, by Norman Vincent Peale: Describes a wonderful and strong motivational technique called imaging, which I would recommend all to try.
Strong Medicine, by Arthur Hailey: The protagonist in this book on the pharmaceutical industry, a strong ambitious woman named Celia Jordan somehow was one of my initial role models (as my sister likes to allege and she does know me).
Lisa's Story: The diary of a girl dying of leukemia, its a story of hope, of bringing in happiness in spite of what life offers, something I hope I never forget.
Why Do I Love These People: A book on helping understand family better, I guess its somewhat responsible for me loving mine, despite the stories they make me listen to during Diwali (sorry Ma, I told them it was Nani's).
Like a Flowing River: Beautiful short stories about life. Well I guess I love most of the books by Coelho, this one is special for a different reason, being a birthday gift to my best friend (who would also respond to the name of Mr Philosopher).
Catch 22: The book is by all means a classic satirical piece, but is extra special being a gift for my 21st birthday and the copy has motivational messages scribbled on over 20 percent of the pages by my friend.
I guess I could still go on, but the rule says 15 so 15 it is. By the way, I was Tagged by Pratik/ Punchar. Passing on the baton, I tag Nitin, Apurv, Sirisha, Aniket , Bhondu, Bhale, Hula, Abhi, Aruna, Tarun and Mrugen.
The game's on..
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 9:30 PM 2 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2009

The Triumph of the Nerds
An account of the rise of one of America's largest industries, after automobiles, arms and illegal drugs, the personal computer industry. Cringley, who prefers to be called an explainer rather than a historian, attributes the growth of the PC industry to accident. He describes the brains behind personal computing giants like Apple, HP and Microsoft as people who had just been trying to find ways of amusing themselves and giving themselves a sense of security from the bullies in the park who used to push them around when they were wiry, gawky, bespectacled kids. Focusing not on the companies but on their founders, the man builds a caricature-ish picture of each one of them. While he portrays Bill Gates as a megalomaniac, he paints Steve Jobs as a sociopath. Anecdotes of how kind Lady Luck and Lord Murphy had been on these amateurs are interesting and also helpful in understanding America's last great success story. The book also explores the new baggy tees, soda cans, basketball playing corporate culture that Apple, MS etc spawned as opposed to the suit-and-tie, coffee, golf playing cultures of IBM, Ford and Citicorp. Full of juicy insider gossip, the book is an OK/Globe for tech-buffs.
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 1:45 AM 2 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2008

First Crush
Probably the very first love story I ever came across ( SRK-Yash Chopra stuff does not qualify as a love story). I was 13, just moving into my teens, apparently able to discern some of the emotions portrayed in the book, and I fell in love for the first time. The only trouble was that every other female I knew had fallen in love with him upon their first encounter. Right from my mother, my friends to, later, my kid sister. Fitzwilliam Darcy was not the kind you would fall for in the first meeting. He was arrogant, kind of difficult to please and basically a snob. But gradually he warms his way into your heart. His endearing care and concern for Lizzy, going out of his way for her, without expecting anything in return, will eventually make you fall in love with him, make you wish you were his Elizabeth Bennet. Sad, they dont make them like him anymore. I have, of course, read and re-read the book several times over these eight years, the latest being last night, and I am amazed, pleasantly, at how it still makes me feel. Probably the only thing SRK ever got right in his love stories was this: You'll always carry a torch for your first love ;)
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 10:31 AM 3 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2008

Confessions to a Serial Womaniser

Confessions to a Serial Womaniser: Secrets of the World's Inspirational Women
by Zerbanoo Gifford

What links a hugging saint, a ground-breaking scientist who took on the multinationals, a French Resistance heroine who took on the Gestapo, a judge who took on Saddam Hussein, a high flier who was educated by an elephant, a spiritual giantess who danced with Fred Astaire, the original Cosmopolitan Girl, a politician who lives with two Oscars, a Bollywood actress worshipped by millions, a Chinese entrepreneur immortalized on a postage stamp and a princess who is able to touch her nose with her toes?
Some of the extra ordinary women one'll encounter in this amazing journey of a book which contains the wisdom of over 200 of the world's most dynamic women, from over 60 countries, who speak frankly about everything: their mothers, families, education, men, gurus, love, feminism, fairy stories, failures and successes. In an era that worships celebrity, this is a celebration of true celebrities - women who will leave a lasting legacy enriching the lives of future generations.
An amazing book, it helps understand the real meaning of achievement. It empowers and enriches you from within in a weirdly undescribeable way. A must read for everyone, man, woman alike.
POSTED BY SHRUTI AT 4:20 PM 2 COMMENTS
LABELS: BOOKS
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SHRUTI
CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
A hyperactive, extremely talkative, highly intelligent hydrocarbon life form inhabiting the third rock from the sun
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