Pune: Books set a euphoric mood, especially for book lovers. While the world is under coronavirus lockdown, several readers have sought comfort in the little bookstore at home. The quarantine period has given time to people for revisiting their love for books. Many have cleared the dust of old books to re-read them, while some have finally started to read the ones, which were lying unread for years and a few may have planned to complete the half-read books on their shelves.
On World Book Day celebrated on April 23, Sakal Times spoke to some educationists from Pune to know what are they reading during the coronavirus lockdown.
Nitin Karmalkar, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Savitribai Phule Pune University
The VC has gone back to re-reading biographical books on Ramkrishna Paramhans and Swami Vivekananda. He stated that Reading has made my life rich and has made it full of purpose. “By profession, being a geologist, tour and travel has been a part of my life. During travel time, I picked up book reading. PL Deshpande, Ernest Hemingway, Sidney Sheldon, Ayn Rand are some of my favourite authors. Swami Vivekananda, Ramkrishna Paramhans, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Veer Sawarkar, Gurudev Tagore are my heroes, and their work and literature have inspired my life.”
Also Read: World Book Day: So Many Books, So Much Time
Mohini Khot, English professor
The professor is currently hooked to JD Salinger’s Franny and Zooey. “This is one of the least famous books of Salinger. I had bought it from a book exhibition years ago and never happened to read it. Now, I have picked the book. It’s about young people; I am yet to discover more. I have just started reading it,” said Khot.
She recently finished reading ‘10 minutes and 38 seconds in This Strange World’ by Turkish Writer Elif Shafak. “The basic concept used in this book is the body may die, but the mind stays. The novel is around the life of a girl who became a prostitute in Istanbul and her five friends. The story unravels around these characters. An interesting read!” Khot said.
The professor also runs a book club, and during the lockdown, the members are meeting over Zoom video conferencing call. They have continued their Sunday read sessions online now.
Ujjwala Barve, head of the department of communication and journalism at Ranade Institute
Barve has been reading books on Kindle. Her recent read book was ‘This Will Never: The birth of Netflix and Amazing Life of an Idea’ Work by Netflix founder Marc Randolph.
“Coming from a media background, it is interesting to read the way scenarios have been explained. In the US there was a concept -- like there is a huge chain called blockbusters-- video renting stores. The new ideas to hook-up clients by first giving it for free and then asking to subscribe. This is the trend that we are currently following.
“Before COVID-19 lockdown, I would manage both reading book and online. But now since I can’t visit a library, and all the books at home have been read, I stick to Kindle,” said Barve.
Vindhya Gupta, a law professor at ILS Law College
Gupta, who loves to hoard books, collected a list of books as soon as the college had closed down.
“I am re-reading my favourite books for comfort. Books that take me to the time I was happiest. Among the new books that I read during quarantine are ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’ by Gabriel García Márquez, a series of historical romance by Stella Riley.” Currently, she is re-reading ‘Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
Gupta said, “Earlier I wouldn’t get time to read books. Before coronavirus lockdown, I only got one Sunday in two months to read. So as soon as college shut down, I hoarded books before lockdown. Now I am utilising the time to read these books.”
Babasaheb Mundhe, professor of Political Science at Savitribai Phule Pune University
The professor has indulged himself in reading political books, one of his current read is ‘The State in India’ published by Oriental Blackswan. “There are many interesting sections in the book. One of the chapters on reservation policy has struck a chord with me. It is dominating the political discourse in India, at present,” said Mundhe.
His next pick will be ‘Breakout Nation’ by Ruchir Sharma.
