Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Magic Realism

This is not a post about Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa as I am yet to read anything written by him. In fact, I have just started exploring the genre of Magic Realism just some time back by reading the (short) works of his one time friend Marquez. If you have started wondering what am I getting on to, please continue reading.

This post is rolling in my head even before the Nobel Prize in Literature for the year 2010 was announced. But, in a different form; I was wondering how different my life would have been if facilities like Google and Wikipedia were available, I'd have easily found references authors, director, books or films (letting me know what all interesting things were there to read or watch) instead of the dictionary (yes some days only the dictionary was my reading material), which I'd read as a book looking for meaning of words without any context or reference (picked up in some weird random order).

After the news of Nobel came, my thought process changed a little; how would a writer approach my life story? He'd find it very difficult to tell it in a linear, logical or rational way. Because when I think back or go in the rewind mode I find some events there are nothing short of miracles (it'd be said that I worked towards it and it wasn't easy in any way, but, even in my head it sounds hollow). So, the writer would have to depend on elements of magic realism otherwise he will be at his wits end trying to find explanation for things, like a friend once asked 'you cannot sit steady on your wheelchair for more than a few minutes, then how come you hang like a bat behind your father on the two-wheeler and roam all around?”

There are such unexplainable events scattered around in every aspect of my life, be it education, employment, writing skill (however bad it is) and even my friendships, there seems to be the proverbial Hand of God phenomenon.

I just wish the last line of the story would be; 'then one fine day he got up from his wheelchair and started walking towards the toilet all by himself.”

13 comments:

Amrita said...

Dear Paresh. I would rename it Supernatural Realism, God 's grace and His miracles.

Very good post Paresh, you write so well.

Have you read Under the eye of the Clock by Chris Nolan and Such a Long Journey ?

Alexis said...

Nicely written buddy. You have asked "How would a writer approach my life story?" You are a writer and an excellent one, if I may say so. So how would you approach your life story. I am very interested in the approach and I would be glad if you start writing it.

And I couldn't agree more with the last line. May be one day...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope.

Sadasiv Swain said...

Thanks Paresh, you've rightly put it up as Hand of God.

TME said...

Paresh,
Good to see your posts often. You think differently and uniquely and write excellently too. Keep on writing.

Sam said...

Your words, Paresh come from your heart and speak to the hearts of your readers. That is an extraordinary gift...a God given one. Do begin writing your own memoir. Why would you settle for anything less?!
The last line....Amen to that!
All the best.
Take care.

Jainy Lazar said...

We have this destiny from God and the margin of fate entrusted on us….Keep working on fate and I would like to see your destiny as '”then one fine day he got up from his wheelchair and started walking towards the toilet all by himself.”

harimohan said...

paresh dear
this was straight from the soul ,
the hidden hand is surely there ,
so go ahead and begin your memoirs you would beat reality with creativity ,i have no doubts

Vaidya_Vaakya said...

Amen. I wish I could transplant mine at least when I go.

Sekhar said...

:)

Ash said...

Very nice post!

Happy Diwali Paresh.

Anonymous said...

Dear Paresh,

Happy Diwali.

As always, superbly written!!! Thank you for enriching the lives of lesser mortals like me with your written words..

As for the last line...all I can say is...HOPE...TECHNOLOGY....COURAGE..

Keep writing...
SN

Ash said...

Happy Christmas to you and your loved ones, Paresh.

Amrita said...

Dear Presh I linke d Benny 's wesite on my blog you can check it out