Here's the announcement of the June 2010 meeting:
Date: Sunday, June 13, 2010
Time: 10:30 am
Venue: Empress Garden
Topics:
1. Green- in literature
2. War scenes from literature
Saturday, June 12, 2010
May meeting update - thanks Renuka
The highlight of the May meeting was undoubtedly the book review by Shama Vijayan.
The book: "Nine lives" by William Dalrymple
India has been the mystic land, holding many a surprise not only to those who are not familiar with India, but also to those who have spent all their lives here! William Dalrymple who is essentially a travel writer, chooses nine individuals from nine different backgrounds. Some of them from educated and cosmopolitan background and some from a very traditional, rural background. The characters tell their stories and Dalrymple is sensitive to their sentiments and is never judgmental.
Shama gave us a peek into each of the nine lives, in concise and passionate style. To make the perspective clear, she used a map to mark the diverse geographical backgrounds. It was evident that she had enjoyed the book immensely and
recommended it to all our members.
Discussions
The first topic :Women authors down the ages and their stature.
A gamut of women authors down the times right upto the present day was discussed. The sensibility of a woman author comes through in the portrayal of characters or situations was the view of many a member. One could feel a woman’s sensibility in
George Eliot’s, despite the nom-de-plume!
The second topic – Romanticism in literature
Romanticism can be as difficult in describing as describing beauty or poetry. It is a state of mind, the joy you feel when you behold a tree in full bloom, or the ultimate sound and light show by nature herself - the rains! Indeed you have to be tuned to sense it.
Following the metaphysical period came the neo-classicism. Imagination had run riot during the metaphysical period so it was reason and correctness that was important during the new classic period. The Romantic period came like a breath of fresh air. What brought about this change is difficult to pin point, though one of the reasons could be that the outlook of man had around the period of the French revolution.
The theme were often nature, thoughts and feelings upon nature. Some poems were coloured in passion – we see that it was quite normal to die for unrequited love!
The result though is a lifelong fountain of innocent exalted pleasure. This era is able to take us on a journey to show us beauty which the eye cannot see, to play music only heard in silence. They sweeten our solitude and are a source of animation when lovers of literature like us meet!
The book: "Nine lives" by William Dalrymple
India has been the mystic land, holding many a surprise not only to those who are not familiar with India, but also to those who have spent all their lives here! William Dalrymple who is essentially a travel writer, chooses nine individuals from nine different backgrounds. Some of them from educated and cosmopolitan background and some from a very traditional, rural background. The characters tell their stories and Dalrymple is sensitive to their sentiments and is never judgmental.
Shama gave us a peek into each of the nine lives, in concise and passionate style. To make the perspective clear, she used a map to mark the diverse geographical backgrounds. It was evident that she had enjoyed the book immensely and
recommended it to all our members.
Discussions
The first topic :Women authors down the ages and their stature.
A gamut of women authors down the times right upto the present day was discussed. The sensibility of a woman author comes through in the portrayal of characters or situations was the view of many a member. One could feel a woman’s sensibility in
George Eliot’s, despite the nom-de-plume!
The second topic – Romanticism in literature
Romanticism can be as difficult in describing as describing beauty or poetry. It is a state of mind, the joy you feel when you behold a tree in full bloom, or the ultimate sound and light show by nature herself - the rains! Indeed you have to be tuned to sense it.
Following the metaphysical period came the neo-classicism. Imagination had run riot during the metaphysical period so it was reason and correctness that was important during the new classic period. The Romantic period came like a breath of fresh air. What brought about this change is difficult to pin point, though one of the reasons could be that the outlook of man had around the period of the French revolution.
The theme were often nature, thoughts and feelings upon nature. Some poems were coloured in passion – we see that it was quite normal to die for unrequited love!
The result though is a lifelong fountain of innocent exalted pleasure. This era is able to take us on a journey to show us beauty which the eye cannot see, to play music only heard in silence. They sweeten our solitude and are a source of animation when lovers of literature like us meet!
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