Book This One

You can devour books, but movies devour you.  books are like the friends that you converse with.  Movies are the condescending gyaan givers of this world.  Its a version that you take it or leave it.  No middle ground, often literally, when the middle is confusing and the climax bemusing.  They consume you, haunt your imagination in a very fixed and narrow way.  Don't get me wrong, books haunt you too.  But you imagine more vividly.  You are free.  Images, thoughts, words can inspire you in a very different way.  Imagination is captivating and yet can set you free.  Words have a way of doing both.  They light the path.  They show you the way.  And yet they let you set your pace, change directions, take in he scenery.  Movies can leave you exhausted.  Thrilled, but exhausted.  Elated, adrenaline pumping, or endorphins rushing, but ultimately exhausted.  And this isn't a books vs movies based on those books comparison. 

 No thats a whole different mess for another day.  Movies feel a tad more manipulative.  They seem more artificial.  The imagination is more controlled than in control.  Inspiration  is not something that serves you up on a platter.  That is why the most complete heroes, the most powerful ones never really inspire us.  They take us places, do not light the way.  And so, they leave us awestruck.  Flawed people and flawed situations inspire us.  Only if it is relatable can it inspire or motivate us.  And flaws are what we relate to.  (Schadenfraude after all.  Misery in others makes us happy.  You want Jerry triumphant.  But only after 15 minutes of torment by Tom that begins post the lion roar)  Achievable targets these its called in the newfangled sales jargon I suppose.  You need the guiding lights/parameters to tell you where to go, how much effor to put in.  So we get to throw in our two cents to it, add and build upon it and that gives us direction.  And that is truly what sets us free. Not truth.  Yeah, they say the truth will set u free.  Set you adrift in a leaky boat with no oars more like.  Truth is overrated.  Facts are what you want.  But I digress.  Again.  Like a movie that is lost its plot.  Thats another thing with books.  They can go into sub plots and sub sub plots and its never awkward.  Unlike now.  Where I have digressed for the umpteenth time.  Where was I then?  Awkkkkkwaarrrrddd.

 Oh yes,  We are force fed things these days.  Readymade quotes and philosophies.  Daily doses of humor.  A funny this, an absurd that, an inside joke, a dash of sarcasm.  All controlled and relatable and in exhausting quantities.  You laugh, you forget, you move on.  You aren't inspired to create yourself.  A wisecrack on a status or a halfhearted tweet at most.  Creativity is lost in the process.  To overwhelmed we are.  And underwhelmed at some level too.  At the same time.  Paradox really.  Like one of those guns blazing, satisfyingly gory, rousing music filled war themed movies that are supposed to be "anti-war movies.  So I say we go back to good old books.  All kinds of books.  And we stop in the middle, somewhere where its not a pre-planned popcorn break (with double charge coke and bad nachos to boot), and we let our thoughts soar.  And come back when we want to.  Its all a bit like the give a man a fish vs teach him to fish type thingy.  

And lastly, each book you read gives you a plethora of new thoughts.  Deep, whimsical, complex, intricate, funny, twisted, askew, unique thoughts that can be mixed and matched and connected to form your own opinions, philosophies.  Movies cannot be connected.  Not always.  Sometimes not even when they are sequels. 

 Though some books do deserve to be in the same category as direct to dvd sequels.  Chetan Bhagat fans, I am looking at you.  What inspires you to dream and create and what inspires you to daydream.  Which would you choose?  I knew it.  You don't learn.  You don't choose idiots.  You need a bit of both.  

Sometimes its nice to let go of control and go with the flow.  Its a high.  The trick is not to become an alcoholic.  (Disclaimer:  The shabby author of this shoddy work does not practice or encourage the practice of alcohol consumption :D )