The world lost a master storyteller in Jeffrey Archer a couple of days ago, whose unmatched talent is evident in the fact that his thrillers kept readers hooked for generations. I distinctly remember getting Jeffrey Archer novels from the school library and spending so many evenings and late nights reading them, lost in the multi-layered characterisations and the twists and turns of the plot, woven so skillfully by the great author.
One can almost feel like travelling in a gondola around the city as one turns the pages of this 1888 classic. How often do we see someone lost in reading a book while waiting for a flight or travelling on a train? With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the problem of storytellers getting lost in the mayhem of modern life has entered a whole new domain. Or else, the joy of reading would be lost forever. We might have lost a storyteller, but we must not lose our yearning for reading stories, told and untold!
Not so long ago, weekend newspapers would be tantalisingly thicker with a score of articles and features, so much so that my father would keep the Sunday magazine by his bedside to complete it over the coming week. I distinctly remember waiting for the Saturday magazine to arrive so that I could read the great Khushwant Singh’s column, “With Malice Towards One and All. The loss, sad as it is, made me reflect on another, hitherto overlooked aspect of our lives. We live in a world of diminishing attention spans and a disappearing love for the world of the written word. There was a time, not so long ago, when written words would take us to distant lands and desolate islands, looking for elusive treasures and enthralling kingdoms, immortal friendships, and bewitching betrayals. The fog and chill of English moors seemed to blow across my face on a hot and humid day in Punjab! One might argue that the places described above can be accessed online by way of reels and videos, and that many novels and short stories have been adapted into movies and OTT series. Somehow, the thrill of slowly uncovering magic as one reads a book is and will always remain unparalleled. AI has the ability to create works of written art, that too, at the press of a buttons. And, it is learning fast. I hope and pray that this never happens. Talking of the fading lustre of the written word, even newspapers seem to be fighting a battle for survival. Of late, newspapers have fewer pages and fewer articles. Amen. [email protected] (The writer is a Jalandhar-based consultant psychiatrist)
I distinctly remember reading RL Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” on one particular summer afternoon, savouring the thrill of cannons being fired, the pirates taking over the ship, and the fighting spirit of Jim Hawkins that saved the day! Who can forget the thrill of riding a train with Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on their way to solve a “problem”! Many an evening was spent with the rebellious adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the mischievous gossip of Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”. Besides so many immortal characters, the “world of the written word” is replete with mesmerising descriptions of different seasons and places around the globe. Arundhati Roy’s debut novel, “The God of Small Things”, virtually transports the reader to moss-laden walls and luxuriant greenery, where the countryside becomes dense, moist and almost overwhelmingly alive. The novel “The Aspern Papers”, authored by Henry James, gives a ringside view of Venice and its famed canal network. Will it ever be able to create the magic of “A Suitable Boy”, with all its nuances so deftly woven into the narrative by Vikram Seth?
