Laurie Lee was born in 1914, just at the beginning of World War I. Cider with Rosie is his famous book and my brother recommended that I should read it. I had the book but somehow never got around to reading it, primarily because I am always wary of books recommended by my brother (except of course Wodehouse). I do not like gloomy books and my brother has a tendency to like art house movies. There is no connection here but since I associate art house movies with gloominess and did a little bit of extrapolation- there you have it.
Anyway, I started reading it these Diwali holidays and I was hooked. It is simply a wonderful book and I can understand why it is a recommended text book. His uncles reminded me of my own numerous uncles each one with an endearing character. The village school was somewhat like and yet nothing like the school described by Miss Read. Miss Read comes across as a sympathetic character but of course it is written by the teacher whereas if the students were made to describe their teacher they would probably turn out to be somewhat like Miss Crabbe and Miss Wardley. It is a matter of perspective after all.
But most of all I simply envied the fact that he grew up amidst the greenery. Life was changing- in few years motor cars would become a common sight. But during the period he describes, life was still slow, tar roads were still uncommon, and there was all that greenery. I know I am lucky to live within the University campus and that my bedroom opens into the jungle and that I can feast on the greenery any time of the day but I also know that all this temporary. The rate at which new buildings are coming up on the campus all I will see one day is red brick buildings.
There are two more books in the trilogy. Flipkart has the second book in this trilogy so that is now on my 'to purchase' list.
Anyway, I started reading it these Diwali holidays and I was hooked. It is simply a wonderful book and I can understand why it is a recommended text book. His uncles reminded me of my own numerous uncles each one with an endearing character. The village school was somewhat like and yet nothing like the school described by Miss Read. Miss Read comes across as a sympathetic character but of course it is written by the teacher whereas if the students were made to describe their teacher they would probably turn out to be somewhat like Miss Crabbe and Miss Wardley. It is a matter of perspective after all.
But most of all I simply envied the fact that he grew up amidst the greenery. Life was changing- in few years motor cars would become a common sight. But during the period he describes, life was still slow, tar roads were still uncommon, and there was all that greenery. I know I am lucky to live within the University campus and that my bedroom opens into the jungle and that I can feast on the greenery any time of the day but I also know that all this temporary. The rate at which new buildings are coming up on the campus all I will see one day is red brick buildings.
There are two more books in the trilogy. Flipkart has the second book in this trilogy so that is now on my 'to purchase' list.
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