Bibliophiles lean towards realism

KOLKATA: Books have always been the best mates of the average Kolkata denizen. But can you put a finger on your favourite read or author? These students give it a shot.
Most of us love spending our winter evenings curled up under a blanket with a great book. While for most avid readers, the hardest thing to do maybe is pinpoint a favourite author, book or genre, Kolkata campuses seem to be crawling with bookbugs of all species.Some swear by Shakespeare, while others vote for classic literature. But the leaning seems to be heavy towards books laced with realism.
So, when CT went around campuses and asked students about their favourite reads, we came across some pretty surprising answers, coming as they were from the #hokkolorob generation.
So, if you are not in the middle of an engaging book, you might be interested in what the students had to say . Well, read on...
CITY CAMPUSES SEEM TO HAVE BOOKBUGS OF ALL KINDS -FROM SHAKESPEARE BHAKTS TO AVID LOVERS OF CLASSIC LITERATURE
ADRIJA GUHA MPhil,
Calcutta University As a post-graduate student, I liked Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex and Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. In her book Beauvoir introduced radical feminist concepts, which were way ahead of the times despite their western leaning. On the other hand, Jude the Obscure is the gripping story of class distinction in the Victorian age and the struggle for power.
ADREJA MUKHERJI MA,
Presidency University My favourite fiction, as per the syllabus of my last semester, would be The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a post-modernist novel by Milan Kundera. I am a big fan of Kundera's way of philosophising and the way in which he talks about the frailty of human beings. This book has a certain touch of melancholy that teaches a lot about relationships which are relevant in real life.
SNEHA GANGULY MA,
Loreto College Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book in the syllabus.
An indulging `happily ever after' romantic comedy that has never failed to attract my attention towards its intricacies. I think it's one of the best-written novels ever with tons of irony, figurative language and superbly sketched characters, which are so believable!
VIKRAMJIT KUNDU BA,
Calcutta University My favourite book in the syllabus is Macbeth because it tells us about a valiant warrior's greed that ultimately leads to his tragic descent to madness. Though William Shakespeare based the story on real historic occurrences, he has beautifully fused it with various supernatural elements. I can relate it well with the present state of the world, where greed for power and influence is eating into our morals.
ANISHA MONDAL BA,
Jadavpur University I don't believe that any avid reader can have a favourite book, but the one I can read over and over again is Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Everytime I read the book, and that's quite often, it leaves me with an aftertaste that I love -exactly what `favourites' can do to you.
SIDDHARTH JOSHI BA,
St Xavier's Shakespeare's The Sonnets and A Lover's Complaint are more appealing to me than his dramas or any other literary fiction. I have an affinity for the sonnets because they celebrate love and friendship. Sonnet 18 is my favourite, because I like the manner in which the poet compares his lover's youth with nature.He also states that through his poem, his lover will become immortal.
SOUMYADEEP DAS BA,
Calcutta University Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is one of my favourite authors and Sherlock Holmes, my favourite fictional character.
The intricately woven mysteries and Doyle's attention to detail never fail to intrigue. On the other hand, I love The Old Man and The Sea.
Hemmingway has so aptly depicted the vicissitudes and struggles that define human existence, and that too, in a very simple and lucid manner.