My all-time favourite books

I was a voracious reader till I was in college after which, thanks to cable connection, I was almost addicted to T.V. However, even now, when I feel bored, I do re-read a few books again and again. I have read a quite a lot of books including Enid Blyton, Famous Five, Secret Seven, Sweet Valley(Kids and Twins), Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Charles Dickens, Sidney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham. I generally prefer crime-thrillers. Though I have read so many books two of them are my cherished possession.

One is a book called “The Adventures of Dennis” by Victor Dragunsky (not related to Dennis the menace in any way). It is a collection of short stories about a seven year old boy’s misgivings, mischief, achievements and feelings. All the stories are very cute as it is told throughout as a first person’s account (from Dennis’s point of view). It was exactly how a sever year old would narrate the incidents in his life, very immature, very vibrant and enthusiastic at one time and very meek and frightened at the other. Each story is very funny and sometimes reminds me of my childhood days. I will post a story from the book in the next blog. Though I’ve read it some hundred times I still love to read it again with the same enthusiasm I had when I read it for the first time. I am transformed into a seven year old during the moments I spend reading the book.

The second book is called “The Count of Monte Cristo”. It was my Non-Detail book when I was in sixth standard. The story is about how a guy named “Edmund Dantes” who is betrayed by his so-called friends and lover, takes revenge on them after he excapes from jail(he goes there as a result of their betrayal). Though the story might sound like our tamil masala movie stuff, the way it is handled and the way the revenge is executed is just too good. That was the first time I was exposed to such stories which fascinated me a lot. I vividly remember each and every character in the story and their role. The plot by his friends, the pain faced by him in the jail, his escape, his transformation after getting hold of a treasure and his well-planned and clever plot in bringing the downfall of his enemies were narrated so well that I was deeply impacted by the story.

Now, posting this blog has again rekindled my interest in reading books. Moreover it has been quite sometime since I read those two books. So I’m off to engross myself in the fantasies of Dennis!!!