What’s your ‘fallback’ and ‘frequent companion’ book?

Nearly 13 years back, a friend shared the audiobook version of Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” read by this incredible narrator and theater artist called Frank Muller.

I fell in love with the book the first time and, like any great love of ones life, King’s magical words kept me spellbound every time I picked up the book and I ended up discovering an unknown layer that I failed to notice before.

Especially, the poignancy of the last chapter is unmatched by any other book I read (Hemmingway’s ‘A farewell to arms’ could come closer perhaps). Those haunting paragraphs and Muller’s excellent narration make me go back to the book whenever I hit a low or have to handle grief or sorrow.

Stephen King’s words remain like embers of a great bonfire that warms your heart every time you hunker down by its side. Those who slot King’s books in the “Horror” section and wouldn’t like to touch it are definitely missing the magic of his writing.

“The Green Mile” is the book I carry with me like a book of revelation that help understand old age, death and longevity.

And if you have your own book that is closer to your heart, you might like to share it with a wider audience. It could be a funny book, a hart-hitting one or something that falls in the realm of dystopia or time-travel.

Whatever it is, if you’d like to discuss with a pair of book junkies on a podcast, please get in touch.

Myself and my colleague at Deccan Herald Ahmed Shariff produce a book discussion programme called ‘Read(s) of the week’. We thought it’ll be fun to periodically invite a guest and ask them talk about the book they turn to in good times or in bad, the kind of book they’d like to consult or quote from.

If you’re eager to talk about your ‘fallback’ or ‘frequent companion’, PM me or write to [email protected].

Looking forward to hearing from you.

@Ahmed_shariff23