Skip to main content

The First Book I Ever Bought

Image
By on

I remember the first book I ever bought and owned. It was when I was in high school. I had read other books before; I remember the Harry Potter books, not sure from whom or where I borrowed them, but somehow I got my hands on them, and I was hooked. Now that I think of it, it must be the Harry Potter books that got me interested in reading.

The first book I bought was a thin little paperback, with an old man and a fish skeleton on the front. The Old Man and the Sea. I didn’t know anything about Hemingway back then, just that he was well known. I remember my school English teacher saying it was a good book, giving an approving nod. Or at least I think so, it's so long ago.

The Old Man and the Sea is about an old fisherman named Santiago who hasn’t caught a fish in weeks, but he refuses to give up. One day, he heads out far into the ocean and hooks a giant marlin, beginning an intense, days-long battle between him and the fish. It’s just him, the sea, and his determination. He finally catches it, but on the way back, sharks eat the marlin, leaving only the bones. 

The story isn’t really about winning or losing. It’s about resilience, pride, and never giving up, even when the odds are against you. I didn’t have the words for it back then. Yet, I felt sad for the old man, for he still didn't have any fish.

Santiago wasn’t a hero in the traditional sense. He was old, tired, sunburnt, and poor. But he was also brave, stubborn, and full of dignity. He talked to the sea, to the fish, to himself. He believed in the worth of his struggle, even when no one was watching.

Not a cheerful start, but I consider it a good first book for my teenage self.🤍

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver

By on
It was a joy reading Upstream by Mary Oliver. H ere are a few quotes and phrases from the book that I want to keep remembering. "you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life" "I quickly found for myself two such blessings- the natural world, and the world of writing: literature. These were the gates through which I vanished from a difficult place." "Reading, then writing, then desiring to write well, shaped in me that most joyful of circumstances- a passion for work." "..having chosen to claim my life, I have made for myself, out of work and love, a handsome life" "And that I did not give to anyone the responsibility for my life. It is mine. I made it. And can do what I want to with it. Live it. Give it back, someday, without bitterness, to the wild and weedy dunes." "Creative work needs solitude. It needs concentration, without interruptions. It needs the whole sky to fly in, and no eye watching until it c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

By on
So I recently watched the 2017 Russian adaptation of Anna Karenina , an eight-part series by Mosfilm (one of the largest and oldest film studios in the Russian Federation and in Europe, according to Wikipedia). This one takes a unique narrative approach, presenting the story from Vronsky’s perspective.  Let me tell you—I was absolutely enthralled. From the acting to the costumes, the sets to the overall production quality, I liked almost everything about this adaptation, except for a few scenes and bits here and there. The performances felt authentic and moving, capturing the essence of the novel’s characters with remarkable fidelity. So satisfying was this adaptation that I’m not eager to seek out others. Somehow, I feel that no other version could match the artistry of this one. I’d like to explore more films and series by this studio, and I most certainly will. And I don't know why it's got such low ratings: 6.3/10 on IMDb and 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. It DESERVES much higher!...
Post a Comment
Read more

November 2025 Reads—Elena Ferrante and Vandana Shiva

By on
End of the month today, here are the books I read. 1. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante 2. The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante 3. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante 4. The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante 5. Oneness vs. the 1% by Vandana Shiva, Kartikey Shiva Yes, I read the Neapolitan novels, all four books by Elena Ferrante. Lina and Elena gave me company, the whole month, my head was full of what Lina did, what Elena said, etc, etc.  1. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante "I feel no nostalgia for our childhood: it was full of violence." The first novel follows the intense, complicated friendship between Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo as they grow up in a poor neighbourhood in postwar Naples. Amid violence, poverty, and rigid social expectations, the girls push each other intellectually and emotionally, shaping one another’s ambitions even as their paths begin to diverge. The novel explores how identity is formed through rivalry, admirat...
Post a Comment
Read more