-From “Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami
This book is a page turner as it has a very strong gripping power. The situation in which these lines are narrated in the novel maybe different but it has motivated me a lot in life. It was in 1994 when I read this book for the first time and to this day I still remember how it has profoundly affected me. When you live in a society, there are many social taboos and there are issues of morality and things that sort of keep us in a particular condition. Our mind is preoccupied by that societal norms and we care and think about how other people judge us rather than considering our own thoughts.[break]
There are rare chances in life when you get to experience pure happiness or find a way to bliss and we if fail to grab such a chance then we might have to regret for the rest of our lives. And I believe that if you are happy from within then only you can make others happy. The book has a kind of intimacy and tells a coming-of-age story which many young people can relate to, and since I read it when I was very young, it has left a mark on me till now. I feel that this book has really evoked a private or intimate emotion out of me.
I like the fact that the narrative has been kept very simple and at the same time the characters have been presented as complex. It is basically about a love story but is a very unusual one as it takes the reader to a psychological level and the subject it has tried to talk about is praiseworthy enough. The title of the book as we all know is a famous Beatles song as well, so the writer takes us into the 1960s as a flashback, and the protagonist narrates the story as a first person. The book has portrayed the confrontations that young people go through and has portrayed that in an artistic way, which is why I can’t stop praising this book.
Photo: Bijay Rai
About Baral
An actor, director and a teacher at his acting school, Actor’s Studio, Baral was an avid reader since his childhood days.
“I was so obsessed with books that when I was 10, I used to carry around a heavy English book from my father’s library, which I couldn’t even read properly, just to show others that I was reading.”
Even if he could not comprehend the language well, he would also ask others to read books for him. With time he developed a keener sense of reading but says that he doesn’t have a particular choice as he likes picking up books randomly and also banks on the recommendations of others.
“For instance, if I’m passing through a railway station and I happen to see a nice cover and famous writer, I just pick that up as well,” says Baral who admits that if the book fails to interest him, he does not touch it after turning a page or two. He likes reading books of any genre but it should evoke interest and a sense of awareness.
Being an actor, he thinks that books really help in the cultural development and shapes the way of one’s thinking and the aesthetic values of those who are in acting.
“We’re in the visual medium and right now the search of dynamic actors who are ready to move forward in an interdisciplinary way is there,” says Baral. “If an actor limits himself just to acting and is unwilling to learn about what’s happening around, then it’ll be hard to develop the imaginary power, observing skills and overall sensory development. So it’s very important to read so that the more reading experience you have the more you can learn.”
Baral’s five picks
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Miller is one of the 20th century’s finest playwrights. This particular play gives us a glimpse of how globally things have gone far when it comes to achieving a materialistic dream. Similarly, the story shows the chase of the American Dream. The drama revolves around Willy Loman and shows the situation his family is going through. He is a door-to-door salesman and the play shows his ideology and crisis. I think this work is relatable to the context of our own country as well, with many middle class people trying to buy things in installment to acquire things like the higher classes do. The drama has also captured the tragic sequence in a good way. I also like Miller’s other equally famous plays, “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “A View from the Bridge.”
Liv Ullmann Changing by Liv Ullmann
This is the autobiography of the Norwegian actress who has worked in Hollywood as well. In this book, she has written about her experience with Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish director, writer and producer, while working in a lot of movies with him. The book shows that she had many affairs with men and her feminist approach was strong as well. She was also the first one who played in the role of Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s play, “Doll’s House.” From this autobiography I’ve learnt that in a life of a creative person there are many ups and downs, and to read all the details of her life is quite inspiring.
Mahabharata
I like the epic Mahabharata because it shows a unique world of its own. I think the new generation should know about this work because from politics to economics, from family tie-ups to liaisons, such wide subjects have been shown in it in ways which can be understood by everyone. It also shows how politics can be a means to achieve something good or bad as well. The Mahabharata shows so many characters that you can’t even find in Homer’s The Iliad. This epic also is an easier way to learn about Eastern philosophy and civilization.
Ghamka Pailaharu by Dhanush Chandra Gautam
I like this novel because it touches upon realistic aspects. The book is a story of a long time ago when the railway stations of Jaipur and Jaynagar were being built in Nepal. People used to come from Bengal to work on the railway tracks and there’s one Bengali family who lives nearby. A girl from the family happens to encounter a Nepali boy who teachers Nepali to her and the story shows how their relations grow. The boy’s philosophy and ideology is strong and every character has been presented in such a way that it feels like watching a movie.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
I like this novel because of the protagonist. The book touches existentialism and nihilism and makes us ponder questions like “What’s the reason behind our existence?” It even questions God and explores various other schools of thoughts. The main character is portrayed as a stranger, someone who is away from the societal taboos and is irrational in the eyes of normal people who live in society. But we can relate to him, and those who look at him through the eyes of an outsider may find him to be illogical but somehow I could identify myself with the character as well.
As told to Nistha Rayamajhi
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