Pride Prejudice and Punditry by Shashi Taroor – Majestic, Spitfire, Entertaining

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It feels surreal to realize that I am blogging after nearly a month. I was diligently reading a book that simultaneously enticed and instigated me. Enticed with the sheer brilliance of perception, consummate writing, and coherent thoughts. Instigated due to the veiled attempt of seemingly deliberate political propagandizing. Am I using words that are hard to get your tongue around? Well, can’t blame me as I was sitting, eating, and sleeping (metaphorically) with the maestro of majestic words Shashi Tharoor and his Pride, Prejudice, and Punditry. I was reading it word by word, biting each part into pieces, talking to myself as if I am debating with his ideologies, sometimes concurring and sometimes disagreeing with his tenets.

Pride Prejudice and Punditry by Shashi Taroor

The brilliant wordsmith:

As with any of his books and social media handles, the book is also a pandora’s box when it comes to literary panache. But contrary to my expectations, he did not wave his Sesqipedalian flag in the book. The words were used in the right meter, where it is inevitable. The language is crisp and sharp, woven into a tightly knit package. The book is systematically categorized into several parts that if you want to skip a part, for instance, I would have preferred to skip the politics, you could do so without missing out on what you want to devour.

The idol minus politics

The next statement that I am about to make would be surprising for those who know me but I could see a glimpse of Late Abdul Kalam in his writing. The man is an ocean of knowledge, extremely talented, and kind. I was in school when I started adoring the fair man, who raised the pride of Indians by contesting for the UN Secretary-General position, the tech-savvy politician who brought the tweet culture to Indians. That said, I have always been on the other side when it comes to political ideologies. So what is my politics? My politics is working for the betterment of the nation without being bound by the party rules or whatsoever as I believe that NO political party in India is selflessly working for the citizens. Hence his predisposition towards a party and attempt to cite examples to prove that one is better than the other was tough to digest for me. But yes! I must agree that the examples that he cited and the explanations he put through are extremely convincing and hence once again gained brownie points for the same. This reflects the qualities of A.P.J Abdul Kalam and reminded me of his books, minus the political propaganda.

Hinduism defined by authenticity

If you have been following me for a while you might have noticed my unhindered and explicit hatred towards the despicably misconstrued ideology of Hinduism. It is a welcome fact that the author has delved deep into the crux of the matter and defines religion which according to me is a way of life and not something that should be pulled down to the level of religious fanaticism that we see around. The author tells in no uncertain terms about his disappointment in how religion and its dogma are imposed on the masses without any explanations and how the ‘believers’ follow them without any real knowledge. 

A Kerala woman who reads

My heart was beaming with pride to read his view on how advanced women in Kerala are. Citing MF Hussain, he established the fact that compared to the rest of India Kerala is a land where more women are literate. Being a woman from Kerala who reads and has converted her passion for reading into the profession, I was feeling selfish personal pride while reading that part.

Miscellaneous

The fun, humor, snippets from persona life, and the collection of fiction and poetry along with the rest make for a break in the pattern and hence prevent the feeling of monotony from seeping in. These sections wrap it tight and make the book a complete package.
Overall the books are a perfect gift for non-fiction lovers. If you love to read the words that spit fire while simultaneously igniting your trail of thoughts this is the one for you… Keep aside your political preference and read the book for its magnetic literary finesse.
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