Second Thoughts: On Books, Authors and the Writerly Life

by Navtej Sarna

From the rose gardens of Shiraz to the snow-powdered hillside above Kabul, from the water and stone mirages of St Petersburg to gritty Mumbai, the evocative essays in this collection combine travel and literature using a charming mix of the personal impression and incisive literary criticism. Written over seven years for the Hindu Literary Review from the cocoon of a book-lined study, digging into forgotten second-hand bookshops, trekking the Himalayan hills or searching out far-flung literary sites around the globe, Navtej Sarna never veers far from the essential focus of these the love of books and the men who write them.

Genres: Writing, Books About Books

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2015

About the author

Navtej Sarna is an Indian author-columnist, and diplomat, who is the present Indian Ambassador to Israel.
He was born in Jalandhar, India to noted writer in Punjabi, Mohinder Singh Sarna, and passed out of the 1980 Class of Indian Foreign Service. Before holding this post, he was Joint Secretary for external publicity at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) , since October 2002, and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving spokesperson of the ministry, and served two prime ministers, three foreign ministers and four foreign secretaries, till the end of his term in September, 2008.
Previously as a diplomat served in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Teheran and Washington, DC .
He also writes short stories, and book reviews. His first novel published was 'We Weren't Lovers Like That' in 2003, followed by 'The Book of Nanak' in the same year, his latest,' The Exile', published in 2008, is based on the life of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and son Raja Ranjit Singh. Currently, 'Zafarnama', an epistle of victory written to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, has been translated by him into English from Persian.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of 2022. Beautiful prose. Lives or authors and poets written in a remarkably romantic yet down to earth way, but what I loved about it the most - you get to know the author on this journey. His quest for all things written captures you. I read several books based on chapters of this beautiful compilation.

[Nethra Ram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every page in this book save for the piece about Bhagat Singh in the end reek of a romaticism around literature and writers. As someone who was once an emotionally charged bookworm who sniffed pages, clung on to hardcopies, berated e-book readers, and swore by every cliched crazy bookworm ritual, I can relate to the underlying sentiment of Sarna's travels and writings. But I've since, much like Bhagat Singh, undergone an overhaul in terms of sentiments, and how emotion tends to color human life in ways it does not necessarily have to, so, I find most of literature hyperbolic and deliberately extensive of the so called human condition. I realize that one can write to clarify and one can write to express, and most of fiction intends for public catharsis but keeps acceptance at bay.

I continue to be a reader but I don't feign heart attacks at delayed book deliveries, and dog eared books anymore. I don't bully e-book readers or cling on to my hardcopies anymore. Life is flux. What is a mere book in the middle of it?

[Anumeha]

Navtej Sarna uses his vast experiences with travel and builds a delectable cocktail of authors and his personal experiences of the pilgrimages undertaken to the sites considered sacred by all book lovers. Based on his columns in Hindu, the book is pretty together with stories that are born of nostalgia and the author's prolific writing. From Hemingway to Rumi, he recounts the tales of his visit to the places frequented by the much admired authors and peeks into their lives. Throughout the book, Sarna chases that elusive question, that all of us ask ourselves every time we read a fabulous book, 'What would have inspired the authors?'. Well! at least after reading this book it gave me a fair idea of the inspiration behind Sarna's columns that many of us have religiously followed in The Hindu.

[Anagha Ananth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not much of a non fiction reader,so it took me a whole year to finish this book.
The writing of this book is exceptional,I loved some chapters while some chapters I thought were not to my taste but the writing is so good I couldn't not finish this book.
I think it's best to read this book if you want to have lots of recommendations of books and if you have already read some of Ernest Hemingway, Wodehouse,Graham Greene,Virginia Wolfe etc..It was a fun read.

[Rahool Gadkari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books exposes the reader to so many authors and stories. Navtej Sarna's love for the written word comes out very clear. Each story is short, yet evocative. He has had the opportunity to collect so many perspectives in this short book. The book has its share of humour, drama and adventure. I found it to be a perfect companion on a cold winter evening.

[Kiyara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, provocative, and intriguing.

Must read for those who are looking for some lyrical writing and traveling places meeting new people via words and sentences.

[Chris Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a tendency nowadays to go after current bestsellers. Most of our reading stops there. That's why a book like this is so valuable. It reintroduces us to the literary heavyweights, lest we forget the real masters of the craft of writing. Through Sarna, I came to know about Theroux, Capote, Faiz, Akhmatova, Kerouac, Khayyam and a dozen other stalwarts in the literary field. Sarna introduces their best known works while recounting the life and times they lived in - all the insights he received during his 'literary pilgrimages'. We know movie stars have fans, but if writers have fans, Sarna is one of most articulate and dedicated ones. I shall be returning to this book several times in the future to update my 'to-read' list. Thank you, Navtej Sarna