Books are read according to mood, by Love Anand

It was Sunday, and I was getting bored. I thought of going out for a walk to pass time. There, I met some friends who were chatting with one another. I heard someone call me from behind. It was my friend Jaggu. I was surprised to see him. The happy-go-lucky Jaggu looked downcast today. I asked him, “What's the matter?” He said, “Nothing yaar! Tell me, do you have any comics?” Comics!! I was surprised, because I knew Jaggu didn't read comics. That's because he himself is a comic among us friends! He said, “Maybe my mood will turn for the better if I read comics today”. I took him home with me and gave him comics to read.

After Jaggu left, I wondered, “What is the relation between mood and books?” When we are in a bad mood, we either read light books to lighten our mood, or read very serious books. An old man, with few years left to live, wants to read religious texts. And when we hear stories about battles, riots and what not, and we want to know more, it is history books that are opened up.

Maybe there is a deep relationship between our mood and the books we read. Maybe at some turn or the other in our life, the two get in sync somehow.

I realise I have used the word “maybe” too often in my text. That's because in trying to think of the relationship between our mood and what we wead, I am struck by this question as well – If moods dictate what we read, are books also written and published according to mood?

Now Raju will share his thoughts on Shamsher's text, “The edges of thought”.