The start of the craze for comics

Comics now this is one thing I should say has always been an integral part of my life, even today you would find me enjoying the comics in the same manner as I did the first time.Ahh that feel I get its just what should I say just exhilarating.The first time I laid my hands on one was perhaps the reason for this or rather maybe it is just that love I have for books .

Now coming to the first time comic that I read I clearly remember was in Bangalore about a year after my love with books started.I was for the summer vacation at my grandparents place where they were subscribed at a library in Kormangala area 'The Classic Library'. My aunt took me the first day so I could get something to read and entering the 20 x 20 place the first feel was "WOW!! Heaven on earth".I had the same feeling I had the first time I visited the library at school but only this time the difference was that these were comics.I was just in no position to decide which was better form the other, so guess what I did? Got a book of all the different comics that were there :D, a pretty obvious solution that came to my mind.Only that my aunt stated that since they were allowed two books and she was getting one for herself I could just choose on.(Bah foolish people why can't they just sacrifice for once, here I was a young kid struggling with the sudden flood of choices presented and on top of that I had to choose one..... grrrrrr.).My feeling was the same as in you are taken to a wonderful confectionery starving and stated that choose just one piece.(One piece my foot I am here to finish off the place and I need to choose one pitiful piece!!!) I then did the next best thing that came to my mind.... beg her...... "Please please pinni let me at least take three...." and no she does not budge,"or at least two... can't you please not take a book for today" but no she did not want to miss reading that magazine that she had picked as it was the latest issue and she might not get it until a couple of days.(Stupid people is a magazine stupid weekly important or a comic just no idea how stupidly they prioritize things.....).

Not being able to get her to change her mind I set myself to picking one but then I had the best idea of all for the evening... what if sit here and finish as many as I can, brilliant eh? (that's how I am....:D), but then I get the ultimatum "Finish choosing one fast we are getting late for dinner"(DINNER DINNER is that so important can't she just skip out dinner for one night....ohh how cruel and ruthless is this world to a simple kid like me....). Those words from her just jolted me back to the stark reality and started thinking what do I decide and got to the conclusion the bigger the better and ran about to find the biggest comic I could lay my hands on and found a lot containing the "TINTIN's and ASTERIX series", these were by far the biggest books I could spot, But there were tens of these "Which do I choose now?". Then I hear the shout from my aunt "Choose one fast now we are getting late".

Unable to decide one and bear the suffering that I neglected the other wonderful books I closed my eyes and picked one and it was 'TINTIN AND THE CRYSTAL BALLS'.Accepting the fact that I was destined to just this I handed the book to my aunt and as soon as I came out of the shop I wanted to open and started to read it but no, I have to wait until I reach home and that too after we get some shopping done.(Bah how miserable are people just a few minutes back she was talking of dinner and now shopping).But the next sentence from her just made me jump "we will pick a nice movie that we can watch after going home".(Now this is what I called irony I have a wonderful book for the night but then what do I do about the movie... as though it was a exam and I had to finish both before sleeping... me and my thinking :)).

to be continued......

THE FIRST BOOK

You should have seen me that day I came from the library it was as if I had found something that has been amiss for a long while, it was a feeling I never experienced to the effect I had that on that first visit or subsequently when I started reading the book on the way home in my school bus.

The book started with the description of the characters and to my utmost surprise it was the story about a bunch of kids and a dog and one of the kid's family owning an island ['Oh so islands can also be purchased!!! I wonder if they have shops like we have for selling islands abroad...an how much would one cost?'].

The story was interesting through and to me it was you know like finding a pleasure that I had never ever known existed or could be achieved by the mere reading of the book.I was so obsessed with the book that any min spare like the breaks in between classes or a free hour which I would have otherwise indulged in chitchatting with my friends was now entirely devoted to the reading of the book.this even continued when I traveled to or from school the only thing I cared was 'THE BOOK'.Even at home to the utter surprise of my mother I finished my homework in record speed and then ...... back to the book

I was so engrossed in the story so enthralled by the way it twisted this way then that way an the kids running after treasure boxes their feeling when they see that there are people behind 'their treasure', I started imagining myself as the characters.I used to stop reading suddenly and then start dreaming of me doing what 'that character' did.[Something that I say that I still have sometimes when I am really engrossed in a book]

Thinking about it now I was not even sure I understood the whole thing but I did finish the book and that too by Saturday that week and then it started the feeling like you have.... I mean the one you get when you just finished a whole box of sweets and then you see another box[Ohh... sweets and books what a useless comparison but what to do these are the two things I really love :) and they are the first things that came to my mind], I mean forget the sweets, I was simply MISSING READING A BOOK. Strange though it may sound but I really have felt it for the first time and has been there with me ever since I just can't stay long without reading a book.

I started looking longingly at every person who held a book in my class I wanted something to read and guess what I did.... I simply read my whole English textbook so that I could while my time until 'THE TUESDAY

There that was my first experience at reading a novel I started with the thought of summarizing the book but lost track and ended up telling about myself.... will be posting sooner :)