Shashi Tharoor tells #AsiaLitFest about the books that shaped his life

https://www.asialitfest.co.uk/post/shashi-tharoor-tells-asialitfest-about-the-books-that-shaped-his-life

Shashi Tharoor: Books That Shaped My Life- Tharoor was in conversation with journalist and author Shrabani Basu

The prominent Indian politician and bestselling author was discussing the books that have most influenced him in his life.

The Great Indian Novel first paragraph was read - and I did have that book with me - another connection - Inspired from the Grand Epic which has been around for more than 800 years – everything was into it – people, told and retold and included in it everything worth adding. At the same time it was a secular epic. Characters are human with lust, greed, ambition, envy and so on.

Took epic and retold as satiric novel – Ved Vyas dictates the novel to Ganesh – satirical tale with triumphs and failures.

Unofficial English teacher to many across the world, through his twitter - two words were discussed viz:

1) Floccinaucinihilipilification (noun) - First used to introduce the release of his new book - 'The Paradoxical PrimeMinister'

Pronounciation: floccī-naucī-nihilī-pilī-fication

Meaning: The action or habit of estimating something as worthless.

2) Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (noun) - Used to justify the use of the above word.

Pronounciation: hip‧po‧po‧to‧mon‧stro‧ses‧qui‧pe‧dal‧i‧o‧pho‧bi‧a

Meaning: The fear of long words.


1) Heavy weather - 95 books by P.G. Wodehouse read all of them by 15- easier to choose an author than a book – Wodehouse – Left England as a young men – and therefore he reinvented England - subversion of language – classical illusion – fed into our subversive spirit – surprised lot of people that he had more followers than in India than UK. Represent so much of the joy language gave. Died in 1975 - Heavy weather has Absurd plot – prize pig known as empress which was logo of woodhouse society. Plotting incredible. As a kid ST read widely and indiscriminately, inconveniently fast. Reading was his education, entertainment and escape from suffering.

2) 100 days of solitude – Garcia – was famous in Latin America. It expands the realm of possible on what you can do with fiction. Experience that is lived by the character through a shuttle stretching of human imagination.

3) O.V. Vijayan – The Legends of Kasak. – Huge controversy of English version. Made living as political cartoonist as there was no money for Indian fiction writer. Book is subtly different – Young men going to obscure village where he is asked by govt. to set up one man school – It captures Kerala so well – where ideal India should be.

4) The discovery of India – Magisterial work, Philosophy, history, politics, history, culture, society, - remarkable work by a remarkable mind - with no reference but discussion with fellow jailers - Great pity people have forgotten Nehru – effective democratic politician, brilliant writer, influential person of 20th century – he wrote biography of Nehru – A wonder of such sharp insight – choices in context – presumptuous enough – train his mind to be like Nehru’s – Understand why people did what they do in the context of pressure and situation then. Not easy time but trying to be opposition – agree on the ground rule on how you disagree.

5) Arthashastra – 4th century B.C. – 2000 years old on state craft – humane work – good governance, justice, justification for governments rule to be welfare of people, - Neighbours enemy is friend – talk about human integrity – very sophisticated text – on spying, Artha is material success. The pursuit of four things of life – Dharma, Artha (Wealth), Kama (love, desire, sex); Moksha (salvation); - Penguine one is good. Notion of good governance are profound ideas.

If he could carry only One book and was left in a desert – Mahabharata - Unabridged thing is enormous – so many digression - 5 times the length of bible -

Why choose congress? Right path to put forward the liberal idea – going to congress means accepting the reality as it is. Party finds a tug of unity behind the family. Last 2 congress prime minister who ruled for 15 years were not congress. Leadership don’t monopolies the top position. Competence, skill, experience, are great strength. One party dominant thinking - Foreign policy – Tradition – part of culture to showcase to the world we are of one view opposition party shared this space but for first time now - Minister of state for home in previous govt. is now acting.

Irish Education effect? Convey ethical system, Jesuit good teacher. Epistemological lectures of the presence of God.

Too backlashes over globalization – economic – blue collar job’s migration; and cultural backlashes – intensified and raised in western country visible/audible minority. Placed a different premium on native-ism. David Goodheart – Brithish philosopher - Somewhere and Anywhere – Theresa Mais – if you think you are citizen of the world, you don’t know what citizenship is - Davos man - “Davos men” or “gold-collar workers.”

One favorite Character - Difficult to be both – narrator and character – Ved Vyas.

Asia House – Pluralism and diversity that makes literature interesting.

Inspiration – increasingly at night, was an early bird and now a night owl.

Depending on the mood – pluralism should be the favorite word. Make the world interesting place.

Literature and Politics both have human conditions. Should deal with universal principals Solutions – compatible fields to be in.

His reply to a student who asked him to give him a new word in view of his reputation as a fount of exotic vocabulary was - 'Read'.