Hearing about Krishna, The Bookman of Bengaluru, (TNIE explores), I feel like sharing below what I made out last year about book shops, books and reading BOOK SHOPS, BOOKS AND READING 16 May was Buddha Jayanthi, also my father’s birthday. Reminiscing some things about him, the first memory that came to mind was his phenomenal love for book shops, books and reading. I inherited the character to some extent. Maybe genetic. Francis Bacon had written "reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." My father lived up to Bacon for sure, though what Bacon would have said of me I don’t know. I was in 5th Standard at St Josephs Indian School. Walking on M G Road one day, passing Higginbothams, I saw the bound version of “Robin Hood and his merry men” on display. Returning home, the first thing I told my father was this. The next day he got it for then princely sum of Rs 10. On showing the book to the school principal the next day, I heard him giving a small lecture to students on the importance of reading. From Higginbothams I got Grims Fairy Tales, Robinson Crusoe and many more that I treasure to this day. There was International Book House on the same road where, over the years I collected bound classics of Dickens, Hardy, the Brontes, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo and others. And, Edgar Rice Burrogh’s Tarzan. Also Sherlock Holmes, 56 short stories and the four novels. And P G Wodehouse books for sure. All this from my pocket money, not to forget the delicious samosa and tea at 25 paise each at Lakeview. It was in those years that a dignified Bengali gentleman clad in white kurtha and pyjama would come home. Sipping tea, in impeccable English, Mr Chaterjee talked to my father about books. I was entranced by his presentation. He represented Standard Literature Co based in Calcutta. He was promoting encyclopedias and other heavy stuff. Over the years he organized home delivery of Chambers Encyclopedia, Harvard Classics, Library of World’s Great Thinkers and many more, all in multiple volumes. The books, arranged in the teak wood shelves was a sight for the Gods. The home deliveries much before Amazon and Flipkart were even conceived. In student days, my travel destination included Design Book House in Malleswaram, where I picked many paperbacks in Penguin and Pelican for Rs 2.50 each. Mostly Wodehouse and some Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner stuff. Then came Bangalore Book Bureau (BBB) in Majestic area that needs special mention. The founder’s eldest son Prasad (my namesake) became a good friend and each time I went ther, we discussed books and books. Over tea. Some time in mid 1983, was the last time I went there. Both the Prasads stepped out for a cup of tea. Returning to the store, I picked up a Henry Denker and went home. That was the last time Prasad saw Prasad. The following week, the 9 storied building crashed resulting in number of fatalities. Two months later, last body among the dead that was found was Prasad’s. later, the family opened a new book store on M G Road, Gangaram Book Bureau which I frequented. Just next to the building, in the basement of Plaza Cinema, was The Book Cellar started by a good friend, Surinder Kholi. In these stores, A J Cronin, Robert Ludlum, Edgar Wallace, Irving Wallace and more were targeted. On the subject of book stores, it is sad that this month, May 2021, two legendary founder book sellers, of Bangalore, Shanbaugh of Premier Book Store near M G Road and C S Shah of Sapana Book House succumbed to the current pandemic. I bow my head to them. May their souls rest in peace. I visited Premier Book Store, before or after a cup of coffee at Koshys in close proximity. The books that I picked up matched the style and culture of the day. Biographies of Marx, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevera, Castro and so on. All leftist. Being less than 25 years, it was said, if one is not a communist, one has no heart. And if one is 25 plus, and still a communist, one has no head. It was in Nava Karnataka Book House that I invested on 3 heavy volumes of Works of Lenin. Maybe I opened few pages some time, but later I disposed the books for weight along with old newspapers. No heart, no head? Bringing home Bacon again "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”. To quote Jonathan Swift “Books, like men their authors, have no more than one way of coming into the world, but there are ten thousand to go out of it, and return no more”. During my travels, in India and overseas, I would always pick a book in memory of the place I visited. Like in Durg railway station (Bhilai) it was Wheels by Arthur Hailey. At Stradford upon Avon, it was obviously on the Bard, as in Concorde, Ma it was Emerson’s works. And so on. In late 80s, my wife Usha started promoting World Book Encyclopedia. Along with WB, we got home Childcraft, Young Scientist and Illustrated World of Science. In 1992, we were in Chicago. We visited the World Book office near Sears Towers. We cherish the beautiful Tea Cups presented by the Manager. But of course, I would have preferred books. Some books were read multiple times. I read The Count of Monte Cristoe seven times (1100 plus pages), Sherlock Holmes stories, and of course some Wodehouse books, particularly Right Ho Jeeves repeatedly. We have multiple volumes of some books. Dictionaries, quotation books, Atlases, The Da Vinci Code, and Bhagvad Gita (Lord Krishna would be happy hopefully). Some years back, in Crossword Book Store in Palace Orchards, a gleaming Complete Works of Shakespeare with pictures of original paintings was on offer, Rs 1000( 4000 was the original price). The book Made in China! I could not resist getting it. The heavy book occupies prominent place in our book shelf. In Chennai Central railway station, some time in the year 2005, I picked up “last 200 days of Gandhi” brought out by The Hindu. I gave this to my father. This was the last book he read. He would read by candle light (when there was no power), and didn’t use glasses. He was a master quoter and would reel of Thomas Grey or Goldsmith or Shakespeare and so many others to suit the occasion. As Ben Johnson said of the Bard, for my father any of these writers was “not of an age but for all time”. I also inherited the propensity to quote whenever. So much for Book Shops, Books and Reading! - From Shankar Prasad
Home since 2005! Bookworm and Blossoms truly are the best bookstores in the country.
ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಅವರೇ 🙏💐😍👍
Documentry on legend who is inspiration for many... All the best for future Mr.Krishna
My book heaven! and kudos to Krishna Sir, I have never met such a humble and grounded man to date!
Book Worm is incredible!
Hearing about Krishna, The Bookman of Bengaluru, (TNIE explores), I feel like sharing below what I made out last year about book shops, books and reading
BOOK SHOPS, BOOKS AND READING
16 May was Buddha Jayanthi, also my father’s birthday. Reminiscing some things about him, the first memory that came to mind was his phenomenal love for book shops, books and reading. I inherited the character to some extent. Maybe genetic.
Francis Bacon had written "reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." My father lived up to Bacon for sure, though what Bacon would have said of me I don’t know.
I was in 5th Standard at St Josephs Indian School. Walking on M G Road one day, passing Higginbothams, I saw the bound version of “Robin Hood and his merry men” on display. Returning home, the first thing I told my father was this. The next day he got it for then princely sum of Rs 10. On showing the book to the school principal the next day, I heard him giving a small lecture to students on the importance of reading.
From Higginbothams I got Grims Fairy Tales, Robinson Crusoe and many more that I treasure to this day. There was International Book House on the same road where, over the years I collected bound classics of Dickens, Hardy, the Brontes, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo and others. And, Edgar Rice Burrogh’s Tarzan. Also Sherlock Holmes, 56 short stories and the four novels. And P G Wodehouse books for sure. All this from my pocket money, not to forget the delicious samosa and tea at 25 paise each at Lakeview.
It was in those years that a dignified Bengali gentleman clad in white kurtha and pyjama would come home. Sipping tea, in impeccable English, Mr Chaterjee talked to my father about books. I was entranced by his presentation. He represented Standard Literature Co based in Calcutta. He was promoting encyclopedias and other heavy stuff. Over the years he organized home delivery of Chambers Encyclopedia, Harvard Classics, Library of World’s Great Thinkers and many more, all in multiple volumes. The books, arranged in the teak wood shelves was a sight for the Gods. The home deliveries much before Amazon and Flipkart were even conceived.
In student days, my travel destination included Design Book House in Malleswaram, where I picked many paperbacks in Penguin and Pelican for Rs 2.50 each. Mostly Wodehouse and some Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner stuff.
Then came Bangalore Book Bureau (BBB) in Majestic area that needs special mention. The founder’s eldest son Prasad (my namesake) became a good friend and each time I went ther, we discussed books and books. Over tea. Some time in mid 1983, was the last time I went there. Both the Prasads stepped out for a cup of tea. Returning to the store, I picked up a Henry Denker and went home. That was the last time Prasad saw Prasad. The following week, the 9 storied building crashed resulting in number of fatalities. Two months later, last body among the dead that was found was Prasad’s. later, the family opened a new book store on M G Road, Gangaram Book Bureau which I frequented. Just next to the building, in the basement of Plaza Cinema, was The Book Cellar started by a good friend, Surinder Kholi. In these stores, A J Cronin, Robert Ludlum, Edgar Wallace, Irving Wallace and more were targeted.
On the subject of book stores, it is sad that this month, May 2021, two legendary founder book sellers, of Bangalore, Shanbaugh of Premier Book Store near M G Road and C S Shah of Sapana Book House succumbed to the current pandemic. I bow my head to them. May their souls rest in peace.
I visited Premier Book Store, before or after a cup of coffee at Koshys in close proximity. The books that I picked up matched the style and culture of the day. Biographies of Marx, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevera, Castro and so on. All leftist. Being less than 25 years, it was said, if one is not a communist, one has no heart. And if one is 25 plus, and still a communist, one has no head. It was in Nava Karnataka Book House that I invested on 3 heavy volumes of Works of Lenin. Maybe I opened few pages some time, but later I disposed the books for weight along with old newspapers. No heart, no head? Bringing home Bacon again "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”.
To quote Jonathan Swift “Books, like men their authors, have no more than one way of coming into the world, but there are ten thousand to go out of it, and return no more”.
During my travels, in India and overseas, I would always pick a book in memory of the place I visited. Like in Durg railway station (Bhilai) it was Wheels by Arthur Hailey. At Stradford upon Avon, it was obviously on the Bard, as in Concorde, Ma it was Emerson’s works. And so on. In late 80s, my wife Usha started promoting World Book Encyclopedia. Along with WB, we got home Childcraft, Young Scientist and Illustrated World of Science. In 1992, we were in Chicago. We visited the World Book office near Sears Towers. We cherish the beautiful Tea Cups presented by the Manager. But of course, I would have preferred books.
Some books were read multiple times. I read The Count of Monte Cristoe seven times (1100 plus pages), Sherlock Holmes stories, and of course some Wodehouse books, particularly Right Ho Jeeves repeatedly. We have multiple volumes of some books. Dictionaries, quotation books, Atlases, The Da Vinci Code, and Bhagvad Gita (Lord Krishna would be happy hopefully).
Some years back, in Crossword Book Store in Palace Orchards, a gleaming Complete Works of Shakespeare with pictures of original paintings was on offer, Rs 1000( 4000 was the original price). The book Made in China! I could not resist getting it. The heavy book occupies prominent place in our book shelf.
In Chennai Central railway station, some time in the year 2005, I picked up “last 200 days of Gandhi” brought out by The Hindu. I gave this to my father. This was the last book he read. He would read by candle light (when there was no power), and didn’t use glasses. He was a master quoter and would reel of Thomas Grey or Goldsmith or Shakespeare and so many others to suit the occasion. As Ben Johnson said of the Bard, for my father any of these writers was “not of an age but for all time”. I also inherited the propensity to quote whenever.
So much for Book Shops, Books and Reading! - From Shankar Prasad
Congratulations.
This bookstore has my ❤️
Super 🌟
Incredible!
Great 👍
WOW
Are there any clubs in Bangalore for Book lovers?
📖📚🔊🕝👍🙏🌹♥️