Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Madness

I am yet to get my hands on Harry's latest tryst with destiny which is his final one and I do know how its gonna end. And I am NOT complaining and neither did I have this irresistible urge to know whether he dies or lives. I like Rowling's characters a lot. Its one of the best books written in some time, thanks to her this dying art has received some interest.

But what's the fuss?

It is phenomenal - this utter madness, utter fanaticism about its launch. Even, 20th century's most celebrated writer Salman Rushdie never faced such mass hsyteria. Neither did Stephen King or Michael Crichton, whose movie rights are sold even before they have penned one single line of their next bestseller. And I am not even bringing Tagore and William into this.

The funny part is that it cuts across the colour of skin, across media, across spectrums, across everything. And more often than not, the repurcussions are negative than positive. Consider the following cases:

1. Diana's death
A woman who has nothing to show for, except her multi-billion dollar boyfriends, whose only claim to fame was that she loved children (show me one lady who does not!) and who had nothing to do with any 'common man' dies while trying to flee with her companion. And the entire bastion of modern civilization comes to a standstill with all whos-who attending the farewell. Never before have we seen such useless, brazen show of wealth and irrationality and maybe hypocrisy?

2. Rajkumar dies
Karnataka's best actor ever died - of perfectly natural causes. Shops were looted, businesses forced to shut down, scuffles with policemen for a glimpse of the dead body - total mayhem for a week in a city which is the face of a resurgent India. Professionally he might have been excellent and his death to be definitely mourned because of his unparalleled contribution to Kannada films, but are we so naive as not to separate a screen image of an actor with his personal life?

3. MGR's death
24 people committed suicide because he died. Our obsession of portraying ordinary mortals as our messiah of hope, of catapulting them to altars destined for the supreme has gone to such a level that the casualty has been the most basic ability of humans. To think.

4. Harry Potter's (death)
People stood in queues for three days to get their first copy! One of my friend, who is a Potter-fan, said "Its a part of growing up!". It is perfectly fine to be inquisitive about the book but 'what' 'growing up' ? Growing up essentially implies an ability to separate propaganda from facts, to look at things rationally as the way they are, to channelize impulse on things which are of some value.

I, of course, understand your basic right of attributing value according to your own choices in life but I cannot understand you attributing it to your inquisitiveness getting the better of you for a character which is fictitious, in a world which is fictitious and something that would only let you know what happens to him and which would have no consequence on anybody's life after you have turned the last page.

Isn't that a trifle ridiculous?

To quote a professor of mine, "A book is a book is a book!" Nothing more, nothing less. And one more "Get a grip!"

7 comments:

SRK said...

when i die, i want the stock market to crash... so tht my boss weeps over tht atleast :))

Stambhit said...

I am not sure abt A to Z of tht Harry Potter.. I am probably one of those rarest of useless elements who have never shown the urge to go through the pages of Rowling's creation. Did I miss a lot? Seeing the hype and hulla surronding the book I would love to think so.

Why only names which have been posted here? Guess what would happen when AB dies, when SRK (not our own dear, for him if mgr cries it wud b a history :D)dies, or for that matter if suddenly Himesh dies.

But, on the other hand look at some of the recent deaths. Satyajit Ray, Naushad, Madan mohan. The hype is created intentionally, to survive the marketing bust. At least I think so.
I was amazed at seeing the movie "The Queen" and really felt for the old lady.

When popularity transcends the boundary of rationality, then my dear friend, even a book becomes more powerful than atom bomb.

spiderman! said...

SRK:

I believe the stockmarket crash and your death would be two independent events ? If not, either ways, you have made it real BIG in life !

Stam:

"When mass hysteria or fanaticism transcends rationality" - you mean right ? Since you have been privileged enough to read Ray, I can assure you that you have not really missed anything. Shonku is still the best I have read !

And yes, The Queen is sexy ! of course metaphorically !

liveyourdreams said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
liveyourdreams said...

The world being ephemeral, nothing really is worth waiting/celebrating/missing. But we do need to create diversions out of the mundane and each one of us have the right to select our diversions personally. Elites like you and Stam need high class diversions. Masses like us need another kind. And we outnumber you elites (naturally as you are on the top of pyramid, so you are fewer than us). In the end, does it matter what we celebrate or wait for or die for!!! - Pd

spiderman! said...

Pd:

I am a rationalist and if that means being elitist, then so be it !

I completely agree with your point about diversions. But diversions should remain diversions and not become the focus. If that were to happen, then we would have lost something very precious - perspective.

For your last statement - Doesn't it? Remember, our discussion about "purpose in life"?

Waise tumhara purpose in life abhi bhi hain na ? ;))

Anonymous said...

have u read harry potter...if u have and not liked it ..then fine ur opinion..

but if u have nt read it..then do..for the first time here was a hero who absolutely did not want to be one..who so badly wanted to hide and blend into the background..can not handle fame..unsure with babes is not the most handsome..goodlooking or bravest person..ull love him..

but again the book is no where near about harry.. he is but a tool..it is about great characters like Albus dumbledore, sev snape..weasly twins..sirius..hermione..neville longbottom..so many people who were part of my life for 9 years..

she has to write another one...please.. i gues we ll compel her too..wasnt the hobbit written after LOTR

Tushar Cherian