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Siblings ,glycerine and Tess of D'urbevilles.

Saw the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel 'Tess of Durbevilles'.Left me with a  very 

heavy heart. I had to talk myself into reminding me that it is just a figment of Thomas Hardy's 

invention.Tess never existed or did she?I googled the name to see if I could do find something and 

the wikipedia writes ' Tess as a personification of nature — lovely, fecund, and exploitable',' "Hardy's feelings 

for Tess were strong, perhaps stronger than for any of his other invented personages"....

It took me back into those times in my life when I got introduced to Tess and many such charecters in a 

different world altogether.In my night pajamas,with my pink toes sticking out in the cold winter,licking 

the sweet glycerine which was applied by my mom all over my face and lips I would stand before my 

older siblings waiting for a book to read.Invariably it would be my older sister who would pick out a 

book for me ...those were the days when we had just outgrown our Enid Blytons and Nancy 

Drews...always thought Hardy Boys were for the boys and never touched them.I read all the 

classics...abridged version...fuller versions...wurthering heights,little women,great expectations,david 

copperfield,pride and prejudice,till we have faces,the lion ,the witch and the wardrobe,to kill a 

mocking bird,the spanish gardener,Jane Eyre,The fall,The keys of the kingdom,.,Lorna Doone...Anna 

Karriena,..Mother...War and Peace....and it went on....when my sister was away my brother introduced 

me to Louis Lamour ......PG Woodehouse...

I devoured all of them with a sense of detatchment.....I cried ,I laughed,I participated in their ups and 

down but I never related it with the actual world .In my innocent world it never quite hit me that it was 

actually life.Now with the years ,I see everything and read everything with a different eye.

I even pray before I choose a book....that it will be' the book' in the midst of all the trash that actually is 

life.

I thank God for my siblings...they brought so much of richness into my life.....I thank God that I can pray 

before I pick out a book...it invariably is always just the book I need.




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