Thursday, July 9, 2009

Of fevers, colds and coughs

Fever is no fun when you have to swallow a pill, pull yourself out of bed and exert your unwilling body. Fever becomes downright delightful when you have the luxury of lying back on your warm bed, cover yourself up to your chin, have a few favourite books on your bedside, hot water, coffee and warm soup at your bidding. Then Fever... is Ecstasy!

As can be guessed from the above observation, I was down yesterday, even though it was not a completely delightful bout of fever, I did manage to have a relaxing day, with King Solomon's Mines to keep me company. A hundred years old, the book still arouses the adventurer in one.

I sincerely doubt if anyone in Bangalore survived this June without sniffing or sneezing at least for a week (in my case, three weeks). Everyone in my circle has had a course of one of these, and is either in its grips still, or has just started recovering. And this, despite the fact that Monsoon has failed this month.

That is the news from this part of the world; what's cooking in yours?

6 comments:

  1. Someone who has read the book! You can tell me! In the movie, they infuriate every native between the Big City and the Secret Location, plus destroy at least one critical bridge, but, after they finally get to their goal, the next scene is set back in the Big City. Does the book explain how they got back through all those furious natives and missing bridges?? (Have I been overthinking this issue?)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Give me a day or two... Haven't finished it yet - maybe one more day's fever would help. The last time I read it was years ago that I don't remember anything.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been trying so hard not to catch anything. People are coughing and not covering their mouths...gross. Visiting via Netchick. You have an intelligent, well-spoken way of writing....just wanted to let you know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks a lot, TBB. Glad to have you here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ok! Mike, here is your answer (at least as per the book. No clue about the film)
    The treasure hunters engage in a war between the natives to unseat the evil traitor king and place the lawful king on the throne. Once that is over, they proceed to the mines, get hold of diamonds, come back to the natives, bid them farewell and return. No issues here :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't think that plotline ever made it through the Hollywood sausage machine! H. Rider probably thought it through a little more than the filmmakers. I covered an appearance by Jodi Picoult, whose book "My Sister's Keeper," has just been turned into a major motion picture. She told her fans to enjoy the movie but then to close their eyes for the last 20 minutes because of the changes.

    ReplyDelete