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The Old Man and His God by Sudha Murty

Non-fiction

by  |  on January 7th, 2012  |  14 comments

What do a slab in a little village in Karnataka and a teacher have in common? How can a highly qualified working woman be jealous of her domestic help living in a small slum? Is blood relationship the only guarantee for a lifelong bond?

Answering several questions with her anecdotes, Sudha Murty’s The Old Man and His God is a collection of 25 stories.  The stories itself are so strong that even without a great narrative style, the book leaves a indelible mark on your mind.
Simple and lucid, the twenty stories are incidents and stories that Sudha Murty experiences in her journey through the length and breadth of the country.  Sudha Murty is the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. She also teaches Computer Science to post graduate students.
My favourite stories are the Horregallu. The story is set in a village in Karnataka. Horregallu means “a stone that can bear weight.” And, Sudha Murty narrates how her grandfather used to sit on the Horregallu and speak to farmers who are on their way to the city carrying the burden of their produce.  Speaking to them and then going on their work, would be a refreshing experience. She then tells that at her workplace, a teacher does a similar job. She just listens and advices accordingly.
An excerpt of the same story:
Perhaps in their own small ways, without access to great wealth, both these people were doing some tremendous social work. No one thought of acknowledging their work, or rewarding them for it, but they continues to do, as these small acts of kindness gave them joy.
The story  reminded me of several listeners in my life who do it compassionately. And, it does take a lot of patience and commitment to be interested in others problems, while you have your own. So, when you read this story, do think of the listeners in your life and acknowledge them in your own little way.
The 131-paged book can be rated a comfortable 3.5/5. Do read it for the powerful experiences and the invaluable lessons that the author gift wrapped in this book. Each story is about four pages long so one can comfortably munch on it between work or busy hours for motivation.
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Comments (14)

  1. Vishal Kale Sunday - 08 / 01 / 2012 Reply
    >Sounds great... Shall pick it up. Thanks for the review
    Regards,

    Vishal V. Kale
    http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.com/
  2. Vibha Tuesday - 10 / 01 / 2012 Reply
    >I like all the books written by Sudha Murthy. Very simple narration of commonly confronted situations. All very inspiring.
  3. Reshma Sunday - 03 / 06 / 2012 Reply
    Hey there, I belong to a book group where we read a book and bring out questions and discuss, si have chosen sudha murtys book: The old man and his god". Please help me with a few questions on the book to discuss. Awaiting. Thank you.
  4. pranshul Friday - 08 / 06 / 2012 Reply
    i got nothing whatever i search about her stories but she writes like a best writter
  5. Mansi Trivedi Friday - 08 / 06 / 2012 Reply
    i got nothing whatever i search about her stories but she writes like a best writter
  6. sayali Monday - 17 / 09 / 2012 Reply
    its a gr8 book simple and easy language its just thoughtfull
  7. siddhi pawar Wednesday - 24 / 10 / 2012 Reply
    the best writer after shakesphere.I searched in the library for the books and had no choice in reading the same books.the books of sudha murty gave the hobby of reading books.I is just fabulous.
  8. ashwini Monday - 03 / 12 / 2012 Reply
    i love this book very much . I like her thoughts of writting.
    • pappu Tuesday - 29 / 01 / 2013 Reply
      gty
  9. pappu Tuesday - 29 / 01 / 2013 Reply
    i think this story traditional and lovely
  10. ANJU Sunday - 03 / 02 / 2013 Reply
    I LIKE LANGUAGE VERY MUCH ........
  11. nikitha Thursday - 02 / 05 / 2013 Reply
    i like this book every much
  12. aakash Saturday - 18 / 05 / 2013 Reply
    she is really a fab writer ilove her wordings
  13. gagan Wednesday - 22 / 05 / 2013 Reply
    it so good

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