hullo!
this is Dhiren Shingadia's blog about stuff that makes him tick.
i'm numetrick83 on twitter and everything else can be found on my home page.
-
subscribe
recent komments
- William on Artisans in business
- tom on Not so velvety
- Charles Frith on Still won’t go to London Fields
- Keyla on Be nice or leave
- Erin O'Riordan on You can’t please them all
- Dhiren on If This Is Man by Primo Levi
- WilliamC on If This Is Man by Primo Levi
- Doug on Foer on factory farming
- Shirley on Blades
- Charles on Foer on factory farming
- Charles Frith on Kafka on animals
- Dhiren on Staccato
- tom miskin on Staccato
- James on Thinking: Big Mouth
- Dhiren on Thinking: sleep on it
kalendar
February 2012 M T W T F S S « Jan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Author Archives: Dhiren
All hail Franzen
Freedom is by far one of the best books I’ve read over the last eighteen months. In fact, outside of 1984, I don’t think my brain’s recently devoured anything as influential in any way, shape or form. Frazen’s complex plot alludes to a deep understanding of American politics, political history, and the archetypal characters which [...]
Virtues of getting lost
This weekend I took my bike out for a second run through the single track tails of Swinley Forest. Swinley has some of the best single track in the UK and it’s become a place of pilgrimage for XC/MTB riders. Compared to some of the well versed regulars, I’m a novice at best. Seeing lines, [...]
Still won’t go to London Fields
This was the first Amis novel I dared to pick up. From the outset, before reading the introductory chapters, I deemed the book to be pretentious and this was partly due to the circles from which its recommendation came, and partly because of what I had read about the author. After reading about his life [...]
The path of a Doer by David Hieatt
I was considering the ‘doers’ I admire in anticipation for the release of The path of a Doer: a set of values, beliefs and reasons for being a doer. What’s the definition of a doer? It’s very contentious question, which undoubtedly has many subjective answers. In my book, Ernst Hemingway, Arundhati Roy and Ben Hammersley [...]
Wheelies
I live in Berkshire. We have hills, gravel, random bridges — and smashed glass on the pavements if you live in a slightly shitty area, like I do. My day-to-day bike is a reconditioned, eight-year-old Kona Blast. I rotate between slicks and chunky tyres; slicks for when I’m coming into London. It’s a great all [...]
You can’t please them all
There are few books that I can genuinely relate to, but this book had me cringing on numerous occasions because I have also, many years ago, worn the same clothes, listened to the same music and even uttered the same West London nonsense as Amit or Mitt Dogg: the protagonist. Reading Shukla’s Coconut Unlimited was [...]
If This Is Man by Primo Levi
Finishing this book took somewhat longer than I expected; however, the history lesson deserved the time invested. Levi’s autobiographical account of the holocaust uncovers nightmares excluded from any school curriculum. By profession Levi was a chemist and his scientific foundations deliver literary clarity and a story told without ambition or pretence. Clear prose intertwined with [...]
So true. Recent events and people in my family have made me consider growing up, being a bit more responsible and, comparatively, less pretentious. Life wouldn’t be worth living if I did all that. Yes, I’m still getting a tattoo. (via Charles)
Posted in thinking Leave a comment
The Americans by Robert Frank
After weeks of nervous waiting, my copy of The Americans was – tumultuously – shoved through my letterbox; however, due to impromptu happenings, it was immediately buried under a stack of books, which also require due diligence. My procrastination wasn’t an act of nonchalant laziness: it was fueled by recognition because good photo documentaries, like [...]
Posted in Books, Photography Leave a comment
Thinking about Marx