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Sights and Sounds of the World
Account of the author's travel to various parts of the world.
295 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Khushwant Singh
297 books1,443 followersKhushwant Singh, (Punjabi: ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Hindi: खुशवंत सिंह) born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali, Undivided India, (now a part of Pakistan), was a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, was among the most widely-read columns in the country.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 13, 2023
Sights and sounds of the world
Khushwant Singh
Rating - 3.5/5
Often, post reading books of serious nature or one's filled with facts, my mind transitions towards or looks for books which come with comfort. It is then I turn towards few of my favorite authors, whom I know won't disappoint. Khushwant Singh (KS) happens to be one among them.
Being a well read and travelled scholar KS wrote about his travel in the newspaper medium. This book is a compilation of articles which have adorned newspapers back in the 1990's. KS articles mention places in India and abroad. Unlike travelers who take days off to travel or people who employ travel as a profession, KS travels more on invitations to events, conferences, as a part of delegation. May be, except to Kasauli and Goa where he choses to holiday avoiding the heat of the plains or hustle and bustle of the city.
KS is already in his 70's when he travels to these places. So one can expect to be less, the pace of his travel and multitude of places visited, so be the description of his trips.
KS makes it up by writing about people, his interactions with them, natives, migrants, his hosts, travel companions, food, drink, hospitality and much more. Overall an okayish read, I pretty much enjoyed many of the pieces, the writing on Italy/ Germany were a little longer than I anticipated.
The decade was 1990's when travelling or travel marketing as a profession was still in its slumber. Internet was catching up, social media was not yet coined and the readers got to enjoy days of carefree, unadulterated travel experiences (or literature).
The thing which brought a smile on my face was KS visit to London, where he writes he had visited these places 65 years back. Imagine a person having lived long enough to return to places which he traversed during his 20's to re-discover it all again. Just looking at the longevity of this man and how fortunate he has been in terms of health and his abilities to recollect years gone by - just brought on my face - a wide worthy smile (of unhidden and abundant respect).
Cheers!
Khushwant Singh
Rating - 3.5/5
Often, post reading books of serious nature or one's filled with facts, my mind transitions towards or looks for books which come with comfort. It is then I turn towards few of my favorite authors, whom I know won't disappoint. Khushwant Singh (KS) happens to be one among them.
Being a well read and travelled scholar KS wrote about his travel in the newspaper medium. This book is a compilation of articles which have adorned newspapers back in the 1990's. KS articles mention places in India and abroad. Unlike travelers who take days off to travel or people who employ travel as a profession, KS travels more on invitations to events, conferences, as a part of delegation. May be, except to Kasauli and Goa where he choses to holiday avoiding the heat of the plains or hustle and bustle of the city.
KS is already in his 70's when he travels to these places. So one can expect to be less, the pace of his travel and multitude of places visited, so be the description of his trips.
KS makes it up by writing about people, his interactions with them, natives, migrants, his hosts, travel companions, food, drink, hospitality and much more. Overall an okayish read, I pretty much enjoyed many of the pieces, the writing on Italy/ Germany were a little longer than I anticipated.
The decade was 1990's when travelling or travel marketing as a profession was still in its slumber. Internet was catching up, social media was not yet coined and the readers got to enjoy days of carefree, unadulterated travel experiences (or literature).
The thing which brought a smile on my face was KS visit to London, where he writes he had visited these places 65 years back. Imagine a person having lived long enough to return to places which he traversed during his 20's to re-discover it all again. Just looking at the longevity of this man and how fortunate he has been in terms of health and his abilities to recollect years gone by - just brought on my face - a wide worthy smile (of unhidden and abundant respect).
Cheers!
July 27, 2015
Sights and Sounds of the World is a Khushwant Singh travelogue that has the charm of his writing. It adds to my knowledge of the places he visits and talks about, as I have not been there, and I do not know if I ever will be. The book brings the beauty of nature to the front, and as such, I have no doubt that it would appeal to one who loves to travel. As such, it did not quite appeal to me.
May 23, 2017
Short snippets of travel experiences at a some places/cities around the world and India. And the stories are written way back in the 1990's. It gives a little information about the places as a first hand experience but it is by no means a compelling book unless one wants to start off getting to know places as with a blink of an eye.
July 31, 2019
A brief travelogue of some of the places he has visited in his later years. The reader must note that he was not meant to go vacationing to these places but was on some sponsored literary mission, hence the write up covers a lot about them as well. Overall a good light read. I particularly liked his writing about the places in MP and some lesser known places in Europe and New Zealand.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews