{
  "id": 16427694,
  "title": "She reads, therefore she is: Writer-journalist Shanta Gokhale on her memoir",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/she-reads-therefore-she-is-writer-journalist-shanta-gokhale-on-her",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T04:05:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/shanta-gokhale-memoir-of-ancestors-and-friends-a-life-with-books-10935774/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shanta Gokhale's memoir, \"Of Ancestors and Friends: A Life with Books,\" is not a typical autobiography. Instead of focusing on the events of her life, the book is structured around the books she has read and loved over the course of nearly eight decades. This memoir is a unique blend of autobiography and literary criticism, offering a glimpse into the life of a writer, translator, and theatre critic through her extensive reading.\n\nGokhale's love for reading began early, with her father, a journalist, accumulating a vast collection of books that shaped her literary tastes. From Dostoevsky and George Orwell to John Steinbeck and JD Salinger, her father's book collection laid the foundation for Gokhale's own literary journey. However, when she moved to Bristol for her studies, she discovered a stark difference in the reading environment. The hushed libraries of Bristol contrasted with the bustling noise of Bombay and the books she had brought home from her father.\n\nGokhale's reading preferences evolved as she transitioned from Bombay to Bristol. In Bristol, she made books her primary expenditure, valuing second-hand books for their smell and the marks left by previous owners. She even pondered the ethics of borrowing books without asking, alluding to Walter Benjamin's Unpacking My Library (1931). Gokhale's anecdotes, therefore, reveal a history of book circulation through inheritance, transport, institutional restriction, resale, marginalia, and informal lending.\n\nOne of the most intriguing aspects of Gokhale's memoir is her approach to rereading. She has read Camus's The Outsider (1942) three times, the first time at 19 and again at 50, three years after her mother's death. This habit allowed her to find new meanings in the same book, changing as she grew older. Rereading is central to her reading life, indicating that the books she cherishes are not just sources of information but also sources of emotional and intellectual growth.\n\nGokhale's readings span multiple languages, including Marathi, English, and Hindi, reflecting her bilingual background. Her reflections on translation highlight its importance in her reading journey. She views translation as the most exacting form of reading, where the translator not only conveys the meaning of a text but also answers for it in another language.\n\nThe memoir also delves into the role of books in shaping individual and collective identity. Gokhale's relationship with books is deeply intertwined with her experiences of growing up in a multilingual household. She questions why some books, like Middlemarch by George Eliot, continue to captivate her, while others, like the works of AJ Cronin and John Galsworthy, leave no lasting impression. This introspection reveals the profound impact of literature on one's identity and worldview.\n\nGokhale's memoir is a testament to the power of books in shaping lives. It is a rich tapestry of anecdotes, reflections, and insights that offer a unique perspective on the role of literature in personal and societal contexts. Through her love for reading, Gokhale reveals how books have been a constant companion, a source of comfort, and a catalyst for intellectual and emotional growth.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Shanta Gokhale's memoir focuses on books she read, not her life events.",
    "Her father's extensive book collection shaped her literary tastes.",
    "Gokhale values second-hand books for their smell and marks."
  ],
  "editors_take": "By structuring her life through a literary lens, Gokhale transforms the traditional autobiography into a study of how reading and translation shape an individual's evolving identity and worldview.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}