Thoughts on Literature in Random Order… because I cannot stop talking about it!

I have often said that literature offers us a multitude of perspectives through which to observe human life. The more time and effort I devote to studying literature, the more I realise the unfathomable depths it contains. Recently, once again giving in to my weakness, I turned the pages of Wilson Knight’s The Wheel of Fire. I could seldom be exact about how many times I might have read this book in my life! However, one thing remains certain – no matter how many times I read this book, new perspectives always emerge. Knight’s concept of examining Shakespeare’s tragedies as an organic whole always fascinated me as a student of literature, especially during my MA. However, this impulsive reading, after teaching BA and MA students for 4 years, brought me face-to-face with fresher perspectives. Moreover, re-examining literature often opens our eyes to interpretations and observations hidden hitherto. Wilson Knight’s act of reconsidering Hamlet and supplementing his earlier essay on Shakespeare’s great dramatic achievement is a very good example of this. I hope we all agree that examination, re-examination, observation and re-observation, evaluation and re-evaluation of literature are always productive in more ways than we can imagine. Especially for critics and those who desire to use literature as a conduit to connect with the extraordinary and tap into the above-ordinary potential of human intellect, constant engagement with literature is highly recommended.

Any great work of literature becomes successful because it can create intertwined layers of disturbance – inside the characters and outside in the atmosphere. Consequently, we don’t only enjoy the visual spectacle, but also the internal chaos that shapes itself in the form of pity, fear, hatred, affection and more.

If you can read a book twice, from the first to the last page, and still find reasons to appreciate it and be struck by its qualities, these are the books wise men said are our friends for life. You can keep reading such books as many times as you want!

Remove deaths from Shakespearean tragedies, and they might fall flat. Death, if you observe, comes as a triumph in Shakespeare’s great tragedies. Lear, Othello, Hamlet, and Macbeth, including many others, become complete by dying!

A good novel cannot exist without heartbreak!

Life is like a work of literature. As long as you are good at having conversations, you may keep winning in life. Once you lose that charm, you become obsolete, like the characters who fade away as the plot moves forward.

Reading good literature might make you a cynic!

The more you read, the sooner you realise that every romantic relationship is based on the philosophy of transaction.

We may debate their techniques and writing style, but every great writer is searching for truth.

Dr Alok Mishra

Sunday, August 30, 2026