Tharoorosaurus by Shashi Tharoor

I wrapped up my third book this year and I am already so proud of myself. But to be fair, this was a shorter book as compared to the ones I usually read. Nevertheless, it was not the book to be read semi-consciously. Why? The name of the author should be clue enough to why. The book is Tharoorosaurus by none other than Shashi Tharoor, the author whose every sentence has to be read twice to grasp what he is saying.

Fortunately for me, it was not a book to read in one go since it basically picks up 53 heavy-weight words and explains their etymology, origins and various anecdotes related to those words. So, there need not be any continuity in reading, which meant that it was a perfect book to be read while dealing with the stress of your teenager's final exams and the hectic work routine.

To start with most words chosen by the author, in consistency with his public image, were long tongue twisters which were more often than not unheard of before. Yet, not all words were unknown to me. Out of 53, I knew about 22-23 words already (not their origins but their meanings) and have been using them regularly. As for the other, even though it was interesting to read about them, I doubt whether I would ever remember them and use them ever. Well, maybe a couple but definitely not most.

The anecdotes and stories backing the words were interesting; although I have to admit that the political references - laced with direct attacks on Modi / BJP and spiked with self-praises - were annoying. Nevertheless, all-in-all it was a fun read.

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