Book of the week: Buddha by Osamu Tezuka
Buddha is an eight volume long English graphic novel. It is sold in a 12 volumes set in Japanese language. Buddha by Tezuka is read by more than twenty million people around the globe in various languages. Young and old read graphic novels worldwide more and more these days. This style of writing a novel is also called manga by Japanese. Manga, though developed in 19th century, became increasingly popular in 90s.
Graphic novels are different from comics. One can say graphic novels are novels presented in the style of comics. Here, Buddha is a full-length novel in a comic style, but it is called graphic novel. It is also called as Japanese manga. Some graphic novels are drawn in colour, but manga is done in black and white. Eight volumes of Buddha runs to around 3200 pages in black and white. So Buddha falls in the genre of both graphic novel and manga. Buddha is not exclusively either for the children or the elderly. It touches everybody’s heart.
The first volume ‘Kapilavastu’, starts with a chapter brahmin. It says “At the foot of the great Himalayas, the roof of the world whence the Indus River originates, there lived a people known as the aryans some 3500 years ago.” This volume also speaks of Buddha’s birth and the prophecy of Master Asita about the greatness of that little kid when grows up. One by one each volume takes the reader through the Buddha as if they are deep in a dream until one reaches the eighth one, where he walks away from this world. Some exceptional drawings of Osamu Tezuka speaks volumes than his writings.
Osamu (1928 - 1989) is known as the father, and at times god father, of Japanese manga. By training he was physician, but he quit the practicing medicine and turned to manga. He popularised this style of graphic novels all over the world. Some people call him Walt Disney of Japan. One of the most popular creation is Astroboy. He admits and says there is nothing wrong in adopting concepts from different cultures. Receptive culture develops faster, he adds. He has written 700 manga titles and a whopping 150000 pages.
This graphic novel is beautiful both in content and production. The whole set is designed by one of the best book designer of the world, Chip Kidd. Anybody sees this set in a case would struggle not to buy it. Once you have it on your home library you would read it over and again, because it is a visual treat. Harpercollins published this work of Osamu Tezuka. It costs around INR 4000.
Auswaf Ahsan
otherbooks@post.com
WhatsApp +918089821521
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
FIR against official X handle of BJP Karnataka over post allegedly promoting hatred and enmity: EC
Bengaluru: An FIR was registered on Wednesday over a social media post by the BJP’s official handle which allegedly sought to promote hatred and enmity between different groups and classes, Election Commission (EC) officials said.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer stated that the FIR has been lodged by the Flying Squads Team of Malleswaram Assembly constituency against the post on 'X' on April 23 titled “Congress Manifesto or Muslim League Manifesto".
“The FIR under sections 125 of the Representation of the People Act and 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code is booked on April 24 for promoting hatred and enmity between different groups and classes of citizens,” the post said.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases in Karnataka – on April 26 and May 7.
A FIR has been lodged by the FST team of Malleswaram Assembly Constituency against a tweet posted in X by BJP's Official handle on 23.04.2024 titled "Congress Manifesto or Muslim League Manifesto" at Malleswaram Police Station.
— Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka (@ceo_karnataka) April 24, 2024
Congress Manifesto or Muslim League Manifesto?
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 23, 2024
🟢 Hijab Enforcement in Educational Institutions.
🟢 Wealth Distribution to Muslims.
🟢 Special Reservations to Muslims.
🟢 Freedom to Practice Personal Laws.
🟢 Muslims to be Directly Appointed as Judges.
🟢 Mandate to Public &… pic.twitter.com/jMKpltBUmg
