My Favourite Book, Complete English Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 9, 10, 11, 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.

My Favourite Book

Of all the possessions in the world, books are the most valuable especially to those who are lovers of books. Indeed, books contain priceless treasures which friends cannot match; brothers can- not divide and time cannot destroy. I have read a number of books but the book which I liked most is Jawaharlal Nehru’s Autobiography.

I got a copy of the Autobiography as a present on my birth- day last year. There were many other good presents but this book attracted me the most. I remember how I sat up late that night reading the life history of our first Prime Minister. The very first sentence of the book gripped me. I cannot think of a more arresting beginning. How often I repeat to myself this memorable opening: “An only son of prosperous parents is apt to be spoilt, especially so in India. And when that son happens to have been a hope for him to escape this spoiling……” only child for the first eleven years of his existence, there is little

The autobiography is highly interesting. It reads like a novel. Every line has a ring of sincerity. The book is faithful record of two things: the writer’s personality and the growth of India’s freedom movement. It is both an autobiography and a history. I confess, I liked the autobiographical portion more than historical. Per- haps, my mind is not mature enough to value Panditji’s account of India’s struggle for freedom. In the years to come, I hope I shall appreciate this portion of the book more than I do now.

The story of Panditji’s life has left a great impression on my mind. I remember every detail. I could not help bursting into a healthy laugh on reading how Panditji, in his childhood, received a severe beating from his father for stealing a fountain pen. Several incidents of his life in England stand fixed in my memory.

Some portions of the Autobiography are extremely touching. The account of Panditji’s jail life, the death of Pandit Motilal Nehru and the illness of Kamla Nehru brought me to the verge of tears. Panditji usually writes with an Englishman’s reserve. Unlike Gandhiji, he does not narrate many personal details. For instance, he dismisses the story of his marriage in a single sentence: “My marriage took place in 1916 in the city of Delhi.” But in referring to Kamlaji’s illness and his anxiety on her account, he seems to cast aside his usual reserve and writes in a very touching style.

Panditji’s strength of character is revealed throughout the book. He appears in its pages as a penetrating thinker, a man of firm determination, a lover of action and enterprise. Sentiment and weakness of heart do not touch him, though he is a man of strong emotions, likes and dislikes. As the book was written in prison, it shows a certain bitterness against the British rulers who had made Panditji a jail-bird. There is a tragic notion in his reference to prison life, for he evidently believed that he was meant for better things.

Nehru’s Autobiography has won fame all over the world. It has proved to be a best seller and one of the most popular books. It has placed Panditji among the great men and leaders of the century. Numerous complimentary reviews of the book have appeared from time to time. It has been hailed as one of the great autobiographies produced in modern times. Eloquent tributes have been paid to Panditji’s command over English Language.

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