Customer Reviews

It Does Not Die: A Romance

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First of all, this book makes a lot more sense if you also read Mircea Eliade's "Maitreyi"...

"It does not die" reveals not only a Bengali woman's views on love, marriage and life, but also the relationship between a writer and its subject. For the sensual, tragic Maitreyi from Eliade's novel reveals herself as a woman with her feet down to earth and a lot of common sense. I was charmed by her serenity and tenacity.

We don't get to hear "the other side of a story" too often. This is one of the rare instances where we can meet both the literary heroine (from Eliade's novel) and the real woman, with her personality so different from what we might have expected. I could go on talking about inspiration and influences, about social norms and the ideas of "exotic beauty", but I will let you enjoy the book :)

As a Bengali reader of the novel "Na Hanyate" (It Does Not Die) by Maitreyi Devi, I've got charmed with the true essence of not the story only, but the language it was written in also. To tell about the literary value, I have to tell the fluency and the story-telling style of the novel. As was associated with the family of Rabindranath Tagore, 'Ru', as the writer called herself in the novel knew how to write such a story in a descent and controlled way. The story about the love of Mircea Eliade & Maitreyi had flourished secretly quite unknowingly to her parents, who were very conservative and respected persons in the early-20th century Bengali soceity. If anybody knows the true history of that society, he can easily understand how much 'unlawful' it was to make love and then to marry in those days, even if they were Bramha in religion (which was well-known as the religion of those educated in Western culture & believed to be beyond all kinds of conservativeness). So unfortunately the affair had been public & Mircea, who was in their house as a helper to her father's work and stayed with so-called good will had been thrown away. Now starts the tragedy. Maitreyi got consolation from Tagore and then got married to another goody guy. She was happily living in her marital life. But after publishing of 'Bengal Nights', by Mircea, Ru went to him and chraged him for exploting their relation. Ru then felt that their love would not die. All the stars of night are in the depth of sunshine.

I think as a chracter Ru has not correctly portrayed Mircea. What disturbed her later, was a madly work of Mircea, according to Ru. But the feelings of them are really touching to one's heart. Sometimes Ru seems to be selfish and cruel, the reader can get an easy sympathy for Mircea. But still a very good readable book indeed. Quite unforgettable affair with tragic end, one of so many in today's world even.

As a graduate student at the University of Chicago in the early 1970's, I was assigned to shepherd visiting scholar Maitreyi Devi around during her visit there to speak on Tagore (Rabi Thakur). She requested that I take her to Mircea Eliade's Mead Theological Seminary office. What happened in Eliade's office was a bit puzzling. But several days later a Bengali faculty member told me about Eliade's book and their earlier love.
I've been telling that story for thirty years. This spring I told it to another Bengali scholar at a cocktail party in Canada. He was stunned. He said, "You are in her book!" I bought the second book, and I am in it. The incident is the last chapter of "It Does Not Die" - I am the Shirley in the story.
Now I have an even better story to tell.

It's a nice reading, but don't expect a clear answer with regards to their love, even thou I did not finish the book yet. It looks as if Mrs. Devi loved so much Eliade. Here you can see how pure love is destroyed buy social and cultural norms. You see differences between societies (Romanian and Indian). Kind of a sad story. She doesn't present the love story as HOT as Eliade did in his book. Her version is more centered on the Indian society rather than their infinite love. In my humble opinion they just ... well, who am I to judge their love. But all I can say it looks pure (?)
Some of it cannot be understood by most people, since is so deep. I think it would help to read Mircea Eliade's story first, since Devi's story is an answer after ~40 years, when she found out that Eliade wrote about their love. Enjoy it.

This is a great book. I couldn't put it down and believe it or not I read it twice back to back. A wonderful depiction of the lifestyle.