Customer Reviews

Selected Stories

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Parashuram (Pseudonym of Rajshekhar Bose, 1956 Padma Bhushan awardee) is indisputably considered as the best satirist of Bengali literature. In fact, he excelled in each and every role played in life-- be it as a student, a chemist, a lexicographer or a satirist. It is no wonder that such a myriad-pronged talent is rare among Indians of all times. His Bengali dictionary entitled "Chalantika" has attained a classic status and (arguably) the most influential Bengali dictionary ever compiled. It is really a good opportunity to read his stories in translation. I, in fact, read this anthology back in Bangladesh first and it really charmed me. Still when I reread it in the USA for the second time it kept me spellbound as before. The translators (Sukanta Chaudhuri and Palash Baran Pal: interestingly the latter is my namesake!) really did a superb job. It is no easy task to translate all the nuances and twists of his inimitable sense of humor and his characteristic ways of exposing hypocrisy, that has earned him a cult status. It is this complex task that the translators accomplished so laudably. But it is not only satire and twist of the stories selected in this collection, the wide spectrum of subjects set perhaps in a chronological order deserves acclaim. I also read two of Parashuram's story in another anthology entitled "Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature" by Amit Chaudhuri. If my memory does not faulter, the translated titles were "The Blue Star" and "The Jackal-Faced Tongue"-- a translation rendered by Ketaki Kushari Dyson (quite a well known translator and writer in both West Bengal and Bangladesh). Those were also fascinating. The translators could also incorporate those stories in their translation. For the satire-lovers this tome is a must read.