This is the time when the babus society of Calcutta is engrossed in sura, women and bulbuli-luxuries, when the newly educated youths are drunk on English-imitation, the village is deprived of the people and the cultural practices, social and religious reforms are going on, the young Vidyasagar wakes up at night and composes Bengali prose by the light of castor oil. The middle class is waking up, this is the time-yes, a special time is the protagonist of Sunil Gangopadhyay's acclaimed novel. He himself said while writing about A-novel — “The background of my story is 1840 to 1870 AD. And the main hero of this story is time.” Wrote, “To bring time to life in flesh and blood must take on at least a symbolic character. Navinkumar is a symbol of that time. The contrasts of events in his life, from his birth story, to the apparition of his mother in an unknown young woman at the end, and to his strange death, are all continuations of that symbolism, which I hope need not be elaborated upon here. All that is necessary is that Navinkumar's character has some resemblance to an untimely-dead remarkable historical youth. I have not changed the names or biographies of any other famous man...” Indeed. Just as the name and identity of Patrapatri is given at the beginning of the play, similarly, if the names of Navinkumar's contemporary characters were given at the beginning of this hugely colorful novel, the list would have seemed surprising indeed. Michael, Vidyasagar, DeRozio, Hare Saheb, Deven Thakur — none. The entire nineteenth century is alive in front of the eyes as di... See more
This is the time when the babus society of Calcutta is engrossed in sura, women and bulbuli-luxuries, when the newly educated youths are drunk on English-imitation, the village is deprived of the people and the cultural practices, social and religious reforms are going on, the young Vidyasagar wakes up at night and composes Bengali prose by the light of castor oil. The middle class is waking up, this is the time-yes, a special time is the protagonist of Sunil Gangopadhyay's acclaimed novel. He himself said while writing about A-novel — “The background of my story is 1840 to 1870 AD. And the main hero of this story is time.” Wrote, “To bring time to life in flesh and blood must take on at least a symbolic character. Navinkumar is a symbol of that time. The contrasts of events in his life, from his birth story, to the apparition of his mother in an unknown young woman at the end, and to his strange death, are all continuations of that symbolism, which I hope need not be elaborated upon here. All that is necessary is that Navinkumar's character has some resemblance to an untimely-dead remarkable historical youth. I have not changed the names or biographies of any other famous man...” Indeed. Just as the name and identity of Patrapatri is given at the beginning of the play, similarly, if the names of Navinkumar's contemporary characters were given at the beginning of this hugely colorful novel, the list would have seemed surprising indeed. Michael, Vidyasagar, DeRozio, Hare Saheb, Deven Thakur — none. The entire nineteenth century is alive in front of the eyes as different characters. The only difference is that there is life in the work of the researcher, Sunil Gangopadhyay has established that life. A living film of a turbulent time 'Sei Saham'. This Raj Sanskaran has been published in a completely new form bringing together the two volumes of this Bankim and Akademi Award-winning book. This is a joyous tribute in keeping with the great esteem and enduring value of th
