Please don’t scream at me finding a review on 10 Best Authors under the 5 Best Books classification. I have already written a review on the top ten authors but had promised that I would write on my favourite Bengali authors. And hence the following review. I hope you don’t mind.
Bengal has always produced authors of international class. It is indeed very difficult to streamline 10 of my favourite authors simply because since my early childhood days I have been a voracious reader of anything and everything published in Bengali.
Following is a brief note on my pick of Bengali authors(I will write the review in two parts. The first part contains notes on five authors. If you enjoy reading it, I will write the second installment of the other five):
Rabindranath Tagore: Can you dare to leave him out from the list. He is a titanic figure and reminds one of Victor Hugo in his efforts to write something truly memorable in almost all the genres of literature. His works include:(take a deep breath and read it)
over one thousand poems; nearly two dozen plays and play-lets; eight novels; eight or more volumes of short stories; more than two thousands songs(he wrote both the words and composed the music) and a mass of prose on literary, social, religious, political, and other topics. Add a number of English translations, paintings, travelogues etc to it. You are excused if you think whether this is possible for a mortal being in a single life.
His works have been widely translated into English and should not be very difficult to locate. Some humble suggestions - try reading the following:
Novels: Chokher-Bali, Gora and Ghare Baire
Plays: Chirakumar Sabha, Goray Galad(comedies in prose) Phalguni and Rakta Karabi(Symbolical plays)
Short stories: All of them. After all he is regarded as a pioneer in this form of literature and his name is spelt with Chekhov and Maupassant in the same breath.
Sukumar Roy: For members of Mouhtshut.com (I hope you like this)
In the land of Bombagarh
The customs are peculiar.
The king, for instance, advocates
Gilded frames for chocolates.
The queen, who seldom goes to bed
Straps a pillow round her head.
The courtiers- or so I’m told-
Turn cartwheels when they have a cold:
. The King’s old aunt- an autocrat-
Hits pumpkins with her cricket bat
While Uncle loves to dance Mazurkas
Wearing garlands strung with hookaha.
All of this, though mighty queer,
Is natural in Bombagarh.
(Translated by Late Satyajit Ray, Son of Sukumar Roy)
The Bengali version is’Bombagarer Raja’.
If you like humour, satire, witty poems and short stories then Sukumar Roy is tailor made for you. At about nine, he wrote’Tick, Tick, Tong’ which was really a translation of the well-known nursery poem’Hickory, Dickory, Dock’. Immortal works include Abol tabol, Hensoram Hunisiarer Diary, poems from Khai Khai, the poems Lakhhaner Shaktishel, Abak Jalpan, Chalachitta Chanchari, Bhabuk Subha, Jhalpala; stories from Pagla Dashu, plays like Ha-ja-Ba-Ra-La, Bahurupi etc.’Nonsense’ writing made a smashing entry into Bengali literature with him. If you are interested you may buy’ The Select Nonsense of Sukumar Ray’, translations by Sukanta Chaudhuri. The book is available at Amazon.
Rajsekhar Basu: One of the powerhouses of the Bengali literature. A chemist by profession, Rajsekhar who wrote under the pen name Parashuram was an amazing writer. Came into prominence with his first book of stories, Gaddalika. Was responsible for bringing out the first dictionary in Bengali Chalantika. On a lighter note most of his works have been seen as children’s literature but careful reading overwhelms the reader with the subtle satiric undertones pointed towards various facets of the society. He played a remarkable part in the in the history of printing in Bengal. The second edition of Parashuram’s’Hanumaaner Swapna and other stories’ was the first book to be completely printed in Bengali linotype.
You may read one of his best stories Birinchi Baba by visiting the following url:
https://parabaas.com/translation/database/translations/stories/gBirinchibaba.html
Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay: One of the most popular writers of the present generation, Shirshendu’s stories for kids is Bengal’s answer to Harry Potter. Shot to stardom with his first children’s novel - Manojder Adbhut Baari. Books like Gosaibaganer bhut, Akronto, Jaal, Kapurush, etc has made him the most loved author of the present generation. His books for children are filled with fantasies, wonderful description of the supernatural(ghosts) and stunning description of the child’s mind. Books for the parents of the children are realistic yet with a dose of romantic idealism. Try Kapurush and Akronto. The serious plots with the humorous anecdotes make them a real pleasure to read. One of his books has been translated into English under the title Father Gabriel’s Crypt. Ananya Banerjee has translated the book. Not too sure whether any other books have been translated.
Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay: The romantic of bengali literature - that is how this genius should be portrayed. His novels Pather Panchali and Aparajito have achieved international fame sadly though due to the films. Aparajito is a big favourite of mine and you could read Premjit’s wonderful review on it.
https://mouthshut.com/readreview/29362-1.html
His other works include Aranyak, Ichhamati, Drishtipradip, Adarsho Hindu Hotel, Debjan etc. For the nature lovers Aranyak is a must read. Chander pahar has maintained its popularity among the children even in the age of computers. It is a classic tale of the triumph of human spirit and sense of adventure, Chander pahar, unfolds the immense beauty and ferocity of unexplored Africa in the early nineteenth century. A must read for all those who dare to dream.
Hope you like them. I will try to write the second part when I can manage some more time and provided you have the patience of reading it after reading the first. Would love to have a few comments.