‘Aranyak’ by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay
A classic from Bengali literature, now available in English
Published 06.01.22, 10:30 AM
Iconic Bengali writer Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s famous 1939 novel Aranyak is now available in English. The term Aranyak means ‘of the forest’, making it a fitting title for Bandopadhyay’s tale, where he unfurls a lesser-known landscape for his readers. Written during the two years that he spent in the forests of northern Bihar, Aranyak explores the story of Satyacharan, whose work takes him from Kolkata to a heavily forested estate outside the city. Written as a first-person account by Satyacharan, the book captures the vivid differences between the urban and rural ways of life. Critics say that despite having a narrator tell us the story, it is the forest and its people that are the real central characters — Satyacharan’s role is that of a mere spectator of their lives.
Translated into English by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, Aranyak is the latest addition to Penguin Books’ Modern Classics series.
Want to get featured in the
Try This Today
section of
?