Saturday, May 26, 2018

Akrur Sangbad

A touching story based on the compromise that is effected in families to choose between a close knit relation and one that is distanced for the sake of job satisfaction. Presenting in her simple style the age old problem is addressed but no solution is proposes. There lies the beauty of the narrative. It relies on the reader to appreciate the problem from their own perspective. When a time comes to choose between progress in career and disallowing distance to creep in relations, it is a real hurdle that many faces. The narrative gives an insight to what happens in some case. The title actually echoes what pains it caused to the inhabitants of Vrindavan when Lord Krishna was to return to Mathura. Actually it asks that to whom people will give their rights to. Will it be those who upbrings them or those who sustains them against their work. I am indebted to this story particularly for the title that allowed me to peek into the famous lines from which the story borrows part of the theme that is so true for all time.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

A Strange Disappearance

Detective Q narrates a case to his colleagues of a missing girl from the house of a revered diplomat and how it gradually appealed him first of all due to the skittishness of the aged housekeeper who reported it to the police, secondly due to some curious clues at the room of the missing lady. Added to it was the importance of the house from where it happened and some more evidence that Mr. Gryce, superior to Q unearthed, that eluded the narrator during his searches.
Starting thus, with all the goodness of the old world mystery, it actually goes a bit too much in narrating how the criminals are caught. Also the plot finally divides into two with quite a considerable part devoted to something that could have been wrapped up more succinctly to keep the mystery as the focus primarily.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Hatighishar Hanabari

The childhood days will be brought back with the stories collected in this volume. Four intrepid girls Kalu, Malu, Tulu and Bulu looks for adventure in every nooks and corners, wherever they go. So it is very obvious that mysterious happenings, haunted houses, a treasure trail, curious sounds will attract these young adventurers. Written from the perspective of Tulu, these four young sleuths sets up to solve mysteries wherever they find one. Three of their exploits are contained here which are

  • Tibbati Guhar Bhoot
  • Hatighishar Hanabari
  • Nanda Kananer Rahasya
The Enid Blyton of Bengali literature, Nalini Das had narrated the stories in such an easy pace that it will appeal to every young mind on all the ages. Such an old collection, but still I found them to be enjoyable read. With their backpacks packed with the essentials, the quad looks through age old mysteries and solves the riddles using clues that they pick up in their investigations. Using code words during conversations they easily evade the eavesdroppers in tight places. After reading the volume, only one thing needs explanation which is the name Gandalu whose last syllable may be derived from those of the four's names but why the first part is slightly monstrous in nature I have not a single clue. However, without bothering this part, the stories will refresh the mind not only for the adventure themselves but for the sleuths themselves. The intelligent and fearless Kalu, the code cracking Malu, the narrator Tulu and the slightly shaky Bulu gives completeness to the team and balances suspense and reliefs in the narratives nicely. The illustrations by Satyajit Ray adds an added attraction for the readers.

Wednesday, May 09, 2018

Gumnami Baba A Case History

The man who was one of the greatest heroes that India ever produced seemed today still the centre of a mystery spanning over decades with the haunting search still on on what happened to the man post 1945. At least three different theories have evolved, the most prominent being that of the Gumnami Baba which is explored by Adheer Som in this book. Not only the book explores the possibility of Netaji's apparent self ordained reclusion but also explores the man himself that gives a precise insight of him. Infact it will inspire the readers with the greatness that Netaji possessed even in his younger days. That a man can leave a life of the passionate revolutionary to a hermit might look a bit too odd to many. But this book actually proposes strong logic on the contrary. The book delves deeper into the information available on Bhagwanji and proposes some brave but logical conjectures that is worth probing. Summarising the reports of the Shah Nawaz Commision, the Khosla Commission, the Mukherjee Commission and the report on the handwriting analysis by B Lal, the author questions that if Gumnami Baba is not Netaji then who is he. Surely there must be some identity that can be converged upon beyond all doubts. But still we are unsure of that which seems quite confusing. With the scientific resources available, is it really very difficult to unearth the identity of somebody? Or is it that the identity is being allowed to be masked? The Baba had several articles that actually would have been more natural to be found in possession of a Bose kin which actually gives some clue to his identity. The author demands to know the truth behind the man for which he investigates from several perspectives. The book is a real eye opener to many. It is a tribute to the legend, It inspires to search for the truth. Rather it demands to know the truth! We can only hope that the author with his inspired readers actually finds the reality that the seekers of justice had been yearning for through the years.

A Thief in the Night

A short story collection featuring A J Raffles and his friend and accomplice, Bunny Manders who narrates some of their exploits and follows it up with an epilogue arranged as
  • Out of Paradise
  • The Chest of Silver
  • The Rest Cure
  • The Criminologists' Club
  • The Field of Philippi
  • A Bad Night
  • A Trap to Catch a Cracksman
  • The Spoils of Sacrilege
  • The Raffles Relics
  • The Last Word
All these pieces except the last two depicts the duo as amateur burglars with Raffles being the genius in the trade and Bunny his devoted follower who at times shows doubt at the dedication at the apparent spontaneous acts of his friend which is ultimately revealed as well thought improvisations of the master artist. The final pieces are at a later date when they are at their career's dusk and tragedy has struck and are thus a bit disjointed than the rest both in time and perspective but not in class. The crimes will however make the readers sometimes be sorry for the victims. Inspite of this the interesting part is that, an entire collection which depicts a character doing crimes, is never felt evil, rather the reader will enjoy the artful way these crimes are committed though the description might be a bit unnecessary lengthy at places. A novel character undoubtedly, this might be a revelation for readers of crime fictions who are more accustomed to look into the other side of narratives.