Goynar Baksho

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Professor Shonku

This book is special in many respects. In my younger days when I started relishing works of Ray starting with Feluda through his short stories and Tarinukhuro, the science fiction hero had been something quite remote to my imaginations. In this situation there came Professor Shonku’s adventures in my collection and I was not sure whether to compare him to Feluda or to enjoy the adventures. The regime of science fiction before Shonku had been not so defined in my fantasies. Also imagining a Bengali science fiction hero carrying out exploits to the bewilderment of the entire world had also been something not very realistic to someone whose entire world of science fiction resided in watching Star Trek and Johnny Soko episodes in monochrome. So Shonku had been more than a revelation to me. He allowed me in my childhood days to feel confident that a successful Bengali scientist is also a reality. True that Ray’s work is based on fictional character carrying out fictional experiments sometimes in fictional landscapes but Ray did mould Shonku as the next door neighbor who happens to be a genius. The school goers may not be always feel motivated to read narratives on Jagadish Chandra Bose, Satyendranath Bose, Bidhan Chandra Ray, Meghnad Saha or the other greats who contributed to the evolution of science, but they will surely read Shonku. So the craziness of science and its sure path towards truth will no doubt creep into their mind and also they will not fail to understand the fun side of it. This character of Ray is not unlike his famous private investigator but he seeks truth hiding beneath the depth of nature.

Coming to the significance of this compilation, this happens to be chronologically the 1^st of the Shonku adventures. But curiously enough I could not collect it but for many years as the shops that I frequented always produced other collections but not this one to my queries. So as I was losing hope of ever getting it and seriously doubted whether this collection at all existed, it suddenly came to me. It seemed to fill up the void in my collection. Another point which I then found out was that, unlike the others being published by Ananda Publishers, it was published by New Script.

Being the 1^st in the series, the stories will grip the attention from the very 1^st introduction and the interesting manner in which completed Byomyatrir Diary came to see the light of earth. A horrifying experience awaits the reader in Professor Shonku o Haar with an immediate relief in Professor Shonku o Macaw. Then is another thrilling story of an Epytian curse in Professor Shonku o Egyptio Atanka. Following up the suspense is one of my favourites, Professor Shonku o Ascharya Putul. The next is another that I admire most, an intergalactic adventure that will keep the thrill till the last in Professor Shonku o Golok Rahasya following it up with yet another fascinating, horrifying, amusing and another of my cherished memories as I think of Professor Shonku o Chee-Ching. The rest delves in the mysteries of two very different aspects, the human mind in Professor Shonku o Khoka and in Professoru Shonku o Bhoot which delves in the spectral world.

The Sunday Philosophy Club

Take one sandwich with tea and wait for the rain to drizzle and then you will find the charm heightened as McCall Smith takes you in his adventure through the streets of Edinburgh. A philosopher gets entangled in a  murder mystery and more from an ethical point of view than from curiosity she tries to find the truth. Narrated in limited third person the story takes the reader through an enjoyable investigation quite unique in its format. Infact the finale is more philosophical than practical. In almost all events of her life Isabel Dalhousie tries to find the philosophy behind it and this naturally makes her an investigator who can clearly interpret actions and expressions. Though quite slow in its pace but the story is enjoyably calm with an underlying thrill. Actually the author defines mystery in every aspect of life. Whether it is to analyse behaviours of others or to find criminals, the motives behind each action and reactions thereof contain signatures of the hidden truth. Interpreting actions sometimes become prime and the motive follows merely to validate it.

The Mystery of the Whispering Mummy

What will an investigator do when approached with two cases simultaneously? On one hand is a 3000 year old mummy whispering ancient Arabic and in the other an Abyssinian cat with mismatched eyes go missing! The trio of Investigators - Jupe, Pete and Bob - will take both at once. Thus they get involved in a curious mystery filled with adventures inside mummy case, strange disguises, Oriental clients, speedy car chases and eerie accidents. How Jupe with his new innovation - walkie talkie sets - and with the help of the other investigators, catches the villains remains to be seen in this exciting adventure that are truly enjoyable for the young minds. Quite unlike the other stories, the strangeness of the central plot is masked quite early but the excitement remains throughout.

Chayamoy

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Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali Vol-XXVII

The volume contains an assortment of sorts. It begins with Hatya Ebong Tarpor, containing a Jayanta Manik case of detection, and that too a good one, in the title content and then an equally well contrasted humourous one in Private Detective which, believe me is far less serious but equally enjoyable from what the title suggests. Then is an adventure story in Ek Diner Adventure with a touch of humour in this too. Then comes the short stories categorized under Galpo beginning with an horror episode in Shaitan, continuing the horror in Gangar Bibhishika, a Bimal Kumar adventure in Guhabaasi Bibhishan, which I personally felt a bit incomplete, an enjoyable read in Nakal Shikarir Shankat and finally a ghost story, which again felt short of expectation in Badshar Samadhi. Comparing these the best comes now beginning with the dual historical stories in Tin Samrater Trahyasparsha-Yog and Mahabharater Maharath, both depicting the downfall of two most important empires of medieval India viz. that of the Mughals and of Prithviraj the great. For the more inquisitive readers it may help to know that to enjoy the first one to the fullest please go through volume XII of Hemendra Kumar Roy Rachanabali though without it the document is complete in itself. Finally is a pleasing deviation from the author, something not for the children, mixing romance with adventure in Panchasharer Keerti, which is completely regionalized without any trace of its original source. This could have been immensely enjoyable but for a single fact that needs elaboration. It seemed the author, mostly conversant in writing gripping adventure stories for the young minds, was hesitant to make up his mind while writing for the older generation. So though the adventure was enthralling the underlying concept seemed a bit loosely composed.

Nante Fante Collection III

Continuing the humorous exploits of Nante Fante, the collection consists of chapters 7 thru 9. Sometimes playing pranks on each other (once in this collection and that too marked by a different style of sketching) the naughty duo often makes life miserable for the Superintendent Sir. But the greater pranks are stored for the wicked Keltu. Being boarders of hostels, their desire for sumptuous meals often becomes the central theme of the multipage plots and in these often Keltu becomes the sole competitor. Debnathbabu’s unique style of presentation and cartoons has made these children’s story a priceless gem in the world of Bengali comic strips. The collection also contains an advertisement cleverly concealed in the story, maybe one of the starters of its kind.

Goynar Baksho

Eager with the curiosity of what the story is all about that is to be brought to screen recently I started reading the novel and surprising myself, I finished it at record pace. This has been my first approach to Shirshendu's stories for the adult and I became more obsessed to continue reading his stories of the genre as I completed this. A story encompassing three generations, the style that is followed, has at once kept the readers engrossed, not only by its content but also in the element of surprise. Written from the perspective of two ladies the plot has unfolded itself centering a jewellery box left in the possession of apparently the least likely family member. Curiously enough the story consists of ghost but the seriousness of the central theme has not at all compromised. The finale is also reminiscent of a classic where the readers know what the culmination is but the subtlety is reserved for the imaginative ones. The virtues of generations contrasting with frustrations and worries, the decaying Bengalee nobility with their false ego, the spirit of the present generation, the confusions  surrounding true romance, all had been sketched to perfection to bring out a grand orchestra. Being a fan of his stories for the young, I once more fell in love with the works of Mukhopadhyay, this time for the older readers.

Nante Fante Collection IV

The collection contains chapters 10, 11, 12 though one of the strips has been juxtaposed incorrectly. The humorous exploits of the duo continues as they face Keltuda and his chums who try to provoke them unjustly. The superintendent sir also plays his part and as always remains all the more comical. The use of colloquial language increases the charm though the slang always remains well within the aesthetic limit. Proving once more that age is never a bar for this kind of entertainment the heart always longs for more for it. An interesting fact is that though the practical jokes remains the main theme of each strip but it is never indecent. Finally another important fact is that though the teachers sometimes becomes the unsuspecting targets of the jokes but they are always highlighted respectfully. With delightful cartoons the chapters will no doubt appeal to readers of all age.

Chanakya's Chant

Interspersing past with the present, Ashwin Sanghi takes the reader in his quest to understand the intricacies of Arthasastra as composed by Chanakya, the shrewd Brahmin who emerged as the most famous kingmaker in the history of India. Driven by vengeance, Chanakya’s tactics to overthrow Dhanananda, unite Bharat under a single ruler and shield the country against foreign dominance will no doubt amaze the ordinary. Drawing parallel to the historic character, Sanghi develops an equally shrewd yet unassuming Gangasagar Misra as he evolves on his way to place his protégé Chandini Gupta as the PM of India. To this effect he stops at nothing and emerges as ruthless opportunist with a political cunning surpassing all the peers of the country. Though fast paced in the first quarter, the storyline clearly becomes over dramatic in the rest where Chanakya’s part remains gripping but Gangasagar becomes ordinary characterwise. At the start I thought we now have a Mario Puzo in Sanghi but my premonition was obliterated as the story progressed. One of the most important fallacies of the fiction part was that Gangasagar’s character evolution was rapid that seemed to catapult his maturity in the most convenient time rather than what would have been correct. His mentor in diplomacy, Agrawalji seemed unjustifiably to lose his cunning as the same matured in Gangasagar. Also the dramatic dialogues, more interesting for a Bollywood endeavour, became a mere repetition of style that compromised the seriousness that the plot demanded. But the most glaring problem, which I don’t know how the writer missed, was that Gangasagar did not have a clearly justified goal in his otherwise clearly defined mission. Chanakya was motivated by revenge and then came his dream of unification of the country. Puzo’s dons aspired to rule the criminal syndicates for business and security for their family. But Gangasagar seemed all of a sudden bent to make a female PM deriving inspiration from an age old rock craving allegedly attributed to Vishnugupta. For this he never wavered to kill the innocent who seemed inconvenient obstacle and placed all the evil men in his side to rule the country (of innocent?). So though a smooth reading material but the story as a whole remains a bit ordinary.

Belashesher Kolahol

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Mafia Queens of Mumbai Stories of Women from the Ganglands

As I was reading through the anecdotes of the queens of the underworld, the first thing that struck me was these were the missing pieces of the puzzles that were left incomplete in the Zaidi's narrative of the male dons of Mumbai. Infact the narrative was compact and even more fast paced as compiled by Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges. The murky lands of the underworld, traversed prominently by the masculine hand had always been guided by the feminine shadow, at least in several cases, as has been documented here. With chill running down the spine, the readers may find truth a bit more harsh and a bit more scaring than it appears. Be it the story of love and lust, crime and revenge, manipulations and politics - the ladies were in no way less scheming than the others. Plotting crimes of the deadliest kind they played their part whenever the men found the heat rising. Starting from housewives to abandoned elopers, the aspirations to rise high in crime or the desperation catapulted them in their path to the evil corners of society. Some became dangerous, some generous while for some the fate could not have been worse. But it all created a new facet of the crime world - that portrayed by shrewd ladies which challenged the security of many.

Postern of Fate

The couple that unearthed secrets of the enemy camp has now aged and wants to retire to a village life devoid of sleuthing. But mystery seems always to follow them and so does murder. Thus again the aged duo teams up with the police and the like to unearth a long lasting secret that left clues in certain particular places. Though the excitement starts early but it dampens midway, so unlike Christie novel, but the rambling of the aged couple seems sometimes too much and near the end it is not with the signature Christie twist. The mystery was woven fantastically but it seemed an abrupt way of unravelling it. Another disappointing fact was that several of their earlier exploits have been quoted here and may prove a spoiler for those who reads this before the others.