Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (Author) Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (1894-1950) was one of Bengali writers greatest writers. His best known work is the autobiographical novel
Pather Panchali, now published in Penguin Modern Classics in a new translation. This novel and its sequel,
Aparajito, have been translated into several languages and also inspired Satyajit Ray's iconic and award-winning cinematic trilogy. Badyopadhyay was posthumously awarded the Rabindra Puruskar in 1951, the most prestigious literary award in West Bengal, for his novel
Ichamati.
Rimi (Translator) Rimi translates classic and speculative fiction from Bangla to English. Her works include Sunil Gangopadhyay's
The Adventures of Kakababu, volumes I, II and III, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's
Pather Panchali and Acharya Kshitimohan Sen's
United in Prayer. She also takes a keen interest in the goings-on of stray animals, and can often be spotted on the streets of Bombay courting new canine acquaintances.
In the idyllic village of the Abode of Contentment, Durga and her little brother, Opu, grow up in a world of woods, orchards and adventure. Nurtured on their aunt's songs and stories, they dream of secret magical lands, forbidden gardens and the distant railroad. The grown-up world of debts, resentment and bone-deep poverty barely touches them. Their parents, Shorbojoya and Horihor, also dream of the railroad, though as the gateway to lands with a better future. But can distance really change destiny? Will the railroad augur a triumphant future for the Roys, or a ballad of fates drastically altered?
A powerful testament to the indomitable human will to prevail, this timeless novel comes alive in an incandescent new translation.
