{"product_id":"9780143101031","title":"Chowringhee","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a work of historical fiction set in 1950s Calcutta, following the intimate lives of managers, staff, and guests at a grand city hotel. Through the eyes of a young recruit who moves through suites, dining rooms, and backrooms, the book explores ambition, longing, and the quiet tragedies lurking behind public hospitality. It speaks to adult readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a vivid social backdrop, delivering an intimate, contemplative, and cinematic tone.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe reading experience unfolds as a story-led mosaic, with episodes that glide between private corners and public spaces, painting a lush portrait of daily life within the hotel and the wider metropolis. The narration blends observation with participation, letting readers feel the pulse of the hotel—from ceremonial service to intimate conversations—while memories and present events weave a broader chronicle of the city. Each scene invites reflection on how public rituals conceal private truths and how the past continues to shape the present.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReaders encounter a diverse cast drawn from the hotel’s social fabric—a suave manager, a quick-witted receptionist, a troubled hostess, and many others—each contributing to a larger portrait of an era. The journey is intimate and panoramic at once, encouraging empathy for ordinary lives touched by grand aspirations, power, and secrecy. The English edition preserves the original cadence and texture, delivering a faithful, accessible translation that feels both timeless and timely.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eInterwoven lives of hotel staff and guests in a 1950s Calcutta setting\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eA rookie narrator guiding readers through intimate rooms and bustling public spaces\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eLyrical, cinematic prose with rich period detail and social insight\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eCharacter-driven scenes that illuminate ambition, longing, and vulnerability\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eTranslated English edition preserving rhythm, atmosphere, and cultural texture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter finishing, readers gain a nuanced portrait of a city and its people, plus a deeper empathy for ordinary lives under extraordinary circumstances. The book leaves a lasting impression on memory, place, and the human stories that shape a metropolis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Crossword.in","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540431089881,"sku":"BK0032518","price":383.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0648\/3066\/9017\/files\/61scBQlOtRL._SL1400.jpg?v=1776674319","url":"https:\/\/www.crossword.in\/products\/9780143101031","provider":"Crossword.in ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}