The Love Letter and Other Stories

by Buddhadeva Bose, Arunava Sinha (Translator)

Easily one of the most towering figures of Bengali literature of the 20th century, Buddhadeva Bose was as prolific as he was versatile. A poet of renown, Bose was also an accomplished playwright, novelist, essayist and short-story writer. His prose is marked by invention, refreshing modernity and an easy yet deep engagement with timeless love, the nature of memory, and the complexity of the relationship between man and woman - qualities which keep Bose's work enduringly relevant.  This collection brings together seven stories and two one-act plays which embody all of these qualities. In ‘The Love Letter', Birupaksha Ray, a translator and a linguist, receives a ciphered missive from an old flame, unlocking which could occupy the rest of his life; in ‘A Scent of Tulsi', Mihir, a husband comfortable in his patriarchy, discovers a side to his wife, Kamala, which shakes up his world. And, in Twenty-Five Years After - or Before , a one-act play, old lovers meet by chance at an international airport and talk about opportunities missed, and those not taken.  Translated by Arunava Sinha with trademark flair and accuracy, The Love Letter and Other Stories demonstrates why Buddhadeva Bose occupies such a premier position in Bengali literature. This volume will appeal to Bose's fans as well as to all lovers of great fiction.

Genres: Short Story Collection

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Buddhadeva Bose (also spelt Buddhadeb Bosu) (Bengali: বুদ্ধদেব বসু ) was a major Bengali writer of the 20th century. Frequently referred to as a poet, he was a versatile writer who wrote novels, short stories, plays and essays in addition to poetry. He was an influential critic and editor of his time. He is recognized as one of the five poets who moved to introduce modernity into Bengali poetry. It has been said that since Tagore, perhaps, there has been no greater talent in Bengali literature. His wife Protiva Bose was also a writer.

Buddhadeva Bose received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for his verse play Tapaswi O Tarangini, received the Rabindra Puraskar in 1974 for Swagato Biday(poetry) and was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1970.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I've seen one or two people who do not go to parties, reading books of their choice instead when they go back home in the evening - their behaviour is considered illegitimate, too."

This book of 9 stories - a novella, 2 plays, 5 short stories took me by surprise!

The writing is so genuine and unpretentious that I just couldn't put the book down.

No way we are talking about perfect characters and perfect endings and perfect life stories but this book talks about real life people (I do believe these characters existed!).

The main theme that runs through all of these stories are the ways how pretentious and incompetent we adults become; lived life with regrets and the lives we live isn't that perfect but we all manage to go through each day trying to get better though our memories aren't that happy and the people we live with aren't hundred percent compatible. If it was so, it would be some kind of unrealistic fantasy!

*One word I would use to describe this collection is nostalgia.

Most of the stories has some kind of nostalgia filled with memories and the lives we never get to live for ourselves.

***Contents:

1. The Love Letter (novella) 4 🌟
2. Lovers 3 🌟
3. Twenty-five Years After - or Before (play) 4 🌟
4. Jayjayanti 4 🌟
5. A Scent of Tulsi 4 🌟 (well written!)
6. The Strange Course of Love 3 🌟
7. The Shadow 5 🌟
8. One Red Rose 5 🌟
9. And How Are You 4 🌟

Amazing collection indeed!

I didn't like how sexist some male characters were and how a few stories ended too abruptly after all the hype was built up. But nevertheless, this collection is underrated.

I can also understand why this collection would be liked less. The writing is rather mature and it has a slow pace. The characters are unlikeable at times and they are so not your bubbly happy kinds. The plot is realistic to the point that it will remind the readers how mundane our lives are.

This is not the book if you are looking for something fun to read and relax.

Instead go for it when you want to read something real and make you think about life all over again and what you can learn from the mistakes of others.

This collection is a jar full of life lessons.

[Swagata Tarafdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love is the most universal among all human emotions-- love between a man and a woman. This book explores love that is iridescent yet not worn down by the mundane lives of the protagonists. Love that lies outside the boundaries of the humdrum everyday day. I loved reading the luminous prose of the writer.

[Sayari Debnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a delight

[Avni Uplabdhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the stories, I found Buddhadeva’a writing style revealing the depths of human psyche with lots of internal monologue a character does in the story. I adore such stories to some extent but they aren’t really my kind of thing

[Yogesh Potbhare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extra star for the brilliant translation.

[nivv · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Ankita Chauhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

an alluring narration, it made me read those stories over and over. Piece of Joy.