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Three Women
Ignored by her well-meaning husband, Charulata falls in love with a high-spirited young cousin in The Broken Nest (Nashtaneer, 1901). Sharmila, in Two Sisters (Dui Bon, 1933) witnesses her husband sink her fortunes and his passion into his business and her sister. And the invalid Neeraja finds her life slowly ebbing away as a new love awakens for her beloved husband in The Arbour (Malancha, 1934).
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Rabindranath Tagore
2,609 books4,280 followersAwarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West."
Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla.
The complete works of Rabindranath Tagore (রবীন্দ্র রচনাবলী) in the original Bengali are now available at these third-party websites:
http://www.tagoreweb.in/
http://www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr....
Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced), and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla.
The complete works of Rabindranath Tagore (রবীন্দ্র রচনাবলী) in the original Bengali are now available at these third-party websites:
http://www.tagoreweb.in/
http://www.rabindra-rachanabali.nltr....
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 28, 2023
What miracle is this? Three lovely novellas, each perfect in its way. Not flawless, merely perfect. Like a human being, loved not only for their grace, but for their awkwardness; not only their sparkling eyes, but the funny place behind the elbow, the lovely wrinkles that tell us they've lived.
Be warned, however: love takes unaccustomed forms, here in turn-of-the-century Bengal, family novel shapes. Time, too, moves differently, in tune with the play of light and emotion—but that is only literary effect. Marriage, romance, these are more solid things (until they're not). These stories bring to mind Stefan Zweig’s, of the same era and another world—in their passion and heat, and the ways their characters seem to strangle themselves (although Tagore is by far the greater writer).
And oh, Arunava Sinha’s translation! Exquisite. The kind of translation Tagore deserves. Had Tagore been translated like this in the early 20th century, when he won the Nobel and toured Europe—all world literature would be otherwise! (I feel obliged to note that the alternative translation by Sukhendu Ray, published by Oxford University Press, stands up poorly in a side-by-side comparison.)
There is so much happening in each of these stories. Political subtext—characters run newspapers and literary magazines, debate cultural and economic questions, even go to prison for protesting British rule. Bankruptcy, moral and financial, rears its head. Love—passionate and familiar, poisoned and pure. Jealousy. Fecundity. Gardens tangled and lovely. A brilliant, heartbreaking, uncanny, unforgettable book.
Be warned, however: love takes unaccustomed forms, here in turn-of-the-century Bengal, family novel shapes. Time, too, moves differently, in tune with the play of light and emotion—but that is only literary effect. Marriage, romance, these are more solid things (until they're not). These stories bring to mind Stefan Zweig’s, of the same era and another world—in their passion and heat, and the ways their characters seem to strangle themselves (although Tagore is by far the greater writer).
And oh, Arunava Sinha’s translation! Exquisite. The kind of translation Tagore deserves. Had Tagore been translated like this in the early 20th century, when he won the Nobel and toured Europe—all world literature would be otherwise! (I feel obliged to note that the alternative translation by Sukhendu Ray, published by Oxford University Press, stands up poorly in a side-by-side comparison.)
There is so much happening in each of these stories. Political subtext—characters run newspapers and literary magazines, debate cultural and economic questions, even go to prison for protesting British rule. Bankruptcy, moral and financial, rears its head. Love—passionate and familiar, poisoned and pure. Jealousy. Fecundity. Gardens tangled and lovely. A brilliant, heartbreaking, uncanny, unforgettable book.
July 26, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Classics + Short Stories
Three Women is a collection of three short stories written by Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate poet, and writer from Bengal, India. The stories are translated into English by Arunava Sinha. These stories tell the tales of three women.
The Broken Nest:
The story centers on the life of a young woman by the name of Charulata, who is also referred to as Charu. She is married to Bhupati, a wealthy and intellectual newspaper editor in Calcutta, and the couple has two children together. Charu experiences feelings of isolation and neglect since Bhupati is preoccupied with his business and spends a significant amount of time away from home. When Bhupati's cousin Amal arrives to reside with them, her sense of loneliness becomes much more pronounced. Because of their mutual enthusiasm for writing and the arts, Charu and Amal can form a profound emotional connection with one another. Amal is an engaging young guy who shares Charu's interests and hobbies.
The story digs deep into the complex dynamics of the characters' feelings and wants, examining topics such as unrequited love, the pressures of society, and the tension between tradition and modernity. As the plot develops, the characters struggle with their emotions, and the emotional upheaval in their lives becomes more complex.
Two Sisters:
The story is about the eternal struggle that a guy faces when he cannot find a mother figure and a sweetheart in the same person. This is the conflict that drives the story. The narrative demonstrates two radically different ways for women to interact with men, and within the context of the story, one man is exposed to both of these dynamics.
The Arbour:
After her miscarriage, Neeraja will not be able to help her husband Aditya with the garden they always worked on. Aditya asks someone else to help him with the garden, and that is when Neeraja starts feeling jealous and insecure.
The stories have good substance and subjects. I liked them, but I feel that with the translation, they might have lost some of their charm. For a classic, the reading was easy, and the language didn’t feel too dense to me. I feel that whether you like them or not will depend on many factors, not only the language or the writing.
Genre: Classics + Short Stories
Three Women is a collection of three short stories written by Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate poet, and writer from Bengal, India. The stories are translated into English by Arunava Sinha. These stories tell the tales of three women.
The Broken Nest:
The story centers on the life of a young woman by the name of Charulata, who is also referred to as Charu. She is married to Bhupati, a wealthy and intellectual newspaper editor in Calcutta, and the couple has two children together. Charu experiences feelings of isolation and neglect since Bhupati is preoccupied with his business and spends a significant amount of time away from home. When Bhupati's cousin Amal arrives to reside with them, her sense of loneliness becomes much more pronounced. Because of their mutual enthusiasm for writing and the arts, Charu and Amal can form a profound emotional connection with one another. Amal is an engaging young guy who shares Charu's interests and hobbies.
The story digs deep into the complex dynamics of the characters' feelings and wants, examining topics such as unrequited love, the pressures of society, and the tension between tradition and modernity. As the plot develops, the characters struggle with their emotions, and the emotional upheaval in their lives becomes more complex.
Two Sisters:
The story is about the eternal struggle that a guy faces when he cannot find a mother figure and a sweetheart in the same person. This is the conflict that drives the story. The narrative demonstrates two radically different ways for women to interact with men, and within the context of the story, one man is exposed to both of these dynamics.
The Arbour:
After her miscarriage, Neeraja will not be able to help her husband Aditya with the garden they always worked on. Aditya asks someone else to help him with the garden, and that is when Neeraja starts feeling jealous and insecure.
The stories have good substance and subjects. I liked them, but I feel that with the translation, they might have lost some of their charm. For a classic, the reading was easy, and the language didn’t feel too dense to me. I feel that whether you like them or not will depend on many factors, not only the language or the writing.
May 29, 2020
When the heart is already in agony, the smallest hurt exacerbates the pain.
I never truly valued translators until I embarked on a quest to find an English version of Rabindranath Tagore's works that appeals to the modern reader (like myself) while conveying the essence of what the author captured in the Bengali language. And let me tell you, it has been a JOURNEY. I have bought, started and stopped reading SO MANY translations of a variety of Tagore's works because they were either too confusing to wrap my head around or tedious to get through. Not this one. Arunava Sinha is a godsend.
Here is an example of a passage below that I thought was really well translated and the sentiment aptly expressed:
“Bhupati was astonished at this tumultuous outpouring of grief. ‘Did I misjudge Charu?’ he thought. ‘She is so much of an introvert that she will not reveal her heartache even to me.’ People of this nature loved deeply and suffered deeply too. Charu’s love was not as demonstrative as was the case with ordinary women, surmised Bhupati. He had never seen any exhibition of emotion from her; that day he realized that it was because Charu’s love flowered in secret, deep within. Bhupati was not skilled at expressing himself either; discovering the deeply private nature of Charu’s emotions gave him a sense of satisfaction.
Sitting down by her side, Bhupati caressed her lightly, without a word. He did not know how to comfort her—and he did not realize that when someone tries to strangle their grief in the dark, they’d rather not have a witness to the act."
I loved the first two short stories in this collection and found them compelling and hard to put down. The third story didn't quite hit the mark for me and paled in comparison to the complexity and emotion of the first two stories - hence the 4/5 stars. If anyone is curious about Bengali literature though, Arunava Sinha is the translator to trust.
I never truly valued translators until I embarked on a quest to find an English version of Rabindranath Tagore's works that appeals to the modern reader (like myself) while conveying the essence of what the author captured in the Bengali language. And let me tell you, it has been a JOURNEY. I have bought, started and stopped reading SO MANY translations of a variety of Tagore's works because they were either too confusing to wrap my head around or tedious to get through. Not this one. Arunava Sinha is a godsend.
Here is an example of a passage below that I thought was really well translated and the sentiment aptly expressed:
“Bhupati was astonished at this tumultuous outpouring of grief. ‘Did I misjudge Charu?’ he thought. ‘She is so much of an introvert that she will not reveal her heartache even to me.’ People of this nature loved deeply and suffered deeply too. Charu’s love was not as demonstrative as was the case with ordinary women, surmised Bhupati. He had never seen any exhibition of emotion from her; that day he realized that it was because Charu’s love flowered in secret, deep within. Bhupati was not skilled at expressing himself either; discovering the deeply private nature of Charu’s emotions gave him a sense of satisfaction.
Sitting down by her side, Bhupati caressed her lightly, without a word. He did not know how to comfort her—and he did not realize that when someone tries to strangle their grief in the dark, they’d rather not have a witness to the act."
I loved the first two short stories in this collection and found them compelling and hard to put down. The third story didn't quite hit the mark for me and paled in comparison to the complexity and emotion of the first two stories - hence the 4/5 stars. If anyone is curious about Bengali literature though, Arunava Sinha is the translator to trust.
January 22, 2019
Tagore was one name which has fascinated me for a very long time. But I wasn’t really sure where to start from. So this made my first ever Tagore read, recommended by a friend.
It is an anthology of 3 short stories which were written in three different years yet they follow the same theme; the daily struggles of the ordinary Bengali women, in a conservative society of early 20th century. The stories are penned in simple words, yet the depth is bottomless. He has said so many things and yet let so many things unsaid!! Tagore’s women pass through a variety of tests and struggle of heart and conscience. They dare to defy the moral and social norms... but do they also succeed in the end or the pressure of the society break their backs? Options are unlimited, the heartache of an unrequited love, or a love mingled with severe complexities of what we call ‘LIFE’, a love returned yet out of reach!!
Recommended if you are a fan of short stories, writings revolving around women, wish to read some simpler writing style but with profound depth in the stories or just love Tagore.
It is an anthology of 3 short stories which were written in three different years yet they follow the same theme; the daily struggles of the ordinary Bengali women, in a conservative society of early 20th century. The stories are penned in simple words, yet the depth is bottomless. He has said so many things and yet let so many things unsaid!! Tagore’s women pass through a variety of tests and struggle of heart and conscience. They dare to defy the moral and social norms... but do they also succeed in the end or the pressure of the society break their backs? Options are unlimited, the heartache of an unrequited love, or a love mingled with severe complexities of what we call ‘LIFE’, a love returned yet out of reach!!
Recommended if you are a fan of short stories, writings revolving around women, wish to read some simpler writing style but with profound depth in the stories or just love Tagore.
October 9, 2014
Simple Women
This term does not exist. Women are complicated creatures, and no one tells it better than Rabindranath Tagore who reads their psyche and bares their souls to you. Three Women is a collection of three stories and multiple complicated women.
To read more, visit below link:
http://storywala.blogspot.in/2012/10/...
This term does not exist. Women are complicated creatures, and no one tells it better than Rabindranath Tagore who reads their psyche and bares their souls to you. Three Women is a collection of three stories and multiple complicated women.
To read more, visit below link:
http://storywala.blogspot.in/2012/10/...
February 21, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. While each is distinct, common themes recur, tying the narratives together. Tagore was obviously very attuned to the confined spaces, both literal and metaphorical, that Indian women occupied in the early 20th century. While obviously of their time, the stories seem quite modern, and certainly far advanced in outlook than the times in which were written.
January 9, 2024
Let me start by saying that I don't read Indian literature very often because I just don't vibe with it.
Though reading the synopsis of the book, one might think they are going to get something about old Indian taboo relationships and the difficulties that come with them. Also the readers would expect to feel giddy as they are reading something forbidden.
That, however, will not be the case. At least, not just that.
As the title suggests, all of the stories involve people becoming involved in incestuous endeavors, with women playing the protagonist roles. But one can't help but feel genuine sympathy for the characters, realizing there's nothing they could do but fall in love with the wrong person.
One might feel little to no forbidden pleasure; in fact, some situations might even make one sad or upset.
Mr. Tagore wrote these beautiful prose to express exactly what he wanted us to understand, and he succeeded admirably. After all, he was India's first Nobel laureate, so nothing less is expected of him.
I didn't like where this book was going at first, but giving up didn't feel like the right thing to do, so I dove in with a more mature mindset, rather than a "silly girl" one, and that's when I got the true essence of the book and was able to thoroughly enjoy my experience.
The Arbour, the third and final story in this collection, my favorite, is written in the most poetic style I've ever seen, with beautiful metaphors enhancing the essence of the prose.
Anything else said about it would be a spoiler, and to be honest, part of me doesn't want to let go of the emotions I felt while reading it.
So I'll leave it there.
P.S. My only complaint about this book is that the stories seemed rushed.
P.S.S. There is an underrated Bollywood film- Bulbbul, based on this book, specifically the first story, The Broken Nest.
Though reading the synopsis of the book, one might think they are going to get something about old Indian taboo relationships and the difficulties that come with them. Also the readers would expect to feel giddy as they are reading something forbidden.
That, however, will not be the case. At least, not just that.
As the title suggests, all of the stories involve people becoming involved in incestuous endeavors, with women playing the protagonist roles. But one can't help but feel genuine sympathy for the characters, realizing there's nothing they could do but fall in love with the wrong person.
One might feel little to no forbidden pleasure; in fact, some situations might even make one sad or upset.
Mr. Tagore wrote these beautiful prose to express exactly what he wanted us to understand, and he succeeded admirably. After all, he was India's first Nobel laureate, so nothing less is expected of him.
I didn't like where this book was going at first, but giving up didn't feel like the right thing to do, so I dove in with a more mature mindset, rather than a "silly girl" one, and that's when I got the true essence of the book and was able to thoroughly enjoy my experience.
The Arbour, the third and final story in this collection, my favorite, is written in the most poetic style I've ever seen, with beautiful metaphors enhancing the essence of the prose.
Anything else said about it would be a spoiler, and to be honest, part of me doesn't want to let go of the emotions I felt while reading it.
So I'll leave it there.
P.S. My only complaint about this book is that the stories seemed rushed.
P.S.S. There is an underrated Bollywood film- Bulbbul, based on this book, specifically the first story, The Broken Nest.
October 5, 2017
"You men fight unhappiness but generations of women have only borne unhappiness.They have nothing to bank on besides their tears and their endurance. "
The book is a collection of three stories, originally in Bengali, written in different time periods. All three revolve around intermingled and intricate emotions that constitute a woman. Contrasted by placid outer surface to seismic upheavels inside, from socially acceptable milieu to transaggersive passions, from complaint propensity to capricious and volte-face behaviour, author eloquently conjures up minutest details to potray a well spelled image of women.
On lighter notes : Acclaimed poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore seems to be unmatched in his understanding of women and this in turn has won him Nobel Prize for his contributions.
The book is a collection of three stories, originally in Bengali, written in different time periods. All three revolve around intermingled and intricate emotions that constitute a woman. Contrasted by placid outer surface to seismic upheavels inside, from socially acceptable milieu to transaggersive passions, from complaint propensity to capricious and volte-face behaviour, author eloquently conjures up minutest details to potray a well spelled image of women.
On lighter notes : Acclaimed poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore seems to be unmatched in his understanding of women and this in turn has won him Nobel Prize for his contributions.
October 5, 2016
Really outstanding. I have always been drawn to Tagore's writing. And I found this book really moving as well as insightful as it conveys the author's deep understanding of the nature of women
June 25, 2025
What is forbidden love? Who decides that it is forbidden? Why does a person give in to a forbidden love?
I have been a fan of Rabindranath Tagore’s work for the last two decades, especially of his female characters. He has an excellent hold on the psyche of women and the human condition. No review I write will be able to do justice to these incredible stories, so let me just paste a paragraph here from the brilliant introduction by Shirshendu Chakrabarti. I think it captures the essence of these stories perfectly.
“Caught up in the cross-purpose conversation and hallucinatory poetry, the reader is drawn out of the habitual and familiar range of responses to recognize the fault-lines of settled domesticity and sympathise with the somewhat hysteric terror of women’s private lives. By contrast, the men lack in emotional intensity and are pampered by society into emotional immaturity, they cannot really share in their wives’ destinities. Thus the lonely, traumatized women of Tagore are nevertheless given a space of their own, where they can reflect upon and come to terms with their situation in life. In this sense, Tagore remains a feminist before his time.”
Also, I am extremely grateful to Arunava Sinha for translating these stories to English. His translations of Tagore's work are hands down the best I have read so far.
P.S: Finally, a buddy read with Ani where our timelines were in sync.
I have been a fan of Rabindranath Tagore’s work for the last two decades, especially of his female characters. He has an excellent hold on the psyche of women and the human condition. No review I write will be able to do justice to these incredible stories, so let me just paste a paragraph here from the brilliant introduction by Shirshendu Chakrabarti. I think it captures the essence of these stories perfectly.
“Caught up in the cross-purpose conversation and hallucinatory poetry, the reader is drawn out of the habitual and familiar range of responses to recognize the fault-lines of settled domesticity and sympathise with the somewhat hysteric terror of women’s private lives. By contrast, the men lack in emotional intensity and are pampered by society into emotional immaturity, they cannot really share in their wives’ destinities. Thus the lonely, traumatized women of Tagore are nevertheless given a space of their own, where they can reflect upon and come to terms with their situation in life. In this sense, Tagore remains a feminist before his time.”
Also, I am extremely grateful to Arunava Sinha for translating these stories to English. His translations of Tagore's work are hands down the best I have read so far.
P.S: Finally, a buddy read with Ani where our timelines were in sync.
May 10, 2021
This book by Tagore like many other proves just how much ahead the epic writer was of his time with respect to feminism. I will go ahead and say that no writer has come as close as Tagore in terms of understanding the woman psyche. Women, throughout history, have been expected to be divine, goddesses and hence, any display of basic human behaviour on their part has always been looked down upon, for instance, jealousy, love affairs, etc. The author has very successfully put worth stories which has rationalised this behaviour and has done so without the extra domestic drama, that has plagued the modern entertainment industry. Overall, a must read.
April 21, 2019
An intense whirlwind of emotions, the book lays bare the dark side of relationships. Tagore has subtly probed the deeper recesses of the human psyche, revealing their baser instincts, anxieties and desires, especially in Nashtaneer and Malancha. I usually suspect translations of Indian writing. But Arunava Sinha’s translation has delicately traversed the distance between the two languages. The metaphors, allusions, idioms have not merely been transposed onto English, but have been beautifully tweaked to make them discernible to the readers while also maintaining the integrity of the Bengali language. I highly recommend Three Women, especially for its lyrical poetry. I love the cover illustration by Anna Higgie, which aptly evokes the atmosphere of the bygone era.
January 30, 2022
Three Women by Rabindranath Tagore focuses on the lives and forbidden loves of 3 women. They were all 3 vastly different and I enjoyed all 3 for different reasons. If I had to choose a favorite, then it would have to be The Broken Next.
Nashtaneer (The Broken Nest)
The first story focuses on Charulata and her close relationship with her husband's cousin Amal. Her husband is too busy with his newspaper to give her the necessary attention and Charu finds a friend in Amal, since she feels needed by him. Their friendship blossoms over literature, but ultimately it's the same reason why there comes a rift between them.
This novel uses misunderstandings a lot and it becomes quite frustrating when their argument could be solved just by sitting down and having a chat.
People say that Nashtaneer was inspired by Tagore's own relationship with his sister-in-law and I can definitely see that. But to me, it seems that it can be found in all 3 stories that showcase forbidden love.
Dui Bon (Two Sisters)
The author specifies that there are two types of women: mothers and lovers. Now, it's unclear of whether he believed that himself and there are a lot of people that would disagree with this, but there's one thing clear to me: the men in this story don't deserve either of them.
Shashanka has a wife who is almost like a mother. Taking care of his every whim and he never appreciates it. Instead, he falls in love with her sister Urmi and doesn't even pretend that it's a huge deal. Urmi doesn't seem to notice how inappropriate her relationship with her brother-in-law is until it's too late. It's astounding how so many of Tagore's characters don't see how inappropriate they're being until later.
And then there's Niraj who pretty much stamps the life out of Urmi and forces her to follow his rules when it comes to her education and starting the hospital in honor of her brother. I'm happy that their marriage never ended up happening.
Malancha
Malancha focuses on a couple names Neeraja and Aditya whose entire life revolves around their garden. When Neeraja suffers a miscarriage and is bedridden, Aditya asks Sarala to help with the garden. This does not sit well with Neeraja since she becomes jealous of Sarala and scared that she will steal her husband from her.
Of course, when you start reading it you think it's just her self-confidence that has taken a huge hit and that she's being paranoid. But it turns out Aditya realizes, after Neeraja pours her heart out to him, that she's right and that he does in fact love Sarala. She has had feelings for him for years. And the fact that he is so ready to toss his wife aside and tell her everything while the woman is literally lying on her death bed is absolutely disgusting to me. If there's on thing men in Tagore's writing have, it's selfishness. But Tagore writes about the human nature and that means focusing on a lot of flaws.
Nashtaneer (The Broken Nest)
The first story focuses on Charulata and her close relationship with her husband's cousin Amal. Her husband is too busy with his newspaper to give her the necessary attention and Charu finds a friend in Amal, since she feels needed by him. Their friendship blossoms over literature, but ultimately it's the same reason why there comes a rift between them.
This novel uses misunderstandings a lot and it becomes quite frustrating when their argument could be solved just by sitting down and having a chat.
People say that Nashtaneer was inspired by Tagore's own relationship with his sister-in-law and I can definitely see that. But to me, it seems that it can be found in all 3 stories that showcase forbidden love.
Dui Bon (Two Sisters)
The author specifies that there are two types of women: mothers and lovers. Now, it's unclear of whether he believed that himself and there are a lot of people that would disagree with this, but there's one thing clear to me: the men in this story don't deserve either of them.
Shashanka has a wife who is almost like a mother. Taking care of his every whim and he never appreciates it. Instead, he falls in love with her sister Urmi and doesn't even pretend that it's a huge deal. Urmi doesn't seem to notice how inappropriate her relationship with her brother-in-law is until it's too late. It's astounding how so many of Tagore's characters don't see how inappropriate they're being until later.
And then there's Niraj who pretty much stamps the life out of Urmi and forces her to follow his rules when it comes to her education and starting the hospital in honor of her brother. I'm happy that their marriage never ended up happening.
Malancha
Malancha focuses on a couple names Neeraja and Aditya whose entire life revolves around their garden. When Neeraja suffers a miscarriage and is bedridden, Aditya asks Sarala to help with the garden. This does not sit well with Neeraja since she becomes jealous of Sarala and scared that she will steal her husband from her.
Of course, when you start reading it you think it's just her self-confidence that has taken a huge hit and that she's being paranoid. But it turns out Aditya realizes, after Neeraja pours her heart out to him, that she's right and that he does in fact love Sarala. She has had feelings for him for years. And the fact that he is so ready to toss his wife aside and tell her everything while the woman is literally lying on her death bed is absolutely disgusting to me. If there's on thing men in Tagore's writing have, it's selfishness. But Tagore writes about the human nature and that means focusing on a lot of flaws.
January 3, 2023
"Even before savouring the new, they had become old, familiar and accustomed to each other”
🍂
Three women, is the epic translation of some of the most famous writings of Tagore. These three stories Nashtaneer (The Broken Nest), Malancha (The Arbour) and Dui Bon (The Two Sisters) dives deep into complex emotions of the female protagonists of the stories. These are the tales of infidelity and forbidden love. Major themes discussed in Tagore’s stories are emotional complexities, jealousy, sacrifices,undercurrents in a relationships, bond between married couples & love.
🍂
The broken nest (1901) is a tale of one sided love of charulata for her young cousin. Two sisters (1933) is the story of a man drenched in passion for his business and his forbidden relationship. The Arbour (1934) deals with the same themes as love faded away from Neeraja’s marriage.
🍂
This collection of these three novellas are rich and intense. Recommend for anyone who liked to read novellas.
🍂
Three women, is the epic translation of some of the most famous writings of Tagore. These three stories Nashtaneer (The Broken Nest), Malancha (The Arbour) and Dui Bon (The Two Sisters) dives deep into complex emotions of the female protagonists of the stories. These are the tales of infidelity and forbidden love. Major themes discussed in Tagore’s stories are emotional complexities, jealousy, sacrifices,undercurrents in a relationships, bond between married couples & love.
🍂
The broken nest (1901) is a tale of one sided love of charulata for her young cousin. Two sisters (1933) is the story of a man drenched in passion for his business and his forbidden relationship. The Arbour (1934) deals with the same themes as love faded away from Neeraja’s marriage.
🍂
This collection of these three novellas are rich and intense. Recommend for anyone who liked to read novellas.
May 13, 2024
Three short stories about women in pre-independent West Bengal, navigating their pride, their sensuality, their duty, and their dreams in what must have been an unusual set of stories for its time; to say the least.
I don't know if I can review this in any shape or form. So I'll just say that it was a bittersweet experience reading a book that really should have needed to be translated into English for me to access it. My 75% Bengali genes found a strange comfort in unexpectedly familiar things – a certain term of endearment, descriptions of odd objects in homes that reminded me of one of my grandparents, that very Bengali brand of nakami and abhiman.
Beautiful though the translation is, I so wish I could have read this in its original form. Excuse me while I manage my regrets.
I don't know if I can review this in any shape or form. So I'll just say that it was a bittersweet experience reading a book that really should have needed to be translated into English for me to access it. My 75% Bengali genes found a strange comfort in unexpectedly familiar things – a certain term of endearment, descriptions of odd objects in homes that reminded me of one of my grandparents, that very Bengali brand of nakami and abhiman.
Beautiful though the translation is, I so wish I could have read this in its original form. Excuse me while I manage my regrets.
December 30, 2024
Nasthaneer - 5
Dui bon - 4
Malancha -3.5
All 3 stories are good and have been adapted in many movies and serials, and the plots sometimes slightly altered and used as well.
But there's a huge problem in reading translations, they don't give you the same feel as the native language would have given
example
In Nastaneer
The phenomenon of moon eclipsing the sun in native would be called "grahan" and such things sound better in native language
One more beautiful quote from Nastaneer ,
Dui bon - 4
Malancha -3.5
All 3 stories are good and have been adapted in many movies and serials, and the plots sometimes slightly altered and used as well.
But there's a huge problem in reading translations, they don't give you the same feel as the native language would have given
example
In Nastaneer
So whenever Amal and Charu where together, Manda found a pretext to come between them casting forth her shadow like the moon eclipsing the sun
The phenomenon of moon eclipsing the sun in native would be called "grahan" and such things sound better in native language
One more beautiful quote from Nastaneer ,
" The bamboo plant flowers too," smiled Bhupati, "even if no one can predict when"
December 29, 2019
Extremely interesting book of life and culture in Trinidad. Some of the language which is written in the original patois can occasionally be hard to follow but then I would try to remember a few of my patients and how we would converse, then you get into a rhythm. The scenes are well drawn and you can feel the humidity and mud. Characters stand out and grow, then age.
I can't wait to share this with my few acquaitances from the island.
I can't wait to share this with my few acquaitances from the island.
February 15, 2022
The book is ahead of it's time when it comes to recognising the cracks in conjugal relationships. It talks about the deep desires of women in many layers.
The three women in the three stories are dealing with complex feelings and bonds, and they try hard to mask it up for society.
Gives you a glimpse of the complexity of women and the various roles they don to satisfy the stereotypes of domesticty.
The three women in the three stories are dealing with complex feelings and bonds, and they try hard to mask it up for society.
Gives you a glimpse of the complexity of women and the various roles they don to satisfy the stereotypes of domesticty.
December 26, 2018
I would give each of the novellas (The Broken Nest, Two Sisters, and The Arbour) 4 stars apiece, but taken together it's a 5-star compilation. People are complicated. Sometimes there's no easy answer. Arunava Sinha's translation is beautiful. My favorite is The Broken Nest, but it's probably because it's partially autobiographical.
November 8, 2021
I had known the stories of first two novellas, still I enjoyed reading them. The language of the book is quite tough and it was sometimes difficult to understand. However, the story writing of Tagore is marvellous. The way he captures such intricate emotions with such finesse in words is remarkable. I recommend it for everyone.
August 9, 2020
I love the way the book describes vulnerable emotions, especially when it comes to love,. It is so raw and so genuine that even though the stories are from the early 20th century; they are still so relatable.
July 7, 2023
I still find it unbelievable that stories about domestic life from a century ago are so piercingly relatable that they feel as they they were written yesterday. Everything - the humor, the exploration of psyches, the character tropes - translates to today beautifully.
March 1, 2025
All the three stories describe how differences in opinion, point of view and the lack of emotional attachment with their respective partners can become the end of what could have been a beautiful bonding.
November 19, 2024
My life is a female-centric Tagore novella. Sukhendu Ray translation, though looking at the reviews I should find the other one.
June 19, 2016
Three stories depicting the status of women in Indian society across three decades. It brings to light the complexities associated with love, romance and sexual desires. The first two stories centrally revolves around a lonely , love deprived wife and how she finds solace in a companion out of her marriage. The 3rd story is about a sick and bed ridden women who is engulfed with despair at the thought of leaving her happy household very soon which is further marred by jealousy and revenge. The book can be easily related to real life scenarios ! Must say even if is a translation, it has beautifully played with the emotions of the characters
September 4, 2013
This is my first book on Tagore. Some of the words in this book are hard to comprehend. The English seems to be academic rather than recreational.
Tagore beautifully expores the complex world of relationships . All three novellas deal with forbidden love . The turmoil of the characters who feel the betrayel and loss of love is portrayed in an excellent manner.
I sometimes felt that some of the nuances of the story might have been lost in translation . But for any of the work in a regional language ( Bengali in this case) , we should be happy that we can enjoy it in English.
Tagore beautifully expores the complex world of relationships . All three novellas deal with forbidden love . The turmoil of the characters who feel the betrayel and loss of love is portrayed in an excellent manner.
I sometimes felt that some of the nuances of the story might have been lost in translation . But for any of the work in a regional language ( Bengali in this case) , we should be happy that we can enjoy it in English.
January 6, 2020
Stepping in the shoes of opposite gender and being able to understand their emotions and feel them is such a tough thing to do, but Tagore is the genius who does this so graciously and accurately. The emotions of a female mind; love, possession, jealousy, and sacrifices are so beautifully captured.
This is collection of three novellas that tell the stories of forbidden love and it's effects on people involved.
This is collection of three novellas that tell the stories of forbidden love and it's effects on people involved.
Want to read
October 7, 2012Read Nashtanir(the broken nest) as a teenager, hence moved directly to Dui Bon(two sisters) and totally mesmerised by Rabi Thakur's prose even when translated. I plan on finishing Dui Bon and Malancha and then revisiting Nashtanir with an adult's perspective. All three novellas deal with loneliness within marriages and the knock of forbidden love outside of it.
August 27, 2011
First book of Tagore's fiction that I have read. Fabulous. Full of intense human emotions.
November 18, 2012
There is something lacking in Tagore's prose.
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