A delightful collection of 15 pieces of fiction written by some well-known writers (Ashapurna Devi, Mahasweta Devi) and some not-so-widely known outside Bengal (Bani Basu, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Nabaneeta Dev Sen).
Three stories of each of these writers are included in this anthology. If one wants to make the point that women writers are writers who happen to be female, and can write on subjects other than the female experience too— the vicissitudes of life, in different shades, as the introduction describes it— this book offers good examples.
There is a variety of themes and approaches, ranging from strongly evocative narrations that flood the reader with sentiments of compassion and sympathy, to wry, sarcastic ones that make a point by merely holding up a mirror to day-to-day events. Although the originals were all in Bengali, the translations have been done in such a way that the richness comes through without much loss. Translations from regional writing seldom achieve this.
There is sadness, mirth, satire and pure fun all in good measure. The best story is saved for the last— ‘The testament of Madhobi’ by Suchitra Bhattacharya is about the daughter of King Yayati, of mythology, told in the first person and shows with devastating effectiveness how the situation of women has never been other than a marginalised one, all through history and beyond.
For want of a son...
Sage Vishwamitra’s disciple is required to procure 800 horses as guru dakshina and he offers Madhobi instead, because she can be traded for horses if various kings (who possess these special horses) gain access to her for the sake of begetting sons. (In modern times, the same obsessive hankering for sons sees women undergoing sex determination tests and repeated abortions, as if they were baby-producing machines— which in a way, is what they have been seen as, all through history, by princes and paupers alike). When she does produce sons, the infants are taken away from her, because they “belong to the father”.
‘The aftermath’ by Nabaneeta Dev Sen likewise, uses mythology to make a point about human frailty. In contrast, the opening story, ‘Dhouli’ by Mahasweta Devi (one of three stories by her included here) is created on a modern canvas, while Bani Basu’s story even includes a son who has married a foreigner abroad and come home on a visit with his ‘bilayati’ bahu.
The scathing comment on woman’s sexual exploitation comes through fully even in translation. Interestingly, there is no specific cultural imagery that limits these stories to a Bengali matrix— these trans-generational narratives could be from anywhere and enjoyed as such. One story (‘Bonds’, by Suchitra Bhattacharya) is about the plight of today’s elderly parents who are neglected by their children who are only bothered about getting ahead in life. Altogether, an enjoyable collection, and a good read. The translator, editor and publisher deserve as much praise as the authors themselves.
Three Sides of Life
Short stories by Bengali Women Writers
Saumitra Chakravarty (ed)
Oxford University Press, 2007
Price Rs 350 (hardcover)
