Palamou: A 19th Century Classic of Bengali Travel Literature

ISBN-13: 9781495473302 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 68 str.

Sanjib Chandra Chattopadhyay; Arnab Bhattacharya

Opis

This book, primarily a travelogue, is an early specimen of cultural anthropology which gives an urban reader a refreshing and authentic view of the life style of the tribal population in Indian forests. The lives of the Kole community, their culture and belief-system, their social structure have been limned with sensitive and vibrant details by the author here. As such, the elements of wonder and amazement in the book are never really exhausted. Secondly, Sanjibchandra's style of narration which combines an analytic mind with an ever-wakeful, vivacious child-like curiosity enlivens the spirit of reading, imparting an adventure-like quality to his writing. Thirdly, Sanjibchandra had tremendous mastery over deploying metaphors and similes which makes the places and sights that he describes immediately palpable. Fourthly, in many pages of the narration the agony and the ignominy of being under the colonial rule make themselves felt and manifest which makes for an interesting study for the post-colonial critics. And last but not least, Sanjibchandra's aesthetics, his notions of beauty permeate and intersperse the narrative to such an extent that these may also be critically interesting to the researchers. In fine, it is a thoroughly enjoyable book for the lay readers and a thought-provoking book for the serious researchers.