Chowringhee (novel)

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Chowringhee
Chowringhee book cover.jpg
The cover of Chowringhee published by Penguin books
Author Sankar
Original titleচৌরঙ্গী
Translator Arunava Sinha
Language Bengali
GenreFiction
PublisherDey's Publishing in Bengali, Penguin books and Atlantic Books in English
Publication date
1962
Published in English
2007
Pages360 in Bengali (Dey's Publishing 1994 edition), 403 (Penguin 2007 edition) and 416 (Atlantic 2009 edition) in English
ISBN 978-1-84354-914-7
OCLC 551425289

Chowringhee is a 1962 novel by Bengali author Sankar. First published in Bengali, the book became a bestseller and has since been translated into several Indian languages, as well as English. Set in mid-20th century Kolkata, the novel follows the lives of staff and guests at the Shahjahan Hotel, exploring themes of class, love, and urban life. The English translation by Arunava Sinha (2007) received critical acclaim, winning the Vodafone Crossword Book Award for best translation and being shortlisted for the 2010 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Chowringhee has also been adapted into both a film and a play, and is regarded as one of the most popular works of modern Bengali literature.

Contents

Plot summary

Sankar named his novel Chowringhee as the novel is set in Chowringhee, a neighborhood in Calcutta, in the mid-1950s. The narrator, Shankar, an ambitious young man who was previously a secretary of an English barrister becomes unemployed as the Barrister dies all of a sudden and he is forced to sell wastepaper baskets door to door. Once, as he takes rest in a neighborhood park, reminiscing about his past and fearful of what awaits him in future, Byron, a friend of his passes by and is shocked by Shankar's descent into poverty. He finds Shankar a job at the Shahjahan Hotel, one of the city's oldest and most venerable hotels.

Shankar is soon befriended by Sata Bose, the hotel's chief receptionist, and after a brief stint as a typist, Shankar becomes Bose's main assistant and close confidant. The manager Marco Polo who is feared by all likes him as well, and the young Shankar is given more responsibilities. The story of the novel spins around the guests, entertainers, and frequent visitors of the Shahjahan, but several members of the hotel staff get equal importance in Shankar's narrative. We learn about the seamy underside of the elite of Calcutta, whose greed, shady deals, and shameful behaviors are initially shocking to our naïve young man, who soon becomes jaded and disgusted by them. The poverty of working and jobless Calcuttans is vividly portrayed, as those not in the upper echelon are only one stroke of bad luck away from living in the streets or in dilapidated hovels. Love is a central theme, amongst the guests and workers, with often tragic results.

Reception

The English translation of Chowringhee received widespread praise from critics. Boyd Tonkin of The Independent described it as "a panoramic, Dickensian saga of modern Calcutta," noting how it captured the lives of both the wealthy elite and the working poor. [1] The Telegraph (India) published multiple articles reflecting on the book’s enduring legacy, calling it a "classic that continues to speak to readers across generations." [2] In 2021, the paper revisited the book in its "Sunday Classics" series, emphasizing its timeless themes. [3] In 2010, The Guardian highlighted the novel’s international reach when it was shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. [4]

Awards

The English translation of Chowringhee, translated by Arunava Sinha, won the Vodafone Crossword Book Award in 2007 for best translation. [5] It was also shortlisted for the 2010 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. [6]

Adaptation

A film named Chowringhee was released in 1968 under the direction of Pinaki Bhushan Mukherjee. The film stars Uttam Kumar, Anjana Bhowmik and Subhendu Chatterjee in lead roles. [7] [8]

References

  1. Tonkin, Boyd (18 April 2009). "Review: Chowringhee by Sankar, translated by Arunava Sinha". The Independent.
  2. "55 years young Chowringhee". The Telegraph (India). 2017.
  3. "Sunday Classics: 'Chowringhee' by Sankar". The Telegraph (India). 2021.
  4. "Independent Foreign Fiction Prize shortlist 2010". The Guardian. 2010.
  5. "Behind the scenes stories from Shankar's iconic novel 'Chowringhee'". TwoCircles.net. 21 August 2008.
  6. "Independent Foreign Fiction Prize shortlist 2010". The Guardian. 2010.
  7. "What Srijit Mukherji thinks about the 1968 cult classic 'Chowringhee'?". The Times of India. 4 January 2019. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  8. Datta, Sudipta (23 June 2022). "Looking back at 'Chowringhee' by Sankar on Kolkata". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 18 June 2024.