Joishthyer Halud Dupur by Shankar Chattopadhyay [Hardcover]

The responsibility of chronicling the saga of three generations—Bidhushekhar, Anandashekhar, and Indrajit—has fallen upon expatriate scientist Anirban Chattopadhyay. Bidhushekhar was a clerk at a steamship company, Anandashekhar was a chemist inspired by the ideals of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, and Indrajit is a pioneer of contemporary music and cinema.

The lives of these three men, hidden in the folds of memory and forgetfulness, stretch across the entirety of the 20th century—from colonial India to independent India. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of famine, the brutal riots, independence, the agony of Partition, the struggles and ideals of a failed scientist, the turbulent politics of the Naxalite movement, and the sorrow of losing loved ones. All these find vivid expression in Jyeshthyer Holud Dupur (The Golden Noon of Jyeshtha).

This novel tells an extraordinary story of the ordinary middle class—the very middle class that has moved seamlessly through music, art, literature, and science. Drawn from the lives that surround us, this tale is not just an isolated story; its long shadow lingers over countless Bengali families scarred by Partition. It is, in essence, the history of Bengalis in the 20th century—a reflection of all of life’s experiences, a guidepost for future generations to live meaningfully.

A unique addition to Bengali literature, this book is an innovative saga of the conflicts and struggles of three generations.