Visiting library has many
great benefits. One can come across variety of books, old ones, rare editions, precious and valuable books, new arrivals,
etc. I do visit my district's central library often. It has a very big reference section with numerous very useful books. Once while glancing through
the English Literature section, I came across this book Indigo Stories. It is a
collection of Bengali short stories written by the famous Indian cinema
director Satyajit Ray.
Two reasons why I chose to
read this book. First, the name Satyajit Ray drew me towards the book that I
instantly took it from the shelf. I have known the great man only as a filmmaker
but never knew that he has published stories too. In fact, most directors are
writers themselves. Aren’t they? Next thing, it’s a collection of short
stories. I prefer to read short stories rather than hundreds of pages of novels
with only one story.
‘Indigo Stories’ has horror,
fantasy, adventure, magic and supernatural stories. They were translated into English by Gopa Majumdar and some of them were
translated by Ray himself. All of them look seemingly very simple and average. Yet
they hold the attention of the readers with a humorous narration, suspenseful plot and fantasy elements,
like other similar works of Ray.
The characters in the stories, their lives and
the places are very ordinary, yet they land in unimaginable and extraordinary
circumstances. In the segment The Scarecrow, a writer gets stranded near a
paddy field on his way to the city and encounters the scarecrow in the field
that becomes alive. In I am Ghost, a ghost occupying an abandoned burnt
bungalow tells about its past life and how it is to be a ghost. In The Case of
Mrigaonko Babu, the protagonist feels that he has not evolved as a complete
human being. Another one Patel Babu - Film Star tells the story of an artist who
strives for excellence and perfection rather than fame and wealth. In the
titular Indigo, a traveler who takes shelter for one night in an old lonely
bungalow encounters bizarrely the events happened over a century before. Likewise, each
and every tale has its own charm and elegance. A few characters became unforgettable
once I finish reading them. In one way or other, we can connect them with the
events in our own life to some extent.
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| Satyajit Ray - pioneer of Indian cinema |
Ray was quite imaginative, a quality that is a mandate for a creator. He has had an endless fascination towards supernatural and ghost fantasies. That’s
how most of the tales turn out to be of such genre. Through the stories, Ray
presents us with the beautiful, aesthetic valued Bengal of 1950s, its people,
lifestyle, the environment and surroundings. In addition to this,
Above all, the most inviting
aspect I find in this book is that they are very crisp and clear. No story lasts for more than 10 pages, no unwanted contents. Very
apt for slow readers and lazy people like me! No problem in losing the
continuity.
Simply speaking, Indigo Stories is a treat and treasure to
the voracious readers especially those who are very much fond of short and
fictional stories.
Happy reading...
