The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told

Sunil Gangopadhyay is an icon of contemporary Bengali writing. Poet and author of over 200 books, he is currently the President of the Sahitya Akademi. His works have been the basis of several Satyajit Ray films like Aranyer Dinratri and Pratidwandi. His work of historical fiction, Sei Somoy, won the Indian Sahitya Akademi award in 1985, and continues to be a best-seller after 25 years. He is also the winner of the Bankim Puraskar (1982) and the Ananda Puraskar (twice, in 1972 and 1989).

Detective fiction has never lacked devoted fans. The undying popularity of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot vouch for that fact. In the early thirties, a detective by the name of Byomkesh Bakshi made an unobtrusive entry into the world of Bengali fiction. He preferred calling himself a satyanneshi, a seeker of truth, and within days was a household name, courtesy his cerebral skills and the exciting situations he found himself in. In the tradition of Doyle and Christie, Byomkesh is accompanied on his adventures by his friend, Ajit, slightly obtuse and the perfect foil to him.

The Bengalis are the third largest ethno-linguistic group in the world, after the Han Chinese and the Arabs. A quarter of a billion strong and growing, the community has produced three Nobel laureates, world-class scientists, legendary political leaders, iconic movie stars and directors and an unending stream of writers, philosophers, painters, poets and musicians of the first rank. But, bald facts aside, just who are the Bengalis? What is the community all about? In order to find the answers, the author delves deep into the culture, literature, history and social mores of the Bengalis.

This volume brings together the best of Ruskin Bond’s prose and poetry. For over four decades, by way of innumerable novels, essays, short stories, and poems, the author has mapped out and peopled a unique literary landscape. This anthology has selections from all of his major books and includes the classic novella Delhi Is Not Far. 

Madhubala - the very name conjures up vivid images of a love goddess possessing bewitching beauty, dazzling radiance, subtle sensuality and, above all, a tantalizing screen presence. Her ‘reel life’ histrionic performances held (and continue to hold) audiences/viewers entranced. Her talent was phenomenal, and she could literally glide through a movie, whatever be the role. She could convey an impressive array of emotions with her eloquent eyes and facial expressions without resorting to melodramatic contortions. 

Rabindranath Tagore, India's foremost writer and the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for literature, is perhaps best known for his tender and passionate tales about human yearning and longing. Here then is a collection of 18 short stories that highlight Tagore's profound vision.

Visiting the famous hunter and wildlife writer Mahitosh Sinha-Roy in his Jalpaiguri palace, Feluda is presented with a riddle that holds the clue to ancestral treasure. But before he can begin unraveling the puzzle, Mr Sinha-Roy's secretary is found dead in the forest, his body savaged by a big cat. Feluda's investigations lead him deeper and deeper into a scandalous family secret, and bring him face to face with a bloodthirsty royal Bengal tiger in a final confrontation. 

An incident near the desolate Chhinnamasta temple on the rocky riverbank of Rajrappa leads to the death of Mahesh Chowdhury, the head of a Hazaribagh family. Adding to the mystery are a set of coded diaries, a valuable stamp collection that is missing, and a tiger that is roaming the streets of Hazaribagh. One of Feluda’s most intriguing adventures, this shows the master sleuth at his best.

A Suitable Boy is Vikram Seth's epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. The story unfolds through four middle class families: the Mehras, Kappoors, Khans, and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from her mother to get married. But not to just anyone she happens to fall in love with.

In Revolution Twenty20, Chetan Bhagat explores the lives of three close friends from Varanasi, set against the backdrop of India's corrupt political system. Gopal and Raghav are the best of friends. Although they hail from completely different family backgrounds, they share a common passion for success and realizing their dreams in life. Gopal's family has been caught up in a never-ending property dispute, and he aspires to come out of the mess and amass a lot of wealth, Raghav, on the other hand, desires to bring about a revolution in the system and do something significant for society.

The search for a valuable scroll leads Feluda and his friends to a strange cast of characters, and perhaps the most chilling case Feluda has ever been faced with. For among D.G. Sen, the collector of scrolls, his son Mahim, his secretary Nishith, the wildlife photographer Bilas Majumdar, and the astrologer Laxman Bhattacharya, there is a cold-blooded criminal, and he must be stopped before it is too late.  

Night Train at Deoli is a collection of stories, most of which are set in the valleys of Uttarakhand, a place where the author himself grew up. The stories revolve around the lives of simple folk who live a serene life away from the hustle bustle of cities. These simple and heartwarming stories are sure to hit a chord and bring smiles to the faces of listeners.

Miss Ripley-Bean was sitting on a bench beneath the deodars, having a quiet moment to herself, when suddenly two shadows, larger than life, appeared on the outside wall; they were struggling with each other. Only afterwards, when a dead body was discovered, did Miss Ripley-Bean realize she had witnessed a murder - and that the murderer had seen her.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore needs no introduction. Poet, author, artist, playwright, musician, philosopher, Nobel laureate, and above all, an Indian. He created so much of what it means to be an Indian today: our national anthem, Santiniketan, Rabindra Sangeet, stories of several Satyajit Ray films.The spiritual and emotional beauty of his elegant prose and magical poetry was beautifully captured in his stunningly beautiful short stories.

Nell Stevens’ life is a mess. When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell’s happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, sky-high rents force her to rent a room in a stranger’s house and in a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a f--k up.