Novel
Pather Panchali: Song of the Little Road
পথের পাঁচালী
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay · 1929
Synopsis
In the village of Nischindipur, in Bengal, Harihar Roy, a poor Brahmin, lives on his duties as a priest and dreams of writing. His wife Sarbajaya keeps the house where the old Indir Thakrun, a widowed cousin who pilfers from the already empty kitchen, has taken refuge. Their daughter Durga steals fruit from the neighbouring orchard for the old woman, then watches over her little brother Apu, with whom she follows the sweet seller, discovers the theatre and runs to watch the train go by, while poverty tightens its hold on the family.
Context
The author began the novel in 1925 at Bhagalpur and finished it in 1928; it first appeared as a serial in the magazine Bichitra, then in book form in 1929 from Ranjan Prakashalay. It was his first novel, largely drawn from his own childhood; it was followed by Aparajito in 1932. Satyajit Ray read it in 1943 while illustrating a new edition and made his first film from it in 1955. France Bhattacharya translated it into French, in the Unesco collection of representative works.
Who it is for
A long novel of childhood, made of episodes rather than plot, which follows the rhythm of the seasons. It can be read without knowing anything about Bengal, but gains from being read before the film made from it.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as its author's masterpiece and as one of the great novels of rural life; translated into many languages.
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