Novel
The Tale of Hansuli Turn
হাঁসুলী বাঁকের উপকথা
Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay · 1947
Synopsis
In a village in Bengal, the Kahar, an untouchable caste classed as a “criminal tribe”, live at Hansuli Bank, a bend of the Kopai river shaped like a necklace, according to their old customs and beliefs. A terrifying noise disturbs the night and divides the community: are the gods leaving? The chief Bonwari, guardian of an ancient ethic, is opposed by the young rebel Karali, who leaves the fields for the railway depot, while the Second World War draws near the village.
Context
The novel first appeared, in a shorter version, in the Durga Puja number of the Anandabazar Patrika in 1946, then in book form in 1947, and was revised and expanded in several editions up to 1951. It is set in 1941. The author puts into it the language of his region, which he had brought into Bengali prose. Tapan Sinha made a film of it in 1962, and Ben Conisbee Baer translated it into English for Columbia University Press in 2011.
Who it is for
A long, dense novel in local speech and beliefs, with no French translation. It exists in English.
Prizes and reception
Ranked among the major works of its author; Tapan Sinha's film received a jury prize at the San Francisco festival.
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