'Devil’s Teacup' book review: Dispirited pages
Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay is renowned as the creator of Pather Panchali, which was immortalised by filmmaker Satyajit Ray on screen in 1955. It is a lyrical novel that speaks of the wonders of childhood and life in a Bengal village at the turn of the 20th century. Bandyopadhyay’s other popular works include the novels—Chander Pahar and Aranyak, alongside a number of short-story collections, which document the beauty of the Bengali quotidian of the time. His other, and rather uncanny, area of interest was the occult. He not just wrote about it, but also practised it. This collection of stories attempts to celebrate the lesser-known facet of the author’s life and career. It comprises 13 stories, although the rationale behind the selection process seems unclear.
The only apparent thread is the depiction of women as ghosts, but not in the stereotypical, grotesque versions of shakchunni or petni (Bengali terms for witch). Bandyopadhyay’s ghosts are beautiful. Here, a note about the selection process of the tales by the translator would have rendered the collection a stronger foundation, and given the new reader a great starting point into Bengali literature.
That is exactly why the book, despite being an enterprising endeavour at heart, fails to land the desired effect. While those who have never read Bandyopadhyay may indulge in it out of sheer curiosity, the ones who have, and that too in Bengali, are bound to complain of the dryness of the prose. The lyricism and lilt of the language, quintessential to Bandyopadhyay, gets completely lost in translation. Oftentimes, certain words, although technically correct, fail to have the impact originally intended by the author.
Yet, certain stories stand out, thanks to Bandyopadhyay’s stellar imagination. Examples include The Sword of Ronkini Devi, Curious Case of the Paranormal Medal, Gangadhar’s Calamity, The Ancestral Home, In the Forest of Bomaiburur, and The Paranormal Illusion. The author seamlessly fuses the supernatural with the sentimental to conjure narratives that stay for long. Sometimes, he also brings in the divine like in the story revolving around Ronkini Devi. These tales manage to engage, thanks to the novel story lines, but the remainder, unfortunately, fall prey to the unimaginative translation; the slipshod job of editing on part of the publisher only ruins the reading experience further.
Get this book only for the list of Bandyopadhyay’s stories on the occult. It has nothing more to offer.
The Devil’s Teacup and Other Ghost Stories
By: Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
Translated by: Prasun Roy
Publisher: Fingerprint!
Price: Rs 199
Pages: 192