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Troilokyonath Mukhopadhyay (1847-1919) is one of the foremost writers of fiction of nineteenth-century Bengal. He is a master of the genre of fantasy writing.Domoruchorit, posthumously published in 1923, is a book which contains seven tales that are suffused with hilarious narration, sparkling wit, and cutting-edge satire. The tales capture the adda spirit of nineteenth-century Bengal and caters a disinct old world charm. Each of the stories comes up with a vignette of nineteenth-century Bengal with its politics of swadeshi movement and the social reality comprising casteism, child marriage, premature widowhood, feudal tyranny, and colonial oppression. And in each of these stories Troilokyonath Mukhopadhyay blends facts and fiction so magically that some critics have preferred to call him the first magic realist author of Bengal, even if he wrote at a time when magic realism was not even remotely known anywhere in the world. The stories purvey the flavour of a long-lost community life and homosocial male bonding which was once a distinctive part of Bengali culture.
The central conflict arises from the collision of mundane nineteenth-century Bengali social realities with the absurd, fantastical occurrences recounted during traditional social gatherings. The protagonist, Domoruchorit, navigates a world defined by rigid caste structures, colonial pressures, and feudal tyranny, yet he frequently finds himself entangled in supernatural or surreal predicaments. These narratives utilize a conversational framework, mimicking the oral tradition of the Bengali adda to frame the protagonist's objectives, which often involve surviving or outwitting the bizarre forces that disrupt his daily life. The stories operate within a framework where the logical constraints of colonial Bengal are constantly subverted by the intrusion of the impossible.
Readers and critics frequently identify this work as a significant precursor to the magic realism genre, noting the author's ability to weave surrealism into the fabric of daily life. Discussion often centers on the unique atmosphere of the Bengali adda, which provides a distinct, conversational rhythm to the prose. The balance between sharp social satire and imaginative fantasy is often cited as the primary strength of the collection. Observers highlight how the stories preserve a specific cultural history while maintaining a humorous and engaging tone that remains accessible to modern audiences.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2018-01-28
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199477396
ISBN-13:
9780199477395
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