Easily one of the most towering figures of Bengali literature of the twentieth century, Buddhadev Bose was as prolific as he was versatile. A poet of renown, Bose was also an accomplished playwright, novelist, essayist and short-story writer. His prose is marked by invention, refreshing modernity and an easy yet deep engagement with timeless themes: love, the nature of memory, and the complexity of the relationship between man and woman—qualities which keep Bose’s work enduringly relevant.
This collection brings together ten stories and two one-act plays which embody all of these qualities. In ‘The Love Letter’, Birupaksha Ray, a translator and a linguist, receives a ciphered missive from an old flame, unlocking which could occupy the rest of his life; in ‘A Scent of Tulsi’, Mihir, a husband comfortable in his patriarchy discovers a side to his wife, Kamala, which shakes up his world. And, in ‘Twenty-five Years After—or Before’, a one-act play, old lovers meet by chance at an international airport and talk about opportunities missed, and those not taken.
Translated by Arunava Sinha with trademark flair and accuracy, Restless Was the Night and Other Stories demonstrates why Buddhadev Bose occupies such a premier position in Bengali literature. This volume will appeal to Bose’s fans as well as to all lovers of great fiction.