Updated February 17th, 2020 at 15:25 IST

Bengali literature pieces that you can read in their English-translated version

Sometimes, many great books are unread due to the language barrier. So, here is a list of best Bengali literature pieces that have been translated in English.

Reported by: Chitra Jain
| Image:self
Advertisement

India is a country that holds a list of several languages and cultures. As we know our country has a list of 22 languages that are recognized by the Indian Constitution. So, hence we have a huge amount of rich literature and culture in the country. We have an immense amount of literature books that presented all over the country. Some of the brilliant literature works set a great example of diversity in India. But sometimes the great books are unread due to the language barrier. So, here is a list of best Bengali literature pieces that have been translated in English.

Also read | Arabic, French, And Persian Books That Were Translated In English

List of Bengali books that have been translated in English

Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel laureate was one of the most prominent writers in the 20th-century Indian literature. He has written several books, but among his vast and impressive body of work, "Gitanjali" is observed as one of his greatest achievements. The book has been a perennial bestseller since it was first published in 1910. This book was later translated in English and published in 1912 by the Indian Society of London.

Chokher Bali

Chokher Bali is one of the most famous literature novels by Rabindranath Tagore. This book is known as Tagore’s timeless classic of Bengali literature. This book was published as a serial, a novel on love, family and sexuality in Bengal society. Chokher Bali of Tagore was later translated in English by Krishna Kripalani in 1959.

Also read | Regional Indian Books That Have Gotten Translated Into English

Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali was a literary masterpiece written by the Indian Bengali author Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. He was one of the leading writers of modern Bengali literature. Pather Panchali is one of his most appreciated work which is an autobiographical novel. Pather Panchali portrays the life and struggle of the Roy family in their ancestral village in Bengal. It was translated in English by T.W. Clark and Tarapada Mukherji, who later published the translation in 1968. This book was later adapted into a film of the same name by Satyajit Ray.

Gora

Gora is a book that has been hailed as a monumental work in the history of Bengali fiction. The book has a vast scope and is rich in thought. The story of Gora reflects the social, political and religious scene in Bengal at the turn of the century. The book was written by the famous Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore in 1909. Later the book was translated in English by Sujit Mukherjee in 1998.

Also read | Famous Novels In Marathi That Have Been Translated Into English

Srikanta

Srikanta was an amazing work of a Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Srikanta was a book translated for the first time into English. Saratchandra's Srikanta was first published over seventy years ago and possibly will perhaps be called the first modern Indian novel. Srikanta, the narrator, is an aimless drifter, a passive spectator who cannot survive without the support of an individual stronger than himself. 

Also read | Manto's Pulp Fiction 'Shikari Auratein' Translated Into English

Advertisement

Published February 17th, 2020 at 15:25 IST