The Song Seekers

by Saswati Sengupta

 In The Song Seekers, the debut novel by Saswati Sengupta, the monsoon rains wash over the city of Kolkata while four women sit and read and talk in the kitchen of Kailash, the old mansion of the Chattopadhyays where Uma comes to live after her marriage in the summer of 1962. It is a place of mystery to Uma. Her husband’s silence about his mother’s murder and the childhood tragedy that beckons him from the shadowy landing of Kailash, the embroidered handkerchiefs in an old soap box in her father-in-law’s room, and the strange presence of the old, green-eyed Pishi—all intrigue and mystify her. But it is only as she begins to read aloud the traditional Chandimangal—composed by her husband’s grandfather to celebrate the goddess—that the long-buried stories begin to emerge.

In The Song Seekers, Saswati Sengupta recasts the militant goddess Chandi as a wife and interweaves the history of the Portuguese in Bengal, the rise of print, the swadeshi movement, and the turbulence of the 1960s in Bengal. These disparate elements all come together as Uma discovers that the foundation of the mansion is not only very deep, but it also masks the stink of death.

349 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Soumyabrata Sarkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical Fiction, Folklore, Mythology, Murder Mystery, Drama, so many layers are heightened by this novel. And thrown into it are bunch of beautifully chosen poems and their equally evocative translations.

Calcutta or Kolkata described in the novel, reminds me of Sunil Gangopadhyay's Shei Shomoy, the epic masterpiece that won him the Sahitya Akademi Award for in 1985, such is its lyrical and illustrious evolution described in the novel.

In some other way, it reminds uncannily of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, only in here, a couple of household women set out to uncode the songs of their origin and that of the scriptures, to find about the Goddess in Mythology - The Eternal Feminine, demure or violent, domesticated or wild in every form of herself, bereft of brahminical or orthodox pride and dilutions.

The story tells of a house in Kolkata, named Kailash(after Shiva's residence), it's main resident (generally the male heir) bearing the name of Shiva (Neelkantha, Sashisekhar, Asutosh and Rudra).

The story starts with Uma, coming into the household of Kailash, upon married to Rudra, the youngest heir of Kailash.

We also see a plethora of side characters, leading up the main story. The author also gives them enough voices for us to hear them too. The neglected yet dignified Pishi, downtrodden and lonely Bamundi, stubborn and willy help Khema, Khagen. The character Shisir with only about one page also finds a place into the story. We have Haimanti and Shivani, characters suffering unnecessarily at the hands of their own ones and sometimes to their own thoughts and actions.

It also lets us know, how history are written by the people who yield the pen, who have the might. Other's are excluded, separated and bordered to other confines. Cast-hierarchy, treatment of women and many more social stigmas that may be prevalent even today, are portrayed with strong fist.

It's a brilliant juxtaposition of merging up past and present, telling parallel tales of Uma and Pishi, along their lines and lives, converging and diverging to somewhat same environments and evoking the feminine presence in one's mind.

Beautifully rendered writing!
Recommended for lovers of Kolkata, folklore, goddess-mythology, history etc.

[Surbhi Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The satisfaction of finishing a great book is unmatched. Yet, after reading the last page, I was almost immediately tempted to reread this gem of a book for the sheer experience of it. The history of Bengal, its culture and folklore, the book covers each element with such intricacy that you feel an important part of the narrative and its world. It is a poignant exploration of the lives of women in Indian society since time immemorial. It presents an apt example of how feminism is intimately associated with the struggles for caste, class, and religion equality. And what an evocative and intriguing example that is! Weaved around mystery and laced with beautiful poems throughout, this makes for a perfect unputdownable read.
I would someday read this in one sitting, as it should be read, giving it my undivided attention and absorbing everything that this book has to offer.

[Nanta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating tale of history, oppression,myth and smothered voices told with great intrigue.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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