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Collected Short Stories
Best known for his immensely popular Feluda mysteries and the adventures of Professor Shonku, Satyajit Ray was also one of the most skilful short story writers of his generation. Ray s short stories often explore the macabre and the supernatural, and are marked by the sharp characterization and trademark wit that distinguishes his films. This collection brings together Ray s best short stories including such timeless gems as Khagam , Indigo , Fritz , Bhuto , The Pterodactyl s Egg , Big Bill , PatolBabu, Film Star and The Hungry Septopus which readers of all ages will enjoy. Translated from the Bengali by the author and Gopa Majumdar.
688 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2015
182 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Satyajit Ray
673 books1,521 followersSatyajit Ray (Bengali: সত্যজিৎ রায়) was an Indian filmmaker and author of Bengali fiction and regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and watching Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist 1948 film, Bicycle Thieves.
Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at children and adolescents.
Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Early Life and Background:
Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. Sukumar Ray, Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali author and poet of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.
Ray completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta, though his interest was always in Fine Arts. In 1940, he went to study in Santiniketan where Ray came to appreciate Oriental Art. In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das and the couple had a son, Sandip ray, who is now a famous film director.
Literary Works:
Ray created two of the most famous fictional characters ever in Bengali children's literature—Feluda, a sleuth in Holmesian tradition, and Professor Shonku, a genius scientist. Ray also wrote many short stories mostly centered on Macabre, Thriller and Paranormal which were published as collections of 12 stories. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982). He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).
Awards, Honors and Recognitions:
Ray received many awards, including 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India. At the Moscow Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded for the contribution to cinema. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three to win the Silver Bear for Best Director more than once and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations, with seven. At the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for Aparajito(1956), and awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at children and adolescents.
Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival. This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
Early Life and Background:
Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. Sukumar Ray, Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali author and poet of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.
Ray completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta, though his interest was always in Fine Arts. In 1940, he went to study in Santiniketan where Ray came to appreciate Oriental Art. In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das and the couple had a son, Sandip ray, who is now a famous film director.
Literary Works:
Ray created two of the most famous fictional characters ever in Bengali children's literature—Feluda, a sleuth in Holmesian tradition, and Professor Shonku, a genius scientist. Ray also wrote many short stories mostly centered on Macabre, Thriller and Paranormal which were published as collections of 12 stories. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982). He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).
Awards, Honors and Recognitions:
Ray received many awards, including 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India. At the Moscow Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded for the contribution to cinema. At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three to win the Silver Bear for Best Director more than once and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations, with seven. At the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for Aparajito(1956), and awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 5, 2017
Satyajit Ray was a clever writer- his twists are fun, his plots crisp with nary a sentence wasted, and it is not surprising he and Dahl were contemporaries. However, much more than his cleverness, he was a kind writer. He doled justice, pity, charity, humour, friendships, and comfort like a kindly god, marvelling at the eccentricity of the world, but always fair.
I take away one star because apparently there is no space for a story featuring a woman. The prevailing societal norms might not have allowed women free-wheeling adventures around a lush Bengal countryside (Satyajit Ray continues to slyly use his literature to highlight the lesser-known delights of Bengal tourism), but it is hard to believe no woman ever faced a spook or missed an old friend or had an interesting enough experience for her to feature in this collection. Other than that, this is a rather delightful collection of stories and cannot be more highly recommended.
I take away one star because apparently there is no space for a story featuring a woman. The prevailing societal norms might not have allowed women free-wheeling adventures around a lush Bengal countryside (Satyajit Ray continues to slyly use his literature to highlight the lesser-known delights of Bengal tourism), but it is hard to believe no woman ever faced a spook or missed an old friend or had an interesting enough experience for her to feature in this collection. Other than that, this is a rather delightful collection of stories and cannot be more highly recommended.
July 11, 2021
Satyajit Ray is undoubtedly a master storyteller. This book is a collection of 49 wonderful stories written by Satyajit Ray. The versatility of the stories throughout this book left me amazed with a lot of mystery, a pinch of humor, a bit of supernatural, and sci-fi. It was a delight to read each story with its own twists and turns, I loved the quirky humor in the stories. Some stories were so good, they compelled me to think about human behaviour, why we do what we do...overall it was a fantastic reading experience. Some of my favourites from this collection are 'The Pterodactyl's Egg', 'Patol Babu, Film Star', 'Barin Bhowmick's Ailment', and 'Fotikchand'.
December 27, 2020
A really nice set of stories. Contains Ray's best 49 tales. Fotikchandra and Pterodactyl's Eggs would be my favourite. Stories largely tend to be supernatural and mystery, with uniform distribution throughout the book. A scent of originality and connection emanates from each of them. Ray's writing breaths life into the characters and the settings, bringing the India of the bygone era alive to the reader. The author's masterful talent for creating long-lasting visuals is perceptively evident throughout.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
October 22, 2018
49 Stories to grip you !!!
These are stories collected by Satyajit Ray and translated by Gopa Majumdar.
Each story tells something about human nature. Some stories have that pinch of humor , but each of them has a surprise element in it. Some are Spooky, Some has that light paranormal touch. couple of them were Scifi too. It is a Treasure trove for anyone with thirst for a good story.
The stories are at par with excellence and promises to provide you value of the time spent on the book.
I wish it never ended !!!!
These are stories collected by Satyajit Ray and translated by Gopa Majumdar.
Each story tells something about human nature. Some stories have that pinch of humor , but each of them has a surprise element in it. Some are Spooky, Some has that light paranormal touch. couple of them were Scifi too. It is a Treasure trove for anyone with thirst for a good story.
The stories are at par with excellence and promises to provide you value of the time spent on the book.
I wish it never ended !!!!
July 22, 2018
The versatility that this collection offers is amazing. It has stories from Sci-Fi, comic, mystery, a bit of horror, Kids stuff and lot of other genre as well. A collection you'll definitely enjoy if you are in a mood to read something light but interesting at the same time.
August 4, 2021
Exceptional story telling by Sri Satyajit Ray.
I took a long time to finish this huge book. Each story spun such a web of imagination and thought process that, it was not so easy to read many in a day. I used to read a story then go about thinking of how well so much can be said with so little.
Each story makes you think.
There were few stereotypes, but none the less, the stories were extremely pleasant.
I committed a sin by reading it on the kindle, but this book has gotta grace your bookshelf, it definitely deserves a physical form, in fact all of Sri Satyajit Ray's work.
Worth buying a new physical copy.
Rating 5/5
I took a long time to finish this huge book. Each story spun such a web of imagination and thought process that, it was not so easy to read many in a day. I used to read a story then go about thinking of how well so much can be said with so little.
Each story makes you think.
There were few stereotypes, but none the less, the stories were extremely pleasant.
I committed a sin by reading it on the kindle, but this book has gotta grace your bookshelf, it definitely deserves a physical form, in fact all of Sri Satyajit Ray's work.
Worth buying a new physical copy.
Rating 5/5
January 23, 2019
Picking up Satyajit Ray and alternating it with Murakami was the most adventurous thing I’ve done in the recent past.
But simplicity took precedence over ambiguity. The reading mood, after alternating between both for a bit, demanded that Ray be given more preference, and so Murakami got left behind for a later date.
Ray’s master story telling can delight as much as it can disturb. It can evoke as much as it can provoke. From Feluda to Apu trilogy, the pendulum of his writing prowess swings in equal and opposite direction, leaving the reader intrigued and engrossed.
Maybe it’s the familiarity of an Indian setting or the old world charm, his stories leave you enveloped in a different world (much like the stories by Rabindranath Tagore).
Below, I have handpicked some stories from this charming collection to give you a glimpse of what lies inside...
—- ‘Bonku babu’s friend’ - What happens when an alien kidnaps Bonku babu for a few minutes? This story is a rendezvous with an alien (Ang from planet Craneus), and the resultant a life-altering consequences.
—- ‘Fritz’ - Daunted by a childhood experience, thirty seven year old Jayanti goes back to Bundi to recover a part of his childhood...a 12 inch Swiss doll he’d play with, named Fritz. But what presents itself, instead, is a haunting experience. Do the ghosts of our past really leave us?
—- ‘The case of Mriganko Babu’ - A fascinating story about a man who rediscovers his primordial position in the process of evolution.
—- ‘The pterodactyl’s egg’ - where Badan Babu receives a delightful treasure of information through stories told by a stranger who claims to have travelled back and forth through time.
—- ‘Kutum and Katam’ - As Shakespeare rightly said, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
‘Kutum and katam’, loosely translated as ‘broken branches with strange shapes’ is a story with an eerie ring to it, and makes us delve on occurrences beyond the scope of human rationale.
—- ‘Patol Babu - filmstar’ . I recall watching this one as a short film adaptation on YouTube and loving it even then. The story makes you reflect on the true meaning of self-satisfaction, as you journey through the heart-warming dedication and attention to detail, a theatre artist puts in, even while playing, what others would consider, an insignificant role.
—- ‘The hungry septopus’ -
We are all familiar with the age-old argument between vegetarians and non vegetarians; It’s ok to eat plants but not animals, as the former are not living creatures and do not possess life, unlike the latter.
But what about carnivorous plants like the Venus fly trap, Nepenthes etc?
This story is an account of a deadly encounter with a man-eating plant called the Septopus, that is introduced to the protagonist, Piramal, by his botanist friend. What ensues is a combination of fear, chaos, and a great story in hindsight...
Undoubtedly one of the best stories in the collection.
—- ‘The small world of Sadanand’ - explores the vivid imagination of a febrile thirteen year old as he befriends and plays hero to an army of red ants.
—- ‘Khagam’ - a sage, a snake, and a curse. What happens when skeptical natured Dhurjati Babu, kills Imli Baba’s pet snake?
Another favourite from the collection, this one ends on a spine-chilling note.
—- ‘Barin Bhowmik’s ailment’ - A now cured kleptomaniac, Barin Bhowmik, while traveling, chances upon the man he had once stolen from during a similar train journey years ago.
However, his changed appearance over the years makes him unrecognisable to the man, leaving Barin Babu with two choices, admit his crime or ignore it.
I could go on talking about each of the forty-nine stories. But I will leave you’ll to discover the rest for yourselves.
Frankly, I have often wondered whether translated works are able to do justice to the original. (I feel some of the magic tends to get lost in translation.) But Gopa Majumdar, I must say, has done a decent job. None of the stories in any way felt inadequate or lacking in clarity.
While some made me smile, there were some that caused me goosebumps, and still others that left me feeling gobsmacked with their surprise ending.
With simple yet effective narration, this anthology was a joy to read.
Recommended for all ‘Ray’ fans...
But simplicity took precedence over ambiguity. The reading mood, after alternating between both for a bit, demanded that Ray be given more preference, and so Murakami got left behind for a later date.
Ray’s master story telling can delight as much as it can disturb. It can evoke as much as it can provoke. From Feluda to Apu trilogy, the pendulum of his writing prowess swings in equal and opposite direction, leaving the reader intrigued and engrossed.
Maybe it’s the familiarity of an Indian setting or the old world charm, his stories leave you enveloped in a different world (much like the stories by Rabindranath Tagore).
Below, I have handpicked some stories from this charming collection to give you a glimpse of what lies inside...
—- ‘Bonku babu’s friend’ - What happens when an alien kidnaps Bonku babu for a few minutes? This story is a rendezvous with an alien (Ang from planet Craneus), and the resultant a life-altering consequences.
—- ‘Fritz’ - Daunted by a childhood experience, thirty seven year old Jayanti goes back to Bundi to recover a part of his childhood...a 12 inch Swiss doll he’d play with, named Fritz. But what presents itself, instead, is a haunting experience. Do the ghosts of our past really leave us?
—- ‘The case of Mriganko Babu’ - A fascinating story about a man who rediscovers his primordial position in the process of evolution.
—- ‘The pterodactyl’s egg’ - where Badan Babu receives a delightful treasure of information through stories told by a stranger who claims to have travelled back and forth through time.
—- ‘Kutum and Katam’ - As Shakespeare rightly said, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
‘Kutum and katam’, loosely translated as ‘broken branches with strange shapes’ is a story with an eerie ring to it, and makes us delve on occurrences beyond the scope of human rationale.
—- ‘Patol Babu - filmstar’ . I recall watching this one as a short film adaptation on YouTube and loving it even then. The story makes you reflect on the true meaning of self-satisfaction, as you journey through the heart-warming dedication and attention to detail, a theatre artist puts in, even while playing, what others would consider, an insignificant role.
—- ‘The hungry septopus’ -
We are all familiar with the age-old argument between vegetarians and non vegetarians; It’s ok to eat plants but not animals, as the former are not living creatures and do not possess life, unlike the latter.
But what about carnivorous plants like the Venus fly trap, Nepenthes etc?
This story is an account of a deadly encounter with a man-eating plant called the Septopus, that is introduced to the protagonist, Piramal, by his botanist friend. What ensues is a combination of fear, chaos, and a great story in hindsight...
Undoubtedly one of the best stories in the collection.
—- ‘The small world of Sadanand’ - explores the vivid imagination of a febrile thirteen year old as he befriends and plays hero to an army of red ants.
—- ‘Khagam’ - a sage, a snake, and a curse. What happens when skeptical natured Dhurjati Babu, kills Imli Baba’s pet snake?
Another favourite from the collection, this one ends on a spine-chilling note.
—- ‘Barin Bhowmik’s ailment’ - A now cured kleptomaniac, Barin Bhowmik, while traveling, chances upon the man he had once stolen from during a similar train journey years ago.
However, his changed appearance over the years makes him unrecognisable to the man, leaving Barin Babu with two choices, admit his crime or ignore it.
I could go on talking about each of the forty-nine stories. But I will leave you’ll to discover the rest for yourselves.
Frankly, I have often wondered whether translated works are able to do justice to the original. (I feel some of the magic tends to get lost in translation.) But Gopa Majumdar, I must say, has done a decent job. None of the stories in any way felt inadequate or lacking in clarity.
While some made me smile, there were some that caused me goosebumps, and still others that left me feeling gobsmacked with their surprise ending.
With simple yet effective narration, this anthology was a joy to read.
Recommended for all ‘Ray’ fans...
October 11, 2021
Satyajit Ray is for sure the best art minds we can see.
Amazed to see him having written android and more scientific facts on plants, birds, animals...
many of the stories deal with perceptions, magic, belief and science/logic....
Amazed to see him having written android and more scientific facts on plants, birds, animals...
many of the stories deal with perceptions, magic, belief and science/logic....
April 24, 2018
A fresh perspective in storytelling! Satyajit Ray was a master of spinning a tale. Each story in this book is spooky, fun, heart warming and heart wrenching all at once. Reading these short stories will help anyone get interested in reading books. Commendable work, however, In all the 50 odd stories, I did not find the story of a female protagonist. It was slightly disappointing. Keeping in mind that these stories were written at a time when a female lead or a female main character would have been incomprehensible, it is not really a fallacy on Mr. Ray's part to have not written from a woman's point of view. Having said that, however, it is imperative to mention that the characterization and psychological make up of his subjects were generic enough to be applied to both - men and women.
Highly recommended. A must have for your bookshelf.
Highly recommended. A must have for your bookshelf.
May 9, 2018
This one has been with me for months, and for good reason: I didn't want it to end. Now that it has, I almost feel sad. And am aware it is just a book. But then, maybe not.
The collection has 49 stories, told in the signature crispness and economy of words which is Satyajit Ray's hallmark, and the most obvious sign of his genius.
The 674 pages covers tales dwelling on topics covering a wide expanse of the wildest imagination: aliens, time travel, man-eating plants, extinct birds, magic, androids, ghosts, conscious skeletons and sometimes, just plain old gritty reality seeped in the darkest of mysteries.
One of the blurbs on the back cover says the stories is a peek into the mind of a genius. I couldn't agree more.
A book that every book-shelf, and its owner, shall cherish.
The collection has 49 stories, told in the signature crispness and economy of words which is Satyajit Ray's hallmark, and the most obvious sign of his genius.
The 674 pages covers tales dwelling on topics covering a wide expanse of the wildest imagination: aliens, time travel, man-eating plants, extinct birds, magic, androids, ghosts, conscious skeletons and sometimes, just plain old gritty reality seeped in the darkest of mysteries.
One of the blurbs on the back cover says the stories is a peek into the mind of a genius. I couldn't agree more.
A book that every book-shelf, and its owner, shall cherish.
February 5, 2020
If you want to gift a book (to a kid OR a story-loving elder), I would recommend this book!
It's just awesome and it explains beyond words about the talent of the author Satyajit Ray. Most of us know Satyajit Ray as one of the greatest directors and heard his name always related to "Pather Panchali". This book contains lot of short stories and a small novel (Fotikchand) and I can guarantee that you cannot skip any story once you start reading it, irrespective of your age. I just loved it and happy to add this to my favorite books collection
It's just awesome and it explains beyond words about the talent of the author Satyajit Ray. Most of us know Satyajit Ray as one of the greatest directors and heard his name always related to "Pather Panchali". This book contains lot of short stories and a small novel (Fotikchand) and I can guarantee that you cannot skip any story once you start reading it, irrespective of your age. I just loved it and happy to add this to my favorite books collection
October 23, 2020
Ultimate Collection of Stories
Thrillers, mysteries, childhood memories, deep attachment to your surroundings...all in one place. Fantastic collection of stories by a master storyteller.
Thrillers, mysteries, childhood memories, deep attachment to your surroundings...all in one place. Fantastic collection of stories by a master storyteller.
March 23, 2021
Satyajit Ray's collection of short stories is enthralling. These stories were written by Satyajit Ray in Bengali and translated by Gopa Majumdar (and some by Satyajit Ray). It offers stories from various genres such as sci-fi, mystery, horror, fantasy and children's. This book is recommended.
February 20, 2019
Simple English, simple ideas and very beautiful stories. I wish I had read these as a child.
November 4, 2020
Beautiful book! I thought the translation wouldn't be too good but this book snagged my heart!
February 7, 2021
A wholesome book for children and adults alike. Tales of multiple genres told in the simplest manner. An insight to why Satyajit Ray is so celebrated.
Read
April 1, 2021For one thing, this has so many names and places. Refreshing. Goodread.
October 8, 2017
captivating
August 26, 2018
When I recieved this book, I was elated by the very sight of front cover. It showed an alien posing calmly in front of a man clearly taken aback. The man's name is Bonkubihari Datta and the picture is from the very first story inside the book, Bonku Babu's Friend, which is arguably one of the most important sci-fi stories of 20th century. When I was younger a hindi film Koi Mil Gaya (2003) was released and it was immediately called a remake of Spielberg's epic film The E.T. (1982). Many people hold the belief that the origin of Koi Mil Gaya lay in Hollywood but what has been forgotten is The E.T. was itself inspired by a script named Alien written some twenty years ago before 1982 by our very own Satyajit Ray. Sadly, Ray never got around to make his film but Spielberg did. In short, Satyajit Ray was perhaps the very first person to ponder upon the idea of a friendship between a man and an alien from space. Before that, Hollywood's aliens were mostly villainic.
So, this is just about the first story from this great book and there are 48 more! All stories on reading gave me immense joy, pleasure, excitement and evoked every other emotion of every genre I could think of. This is pure genius of Satyajit Ray that he makes short stories writing look like a childplay, like an effortless act. The story which broke my heart was The Small World of Sadananda and which delighted me most were The Maths Teacher, Mr Pink & Tipu; I Am a Ghost and Patol Babu, Film Star. There are many literary gems littered inside book that you can't get enough of it. Satyajit Ray is simply the King of Macabre, the King of Sci-fi (much before Hollywood) and the King of Short Stories writing, hands down!
So, this is just about the first story from this great book and there are 48 more! All stories on reading gave me immense joy, pleasure, excitement and evoked every other emotion of every genre I could think of. This is pure genius of Satyajit Ray that he makes short stories writing look like a childplay, like an effortless act. The story which broke my heart was The Small World of Sadananda and which delighted me most were The Maths Teacher, Mr Pink & Tipu; I Am a Ghost and Patol Babu, Film Star. There are many literary gems littered inside book that you can't get enough of it. Satyajit Ray is simply the King of Macabre, the King of Sci-fi (much before Hollywood) and the King of Short Stories writing, hands down!
October 24, 2020
The BEST Short Story Collection, I have ever read. Absolutely Beautiful.
Every story is mesmerising and captivating. The stories are varied encompassing multiple genre. Almost all of them. Horror, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, The Supernatural, etc. The only genre missing is Romance. But that’s not a problem with me.
This story collection is a Must-Watch for everyone even remotely interested in Stories. Even if you have never read any story before in your entire life, this will satisfy you. These stories should be made mandatory for school children. Every story deals with complex themes like Death, Grief, Shame in a mature and nuanced way. These stories inspire awe and wonder. These stories seriously inspire me to wake up the next day, in hope of experiencing some of these stories. Because this is the main point of these stories, that normal mundane life is full of mysteries and intrigue; you just have to find them.
Every story in this book can be made into a Feature length book. I’m sure Bengali Cinema already has.
I will be reading these stories multiple times over the years. I’m sure I will find new meanings in these Stories as I grow older.
Every story is mesmerising and captivating. The stories are varied encompassing multiple genre. Almost all of them. Horror, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, The Supernatural, etc. The only genre missing is Romance. But that’s not a problem with me.
This story collection is a Must-Watch for everyone even remotely interested in Stories. Even if you have never read any story before in your entire life, this will satisfy you. These stories should be made mandatory for school children. Every story deals with complex themes like Death, Grief, Shame in a mature and nuanced way. These stories inspire awe and wonder. These stories seriously inspire me to wake up the next day, in hope of experiencing some of these stories. Because this is the main point of these stories, that normal mundane life is full of mysteries and intrigue; you just have to find them.
Every story in this book can be made into a Feature length book. I’m sure Bengali Cinema already has.
I will be reading these stories multiple times over the years. I’m sure I will find new meanings in these Stories as I grow older.
March 18, 2021
As expected from the great Satyajit Ray, an excellent collection of wierd, thriller, spooky stories which will amaze you.
All the stories are unique in their own way and can be read by teens to the oldies. The writing and thought process is simply unthinkable.
Reading some of the stories made me think as to how the writer could have perceived such a story. There are in all 49 stories and except for couple of them all stories are around 10 pages each.
Easy to read and surely it can be preserved as a book from which you can tell stories to near and dear ones.
Overall a wonderful reading experience which will keep you surprised and awed at the same time.
All the stories are unique in their own way and can be read by teens to the oldies. The writing and thought process is simply unthinkable.
Reading some of the stories made me think as to how the writer could have perceived such a story. There are in all 49 stories and except for couple of them all stories are around 10 pages each.
Easy to read and surely it can be preserved as a book from which you can tell stories to near and dear ones.
Overall a wonderful reading experience which will keep you surprised and awed at the same time.
March 3, 2019
A fantastic collection by a gifted author. The only caveat is that the stories might have been arranged better to enable a more binge worthy experience.
As the collection stands, some stories seem a bit close, thematically if read in one sitting.
I received a copy from my uncle as a gift. The collection captures the zeitgeist of the past century with insights and wit.
As the collection stands, some stories seem a bit close, thematically if read in one sitting.
I received a copy from my uncle as a gift. The collection captures the zeitgeist of the past century with insights and wit.
July 23, 2019
Must read for any short story lover
Every evening for two weeks, i read Ray's stories in this book while i was going through a sickness and couldn't venture out. Fresh, interesting, intriguing stories filled with lovable lonely characters await you in these under-read works of the genius called Satyajit Ray. Have a great time!
Every evening for two weeks, i read Ray's stories in this book while i was going through a sickness and couldn't venture out. Fresh, interesting, intriguing stories filled with lovable lonely characters await you in these under-read works of the genius called Satyajit Ray. Have a great time!
August 3, 2019
This is the first time I have read Satyajit Ray (unfortunately for me) and I am completely bowled over by his style of writing. He has such marvelous interpretations of situations and ends a story beautifully. There wasn't a single story which I didn't like. I would love to read more of his books. They are bound to be gems.
May 16, 2020
An amazing collection of short stories, each one leaving the reader surprised at its end. One automatically gets transported to yester year's Bengal and the beautiful scenes described. I wish I had known Bangla to be able to read the original version and truly cherish the emotions and the expressions that the brilliant author intended to convey. A must read for all ages.
May 24, 2018
The best kind of short stories I've read in a long time. Each with its own twists and turn.
Thoroughly enjoyed all of it. I had seen some adapted in movies and short films too.
Nothing but the best from Satyajit Ray
Thoroughly enjoyed all of it. I had seen some adapted in movies and short films too.
Nothing but the best from Satyajit Ray
October 6, 2018
A treasure trove.
To tell the truth the stories are short,quirky,funny,innocent and most importantly, a joy to read.
A FASCINSTING read for sure.
The best part is that each short story can be read over and over until you can't take it anymore...
To tell the truth the stories are short,quirky,funny,innocent and most importantly, a joy to read.
A FASCINSTING read for sure.
The best part is that each short story can be read over and over until you can't take it anymore...
October 28, 2017
SATYAJIT RAY surely knew some Black magic... with his Short stories he can cast a spell that you can't leave this book until it is finished.... Just like RK NARAYAN did with "MALGUDI DAYS".......
February 19, 2019
A treat to read. Stories from daily life and yet intriguing and fascinating. Just shows the genius of the Great Satyajit Ray.
June 5, 2019
Excellent collection of short stories from the master storyteller. I loved each and every story in this book.
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