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Imaan
Imaan entered Central Jail as an infant—in the arms of Zahura Bibi, his mother, who was charged with the murder of his father and who died when he was six. He left twenty years later, having spent his time thus far shuttling between a juvenile home and prison. With no home to return to, Imaan ends up at the Jadavpur railway station, becoming a ragpicker on the advice of a consummate pickpocket.
The folk of the railside—rickshaw-pullers, scrap dealers, tea-stall owners, those who sell corpses for a little bit of money—welcome him into their fold, but the world of the free still baffles him. Life on the platform is disillusioning, and far more frightening than the jail he knew so well. This free world too is a prison, like the one he came from, only disconcertingly large. But no one went hungry in jail. And everyone had a roof over their heads.
Unable to cope in this odd world, Imaan wishes to return to the security of a prison cell. He is told that, while there is only one door out of prison, there are a thousand through which to return. Imaan—whose name means honesty, conscience—is he up to the task?
Written in Manoranjan Byapari’s inimitable style, where irony and wry humour are never too far from bitter truths, this new novel is a searing exploration of the lives of the faceless millions who get by in our towns and cities, making it through one day at a time.
The folk of the railside—rickshaw-pullers, scrap dealers, tea-stall owners, those who sell corpses for a little bit of money—welcome him into their fold, but the world of the free still baffles him. Life on the platform is disillusioning, and far more frightening than the jail he knew so well. This free world too is a prison, like the one he came from, only disconcertingly large. But no one went hungry in jail. And everyone had a roof over their heads.
Unable to cope in this odd world, Imaan wishes to return to the security of a prison cell. He is told that, while there is only one door out of prison, there are a thousand through which to return. Imaan—whose name means honesty, conscience—is he up to the task?
Written in Manoranjan Byapari’s inimitable style, where irony and wry humour are never too far from bitter truths, this new novel is a searing exploration of the lives of the faceless millions who get by in our towns and cities, making it through one day at a time.
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 14, 2022
Imaan is a book that is full of life. At turns joyful, sorrowful, angry, and downright funny, it animates an overlooked world that is both tragic and comic in equal measure. That Imaan (originally titled Chhera Chhera Jibon) is able to achieve this in a tale set in grinding poverty on the outskirts of Kolkata is a testament to author Manoranjan Byapari and the always outstanding Arunava Sinha. Byapari is uniquely suited to tell this story, himself a child refugee from the Chandala caste, who has experienced stretches of homelessness and who learned to read and write as an adult. None of that diminishes Byapari's abilities as a master storyteller - he has now been shortlisted twice for the prestigious JCB Prize and is recognized around the world. What sets Imaan apart from other stories about poverty is that it is written from the inside, by someone who has experienced it and is from that world. The setting in and around Jadavpur station is fully realized, as is the colorful cast of multi-dimensional characters. It's a novel that could not be written by anyone other than Byapari nor brought to life in English by anyone other than Sinha. Truly a unique experience.
November 1, 2022
One just cannot ignore Manoranjan Byapari’s words. Originally titled Cherra Cherra Jibon in Bengali and translated to English by Arunava Sinha, Imaan is an consequential book about the penurious living in Kolkata. But as I delved deeper into the story, it often felt like I was peeling an onion. Each layer opened up into a different story but somehow all of it comes together in the end. There’s no doubt that great translation elevates a novel significantly and every time I read anything by @arunavasinha ,this fact is again reaffirmed.
One would think that Imaan is mainly about a six month old baby who enters prison in the arms of his mother and continues to stay there for two decades. Prison becomes his home, a place of comfort where everyone loves him and when he is finally released, he finds himself in a strange world. Contrary to what the title suggests, I believe only a small piece of the book revolves around Imaan.
The bigger chunk introduces us to an array of characters, all of them living in shanties. The men are seen resorting to various tactics to earn money while the women are seen with a sharp tongue, going after what they want. We see poverty, theft and death but somehow the use of dark humour makes it all seem not so glum. To write about the underbelly of the world so honestly and clearly comes only with acute observation. It is applaudable that in spite of there being so many characters, their personalities aren’t confusing, each carrying his/her own role seamlessly.
Imaan is so much more than just a novel. It removes the rose tinted glasses and makes one see the world for the way it is. Manoranjan Byapari writes with such conviction that I could watch the story unfold right in front of my eyes.
It makes perfect sense about this novel being shortlisted for the @thejcbprize . Also, I think it’s time I read There’s Gun Powder in the Air.
One would think that Imaan is mainly about a six month old baby who enters prison in the arms of his mother and continues to stay there for two decades. Prison becomes his home, a place of comfort where everyone loves him and when he is finally released, he finds himself in a strange world. Contrary to what the title suggests, I believe only a small piece of the book revolves around Imaan.
The bigger chunk introduces us to an array of characters, all of them living in shanties. The men are seen resorting to various tactics to earn money while the women are seen with a sharp tongue, going after what they want. We see poverty, theft and death but somehow the use of dark humour makes it all seem not so glum. To write about the underbelly of the world so honestly and clearly comes only with acute observation. It is applaudable that in spite of there being so many characters, their personalities aren’t confusing, each carrying his/her own role seamlessly.
Imaan is so much more than just a novel. It removes the rose tinted glasses and makes one see the world for the way it is. Manoranjan Byapari writes with such conviction that I could watch the story unfold right in front of my eyes.
It makes perfect sense about this novel being shortlisted for the @thejcbprize . Also, I think it’s time I read There’s Gun Powder in the Air.
November 17, 2022
I read this because it was shortlisted for the 2022 JCB Prize and really liked it. Translated from the Bengali, Arunava Sinha brings Byapari’s characters to life and the story they tell is real and raw.
After reading a few chapters I started to feel that the title was misleading: the titular Imaan plays a small role in a novel chock-full of colorful characters, but Manoranjan Byapari tells us more than once that ‘Imaan’ means faith and it’s Imaan’s faith in people and in the opportunities of freedom that provide a stark contrast to the realities of grinding poverty and injustice he discovers after being released from jail.
Imaan entered jail as an infant with his convicted mother who dies shortly after. With no family to claim him Imaan remains in jail for twenty years, dreaming of freedom and all that he will do when he is released. When he is finally released he finds his way to the Jadavpur railway station and the community of poor that live in the station or along the tracks. All of life is here: birth, death, love, infidelity, joy, sorrow, sex, illness, suicide. The people here survive by being ready for any opportunity to steal, barter, sell, or borrow. They are rag pickers, pick-pockets, prostitutes, business people, they deal in stolen goods and even dead bodies. They know hunger, violence, and injustice are parts of life that must be dealt with. All of this is overwhelming and confusing for Imaan and even with the support and encouragement of his new community Imaan longs to go back to jail he knows, but his fear of violence and his compassion for others prevents him from committing a crime.
Although Byapari wrote this because he felt other Bengali authors did not see the poor, did not see how impossible their lives are, this is not a depressing book, there is humor, love, and even joy, and I recommend it.
After reading a few chapters I started to feel that the title was misleading: the titular Imaan plays a small role in a novel chock-full of colorful characters, but Manoranjan Byapari tells us more than once that ‘Imaan’ means faith and it’s Imaan’s faith in people and in the opportunities of freedom that provide a stark contrast to the realities of grinding poverty and injustice he discovers after being released from jail.
Imaan entered jail as an infant with his convicted mother who dies shortly after. With no family to claim him Imaan remains in jail for twenty years, dreaming of freedom and all that he will do when he is released. When he is finally released he finds his way to the Jadavpur railway station and the community of poor that live in the station or along the tracks. All of life is here: birth, death, love, infidelity, joy, sorrow, sex, illness, suicide. The people here survive by being ready for any opportunity to steal, barter, sell, or borrow. They are rag pickers, pick-pockets, prostitutes, business people, they deal in stolen goods and even dead bodies. They know hunger, violence, and injustice are parts of life that must be dealt with. All of this is overwhelming and confusing for Imaan and even with the support and encouragement of his new community Imaan longs to go back to jail he knows, but his fear of violence and his compassion for others prevents him from committing a crime.
Although Byapari wrote this because he felt other Bengali authors did not see the poor, did not see how impossible their lives are, this is not a depressing book, there is humor, love, and even joy, and I recommend it.
November 23, 2021
Translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha, Imaan by Manoranjan Byapari is just the book that creates a world rooted in humane ethos while being physically situated in the most wretched environment. The protagonists of Imaan are mostly criminals or who are most at risk of becoming one. They are rag pickers and pickpockets, con magicians and thieves, women who sell their bodies and husbands who beat wives but each character has an innate honesty ingrained in them.
What Byapari does with the narrative and the characters in Imaan is ask who is a criminal and why. Are criminals the ones who get caught? Starting from the opening scenes of the book in the jail to the last page, Imaan gives a quiet dignity to the lives of people on the margins, those who live with grime in their bodies but who follow a certain code of conduct with others. The female protagonists in this book are a revelation. The way they refuse to be martyrs but take charge of their fragile lives is a reflection of how women at the lowest economic and social strata do not care much of social conventions but take agency based on the reality of the life they live.
Imaan's life, starting from growing up in jail and his subsequent foray into the world within and outside the jail is a powerful allegory to how the more privileged of us base our moral sensibilities and legal jargons to stay in our safe space and then sneer at the ones we keep way down the ladder, stripping away their humanity.
Read this book for Byapari's powerful writing on the dynamics of social structures brought to life by Arunava Sinha who takes you to the underbelly of the world not many of us want to live in. Recommending this.
What Byapari does with the narrative and the characters in Imaan is ask who is a criminal and why. Are criminals the ones who get caught? Starting from the opening scenes of the book in the jail to the last page, Imaan gives a quiet dignity to the lives of people on the margins, those who live with grime in their bodies but who follow a certain code of conduct with others. The female protagonists in this book are a revelation. The way they refuse to be martyrs but take charge of their fragile lives is a reflection of how women at the lowest economic and social strata do not care much of social conventions but take agency based on the reality of the life they live.
Imaan's life, starting from growing up in jail and his subsequent foray into the world within and outside the jail is a powerful allegory to how the more privileged of us base our moral sensibilities and legal jargons to stay in our safe space and then sneer at the ones we keep way down the ladder, stripping away their humanity.
Read this book for Byapari's powerful writing on the dynamics of social structures brought to life by Arunava Sinha who takes you to the underbelly of the world not many of us want to live in. Recommending this.
March 5, 2022
This well-written and translated book talk about a boy from jail, when is released what happens? Story deals with the lower strata of society and their lives from Kolkata and how a person from jail is treated and the life.
Did Not Finish
December 3, 2022DNF. Found it too draggy and just not in the mood for the pace.
October 14, 2022
I loved the way the story was presented. But I feel that the the title is not apt , Imaan. It was more about the story of the colony and it’s residents. Though there was time given to the character interaction , I feel it was still a little undercooked.
Maybe it’s the “Gunpowder in the air” effect, but I wanted more from this book.
But a very satisfying read.
Maybe it’s the “Gunpowder in the air” effect, but I wanted more from this book.
But a very satisfying read.
October 8, 2022
Reminds me of a fine balance
October 13, 2024
Manoranjan Byapari’s "Imaan" hits hard but not where I expected it to. Imaan’s story, which starts with him being born inside the suffocating walls of a prison, is ripe with potential. But the focus shifts away from him too often, and what could’ve been a soul-deep exploration of his psyche ends up being more of a side character in his own life. It’s raw, gritty, and yes, even humorous at times, but something felt slightly undercooked, like a dish that needed just a few more minutes in the oven.
The whole book feels like a cluttered train station—characters hustling and bustling, everyone with their own baggage. Yet, Imaan, whose name screams honesty and conscience, doesn’t really get enough time under the spotlight. The plot drifts a bit, lacking the glue to hold it all together. Sure, it’s engaging, and Byapari’s wry humor shines through, but I couldn’t help but wish for more of Imaan’s point of view. The poor guy spends 20 years in prison, gets out, and we get distracted by everyone else’s stories.
It’s almost like the world outside prison was just as much a trap for Imaan as the one inside. But with a little more focus, this tale could’ve been a knockout punch. Instead, it’s more like a jab—solid, but not quite what you’re bracing for.
The whole book feels like a cluttered train station—characters hustling and bustling, everyone with their own baggage. Yet, Imaan, whose name screams honesty and conscience, doesn’t really get enough time under the spotlight. The plot drifts a bit, lacking the glue to hold it all together. Sure, it’s engaging, and Byapari’s wry humor shines through, but I couldn’t help but wish for more of Imaan’s point of view. The poor guy spends 20 years in prison, gets out, and we get distracted by everyone else’s stories.
It’s almost like the world outside prison was just as much a trap for Imaan as the one inside. But with a little more focus, this tale could’ve been a knockout punch. Instead, it’s more like a jab—solid, but not quite what you’re bracing for.
November 20, 2022
This is such an important book to understand the perpetual crisis that is the life of the poor in our country.
Imaan examines poverty from a magnified lens of the lives experiencing it. It's certainly an eye opener for people living relatively sheltered life. While American civil rights discourse might be inundated by discussions about the prison industrial complex and it's many implications on the disruption of lives of the minority communities, the Indian context of prison seems to hold a much more grim reality of Indian society in comparison.
Here, the prison is the safe harbor for the poor in a strange twisted logic. The world outside seems to be riddled with malevolence while the prison seems to hold a somewhat egalitarian order.
Our protagonist Imaan, who went into prison with his mother - on charge of killing her husband in what was arguably a matter of self defense - comes out of it after spending his entire life within its sheltered walls and what he finds outside shatters his notion of what freedom actually means.
As imaan makes his way into the real world as a young man with no family, no education and no money, he learns just how unfair & cruel the world can be to the poor. Class divide, caste divide, gender violence and trauma play out as contributing evils to make life tantamount to total misery for these ignored members of our society. Even though their labor is the backbone of our economy, their services are essential for the rest of us to survive, they are rejected by the very people they serve due to the unfair social hierarchy in which Indian society is organized - in the case of this book, the lives of the poor in the backdrop of Bengal.
Healthcare, housing, labor laws, education; the entire apparatus of the social welfare system seems to be non-existent for them. And perhaps what affected me the most about book was how despite the constant trauma of sexual violence, the women in this story still display resilience, courage and manage to assert their independence despite their limited avenues.
This story has humbled me to the harsh realities playing out under the slum bastis we want to remove and the judgements we hold for a large section of our country without ever valuing their worth or acknowledging their humanity.
Is Imaan right in wanting to return the comforts of prison? Will he eventually? Under what circumstances? I am left with too many questions and worries for our innocent young man who has barely experienced the colors of life the rest of us take for granted.
Imaan examines poverty from a magnified lens of the lives experiencing it. It's certainly an eye opener for people living relatively sheltered life. While American civil rights discourse might be inundated by discussions about the prison industrial complex and it's many implications on the disruption of lives of the minority communities, the Indian context of prison seems to hold a much more grim reality of Indian society in comparison.
Here, the prison is the safe harbor for the poor in a strange twisted logic. The world outside seems to be riddled with malevolence while the prison seems to hold a somewhat egalitarian order.
Our protagonist Imaan, who went into prison with his mother - on charge of killing her husband in what was arguably a matter of self defense - comes out of it after spending his entire life within its sheltered walls and what he finds outside shatters his notion of what freedom actually means.
As imaan makes his way into the real world as a young man with no family, no education and no money, he learns just how unfair & cruel the world can be to the poor. Class divide, caste divide, gender violence and trauma play out as contributing evils to make life tantamount to total misery for these ignored members of our society. Even though their labor is the backbone of our economy, their services are essential for the rest of us to survive, they are rejected by the very people they serve due to the unfair social hierarchy in which Indian society is organized - in the case of this book, the lives of the poor in the backdrop of Bengal.
Healthcare, housing, labor laws, education; the entire apparatus of the social welfare system seems to be non-existent for them. And perhaps what affected me the most about book was how despite the constant trauma of sexual violence, the women in this story still display resilience, courage and manage to assert their independence despite their limited avenues.
This story has humbled me to the harsh realities playing out under the slum bastis we want to remove and the judgements we hold for a large section of our country without ever valuing their worth or acknowledging their humanity.
Is Imaan right in wanting to return the comforts of prison? Will he eventually? Under what circumstances? I am left with too many questions and worries for our innocent young man who has barely experienced the colors of life the rest of us take for granted.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews