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Redundant
Have you ever looked at an ordinary person on the street and wondered what their struggles are, what their stories might be? Two young lives, one selling lottery tickets and another selling garments, struggle to fulfill their dreams. In their daily toil, they live with the hope of a brighter day yet try to find meaning in the darkness. Redundant will compel you to listen to their heart-breaking stories, marvel at their brave treading of paths we would hesitate to walk on and force you to become part of the struggling pedestrian’s reality. There is no letting up — no happy endings, just life in all its authenticity.
'Bitan Chakraborty’s short novel in Bengali, Haat Kata , comes to us in a fine translation by Malati Mukherjee. Redundant is about two characters we may pass by in a city without a second glance; they would do the same. These characters are motivated by the same desires that motivate the rest of us — to make it, try our best not to end up as losers, at least not in our own eyes. Bitan Chakraborty shows that every person is complex, every person is heroic, every person is unique and worthy of our consideration, our attention.' — GJV Prasad (Academic, Critic, Writer, and Translator)
'Bitan Chakraborty’s short novel in Bengali, Haat Kata , comes to us in a fine translation by Malati Mukherjee. Redundant is about two characters we may pass by in a city without a second glance; they would do the same. These characters are motivated by the same desires that motivate the rest of us — to make it, try our best not to end up as losers, at least not in our own eyes. Bitan Chakraborty shows that every person is complex, every person is heroic, every person is unique and worthy of our consideration, our attention.' — GJV Prasad (Academic, Critic, Writer, and Translator)
93 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
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May 29, 2022
Redundant explores and chronologies the life of two normal working class people from Kolkata. They are Kanak and Shubho. The narrative is written in a terse and simple third person narration. Chakraborty explores the sensations of Kolkata and his characters with such ease. The story moves along so quickly that entire pages pass by and you don't even notice them. The novel is extremely immersive and makes you feel a lot for these imagined lives. There's also a very clever way in which Chakraborty intersects his two seemingly unrelated narrators, that will make you want to start the book all over and read again.
A short and riveting read, 100 percent recommended for anyone who likes slice-of-life literary writing.
A short and riveting read, 100 percent recommended for anyone who likes slice-of-life literary writing.
Displaying 1 of 1 review