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Byomkesh Bakshi (1)

Byomkesh Bakshi (1)

Menagerie and other Mysteries

Bandyopadhyay Saradindu
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Byomkesh Bakshi’s appeal as the self-styled inquisitor, a detective not by profession but by passion, found him a dedicated following among generations of readers. This collection of stories, all set in Kolkata of the 1950s and 1960s, brings together four mysteries that put the sleuth’s remarkable mental agility to the ultimate test. In ‘the Menagerie’ (adapted by master film-maker Satyajit Ray for his 1967 film Chiriakhana) Byomkesh cracks a strange case involving broken motor parts, a seemingly natural death and the peculiar inhabitants of Golap Colony who seem capable of doing just about anything to safeguard the secrets of their tainted pasts. In ‘the Jewel Case’ he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a priceless necklace, while in ‘the Will That Vanished’ he solves a baffling riddle to fulfil the last wish of a close friend. And, in ‘the Quills of the Porcupine’, the shrewd detective is in his element as he expertly foils the sinister plans of a ruthless opportunist. Sreejata Guha’s translation captures brilliantly the thrill and ingenuity of Byomkesh’s exploits just as it does Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s remarkable portrayal of a city struggling to overcome its colonial past and come into its own.

Imprint: India Penguin

Published: Jan/2022

ISBN: 9780143061960

Length : 328 Pages

MRP : ₹399.00

Byomkesh Bakshi (1)

Menagerie and other Mysteries

Bandyopadhyay Saradindu

Byomkesh Bakshi’s appeal as the self-styled inquisitor, a detective not by profession but by passion, found him a dedicated following among generations of readers. This collection of stories, all set in Kolkata of the 1950s and 1960s, brings together four mysteries that put the sleuth’s remarkable mental agility to the ultimate test. In ‘the Menagerie’ (adapted by master film-maker Satyajit Ray for his 1967 film Chiriakhana) Byomkesh cracks a strange case involving broken motor parts, a seemingly natural death and the peculiar inhabitants of Golap Colony who seem capable of doing just about anything to safeguard the secrets of their tainted pasts. In ‘the Jewel Case’ he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a priceless necklace, while in ‘the Will That Vanished’ he solves a baffling riddle to fulfil the last wish of a close friend. And, in ‘the Quills of the Porcupine’, the shrewd detective is in his element as he expertly foils the sinister plans of a ruthless opportunist. Sreejata Guha’s translation captures brilliantly the thrill and ingenuity of Byomkesh’s exploits just as it does Saradindu Bandyopadhyay’s remarkable portrayal of a city struggling to overcome its colonial past and come into its own.

Buying Options
Paperback / Hardback
Ebooks

Bandyopadhyay Saradindu

Born in 1899 in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay started his literary career by writing poems when he was a student in Vidyasagar College, Calcutta. Subsequently, he studied law, and then dedicated himself to writing. By 1932, when the first Byomkesh mystery appeared, he was already an established writer. He went on to become a popular and renowned writer of ghost stories, historical romances and children's fiction in Bengali. He was the recipient of the Rabindra Purashkar in 1967 for his novel Tungabhadrar Tirey. He also received several other awards before his death in 1970.

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