Bibar by Samaresh Basu

Bibar marks not only a new phase in the literary career of Samaresh Basu, but also a turning point in Bengali literature. Bivor is, on one hand, a much criticized and on the other, a highly praised work. According to the late writer Santoshkumar Ghosh, Bibar is one of the top ten greatest novels in Bengali literature. On the contrary, many readers and critics have called Bibar obscene. Needless to say, such sharply conflicting opinions can only surround a work that is new, powerful, and unstoppable in every sense. Bibar is exactly that. It is a completely different kind of writing that deals with the intense crisis of human existence, breaking free from the safe confines of conventional values. Written ahead of its time, this novel defies traditional standards, making it impossible to judge by conventional criteria.