Sekaler Goyenda Kahini 1 by Arindam Dasgupta [Hardcover]

There have been countless compilations of detective stories and novels in English, both in the past and continuing to this day, but such collections are rare in Bengali. It is no longer easy to access all the works of the early Bengali detective writers. We also do not have a very clear understanding of all these early writers. There has long been a tendency among educated Bengali readers to not consider detective stories and mystery tales as part of serious literature. Even today, this sentiment may persist to some extent.

In the anthology Sekaler Goyenda Kahini (Detective Stories of the Past), six popular detective story writers from the early era are featured. The stories have been retrieved after a long search through various libraries and personal collections. The task of finding detective stories is no easy feat, as it was not back then, and still remains challenging today. The first publication dates of the stories included in this anthology span from 1894 to 1905, a period in Bengal marked by political and social changes. The exploration of how nationalist thought and the world of crime coexisted in the minds of educated Bengalis might tempt the researcher. Alongside the usual appeal of detective stories, these works also offer a vivid portrayal of old Kolkata, its customs, and the criminal world of the time.