Manabjamin by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay [Hardcover]

"Not only in size but also in scope, 'Manabjamin' is vast, expansive, and diverse. This magnificent novel by one of the most powerful contemporary writers, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, stands as a formidable counterpart to all his major published works to date, rooted in the tradition of modern Bengali literature's most memorable achievements. This rare creation is a bridge between the recent past and the future, with its budding branches extending forward. The novel is filled with countless events, numerous characters, and endless problems. Yet, nowhere does it become tangled. Under the skilled control of a mature writer, each character and storyline remains stable, distinct, and purpose-driven. Greed, hatred, love, primal urges, the will to live, ambition—based on all these forces that constantly cook human existence in the cauldron of life, this novel is built. It deals with the fragmentation and reconciliation of human relationships. Among the many conflicts between the characters, one of the novel's main protagonists, Dipanath, serves as a common link among them all, fighting his battles in the workplace. Dipanath, the personal assistant to the big boss of a trading office, is essentially a salaried servant. A peculiar relationship develops between Dipanath and his boss's wife, Manidipa—seemingly full of anger, but secretly affectionate. The boss even proposed marriage to him. But can Dipanath accept such a proposal?

Another central character in this novel is Trisha. Her deceased brother-in-law left all his property to her. People say that her only son was fathered by her brother-in-law, perhaps even her husband. Hence, her husband battles against Trisha. Pritam, another major character, fights a solitary battle every moment against an incurable disease. Pritam, Dipanath's brother-in-law, has a wife who is devoted to him, but she already has a relationship with a young man named Arun. The novel 'Manabjamin' is primarily about the struggles of these three characters. The three different outcomes of their battles reveal the novel's profound message: the soil of humanity teaches us to cultivate new growth, bearing the fruits of love and loyalty. The novel has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Ananda Puraskar."