Novel
কেরী সাহেবের মুন্সী
Not translated into English
Pramathanath Bishi · 1958
Synopsis
At the end of the eighteenth century, the English missionary William Carey arrives in Bengal and takes as his munshi, language teacher and secretary, Ramram Basu, a Hindu scholar who teaches him Bengali and helps him translate the Bible. The novel follows this man of modern outlook, drawn to new ideas without renouncing his own, who wants to spread education among the Bengalis and comes up against the cruel customs of his time.
Context
The novel was published in 1958 and takes as its hero a real person, Ramram Basu, Carey's munshi from 1793 to 1796, then a teacher at Fort William College, and author in 1801 of the first original book of Bengali prose, a life of King Pratapaditya printed at the Serampore mission. It won its author the Rabindra Prize in 1960, the highest literary distinction of West Bengal. Bikash Roy made a film of it in 1961, with Chhabi Biswas.
Who it is for
A historical novel that assumes an interest in the beginnings of missions and printing in Bengal. No French translation.
Prizes and reception
Rabindra Prize in 1960; the best-known book of its author, adapted for the screen as early as 1961.
Sources for this page 3
The pages consulted to check this page.