novel
Abdullah: The novel that pioneered a new era in Bengali literature
Kazi Imdadul Huq’s novel Abdullah, written nearly a century ago, is regarded as one of the first modern novels by a Bengali Muslim writer. Initially known for his poetry and children’s literature, Huq transitioned into a notable prose writer, offering profound insights into history, culture, and society. Abdullah was his only novel, published posthumously, and it has since become a milestone in Bengali literature, earning enduring acclaim from readers.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / 'Prophet Song': Full of sound, fury, and significance
The 309-page-long dystopian novel is an oppressive account of Eilish who tries to keep her family from falling apart as everything around her crumbles.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Unseen chains of consequences
When a few boys arrive at the couple’s flat to seek out their college-going daughter, Rekha, the parents are thrown into a whirlwind of adventure.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The unanticipated consequences of caretaking
From the sensory delights of birdsong in the morning and sunset views from a lookout point to the less appealing realities of monitoring stagnant pond water and counting newts, we accompany Katie on her journey of discovery.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / A country coming to life
Weaving the grand themes of politics and history, the book is a revelation into how the ordinary lives within a country are buffeted by constant changes.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Tucked between moving trains and elegiac dead-ends
Some among us might have wondered what it feels like to hold a lit bomb between our palms. One that will go off inevitably yet its spark, heat, force, weight, and pulsating nature are so fascinating that we are unable to put it down or look away, all the while knowing at the end of the wick we too will be destroyed—a chosen death, a voluntary annihilation.
ESSAY / The progressive depiction of women in ‘Devdas’
In some ways, Sharatchandra places the blame for Devdas's ensuing sorrow on his lack of courage, made all the more noticeable in comparison to Parbati's courage in breaking social norms despite the dire consequences it could have for her.
Essay / The unclassifiable “monsters” of Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’
Guillermo Del Toro’s stop-motion animation, Pinocchio (2022) is loosely based on Carlo Collodi’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883).
Journalist Rashel Mahmud publishes book after eight years
"The first book I had published comprised a short story. My second book of short stories came out 14 years after that", the writer said.
Rifat Munim releases anthology, ‘Bangladesh: A Literary Journey through 50 Short Stories’
The book will be launched at the Dhaka Lit Fest starting Thursday, January 5, where Rifat Munim is also hosting a session.
Nadeem Zaman’s new novel takes ‘The Great Gatsby’ to Dhaka
To be published by Hachette India in early 2023 and meant to be circulated exclusively in South Asia, the novel is “a story of passion, decadence, infidelity, privilege, identity, and the many confounding faces of love and loss in contemporary Dhaka.
Himu taught me it was okay to not be normal
Himu not only made me look beyond goals that lead to a luxury of life, but he also taught me to enjoy the tiny bits that make life agreeable.
The Emerald Stone is Maisun’s confident foray into the world of fiction
Is the debut novel for Umme Maisun, Bangladesh's youngest online educator.
The mislabelling of young adult fiction
Books intended for mature readers often get miscategorised as YA.
Mundanities, magic realism, Bangladesh—Shahidul Zahir’s novellas
The personal space is the same as the political sphere, the individual on the same strand as the collective.
How I found my voice as a debut author
Being accused of copying Humayun made me want to create something of my own, something that wouldn’t be considered mainstream, but nor would it be too out of the box. I wanted to reflect on realism.
Mahmudul Haque and Mahmud Rahman's 'Black Ice': A portrait of a time and a man
The novel tracks the childhood of Abdul Khaleq, which comes back to the man every sleepless, teary-eyed night. The chapters alternate between these recollections—taking residence in rural 1940s Kolkata—and the now, where schoolteacher Khaleq repeats a daily Sisyphean routine in newly christened-Bangladesh.
'Your Heart, My Sky': A timely YA novel-in-verse about the 1990s Cuban “Special Period”
Early in July of this year, thousands of Cubans took to the streets, pushed over the course of the pandemic to a breaking point by a persistent, two-year-long shortage of medicine and—most importantly—food. Cuban protesters marched and shouted for an end to the Communist regime, which has lasted over six decades.
Struggling since 1971..
Mr Harun-Ar-Rashid is a renowned author, economist, researcher and columnist. Despite being a graduate of Accounting he has written on a wide array of social & political causes/issues. The author has published 40 different books so far as a social novel, research papers, stories and so on.