Dhanapatir Char: Whatever Happened to Pedru's Island? (Amar Mitra)
Early Review
This review is the initial impression of our editorial team after reading approximately one-tenth of the book.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in the Early Review might not necessarily have a correlation with the Final Review of the book.
Translations can often seem tedious due to entrenched cultural
and linguistic barriers. Amar Mitra's novel is a confluence of resplendent folklore and gruesome
socio-political realities. From the first page itself, he has effortlessly imbued the magical realism
narrative framework with the ingenuity of a vibrant imagination. The novel proceeds in the form of an
oddly invigorating cyclical and hypnotical structure moving from one page to the next with the lethargic
yet graceful, almost imperceptible movement of a danseuse not even once letting the reader's attention
wander or slip for even a fraction of a moment. The fisherfolk of Dhanapati's island congregate from the
months of Ashwin to Chaitra according to the Bengali calendar. Dhanapati is the name of the island,
as well as of Dhanapati, the oldest inhabitant of the island, and, according to some accounts, that of
its first inhabitant though the current Dhanapati vehemently disagrees that there has been anyone else
before him. Vagabonds like Batashi have a home for six months of the year where they arrive emaciated
and then during their stay are rejuvenated in body and spirit turning into voluptuous beings who become
the object of lustful villainy of the trader Dasharath Singh. The inescapable avarice and corruption of
the law enforcers as embodied by the police constable Mangal Midde and the violence inflicted on the
poor and neglected strays of society is highlighted with razor-sharp precision. It will be difficult to
find a voice that is more brutal about socio-economic realities yet so humane while presenting the most
heinous atrocities that people nourished and nurtured by the same
piece of earth and sky are capable of inflicting upon each other.
Original Title : Dhanapatir Char: Whatever Happened to Pedru's Island?
ISBN : 0670095222 (ISBN-13 .978-0670095223)
Edition language : English
Published : September 1st 2022
Summary
The island came out of the golden pot of Ma Kamala, which she gave to the pirate Pedru to rule.
However, there are mythical and mystical elements to the story about how Dhanapati is not only the
village headman but also the giant tortoise of lore that swam in from depths of the oceans and fell
asleep here to be seen when the waters recede in the winter months.
Dhanapati was the last Pedru, but he was now old and blind, unable to rule his island for long. He
then gifted it to his seventeen-year-old wife, Kunti. Will Dhaneshwari, the new ruler, be able to save
the island and its women from the lustful eyes of the administration? Or will the government acquire the
island? Or will Kunti be able to cast her spell and get the old tortoise to float away with the island
on his back? The Island of Dhanapatir combines the elements of myth, allegory and magic realism with a
folklore of rare beauty.