Book Review: A Plate of White Marble by Bani Basu (Translated by Nandini Guha)

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Namrata reviews Bani Basu's A Plate of White Marble translated by Nandini Guha (Published by Niyogi Books, 2020) and calls it a mirror reflecting the ugly facets of our society.

Published by: Niyogi Books

Year of Publishing: October, 2020

Price: INR 400/-

‘Some women fear the fire.
Some women simply become it...’
– R.H. Sin

This was the first thought I had in mind, after completing A Plate of White Marble by Bani Basu. Written originally in Bengali circa 1990, this story of Bandana captures every aspect of the struggles of an Indian woman in those times.

Considered to be one of the most versatile contemporary writers in Bengali, Bani Basu is an eminent academician, poet, novelist, essayist, critic and translator. She writes on diverse topics ranging from history and mythology to society, psychology and gender. Since her debut in 1980 with the stellar Janmabhumi-Matribhumi, a number of her stories have been adapted into films and T.V. serials. Basu has also won many prestigious awards for her writing including Tara Shankar Award (1991), Shiromani Puroshkar (1997), Ananda Purashkar (1998), Bankim Purashkar (1998), Katha Award (2003) and Sahitya Akademi Award (2010).

Read the full review on Kitaab.

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