Originally published between 1910 and 1917, and collected in book form
in 1923, The Epic of Damarudhar story cycle occupies an important and
unique position in the history of Bengali literature. Tackling cosmology
and mythology, class and caste abuse, nativist demagoguery and the harsh
reality of rural poverty, all by means of unrelentingly fierce black
comedy, Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay's cycle of seven stories featuring
the raconteur Damarudhar remains prescient social commentary to this
day.
With its generic fusion of tall tales, science, myth, politics, and the
absurd, the work also announces the emergence of the genre of modern
fantasy in Bengal. A detailed introduction, bibliography, and extensive
annotation bring to life the context for these stories, highlighting key
intertexts, political nuances, and important mythological references.
This volume also contains the first translation of a rare biographical
piece on the author, which includes long autobiographical parts written
by Trailokyanath himself. Carefully translated and thoroughly
researched, this volume will introduce a trenchant Indian voice to the
English-language readership.
