The Book of Bihari Literature-Abhay K

Book: The Book of Bihari Literature
Editor: Abhay K
Publisher: HarperCollins India

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you like reading vernacular literature?

The Book of Bihari Literature is a vibrant collection of writings-poems, essays, stories-that have flowed from the pens of the great poets, thinkers and writers across millennia, who were born or lived in what is modern-day Bihar. A family is unable to decide whether a parrot who has landed in its garden is a Hindu or a Muslim. A courtesan loses her ancestral mirror to rioters. The family that now possesses it finds itself transformed. Mutta celebrates her freedom from domestic drudgery. Vatsyayana hands you the keys to sexual bliss. Hira Dom berates the caste system. Over the centuries, many great empires and kingdoms took root in Bihar and, along with advancements in mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, science and statecraft, they produced exemplary works of literature. This book makes accessible to English-speaking readers the bounty of Bihari literature, and brings to the fore works in neglected languages by ancient philosophers and celebrated contemporary authors alike.

Reading translations and collection of stories sourced from the vernacular is always a wonderful experience. Abhay has sourced some excellent pieces of work across the languages. The book is a mix of stories and poems that give you different flavors as you go through it. The choice of the pieces of work he’s included in the book cover a variety of regional languages as well as type of work. The thing that worked for me was the fact that each piece is unique, and since there are a variety of authors and translators, each story presents itself in a unique manner. The idea to bring forth stories from the treasure trove of Bihari literature is commendable. What didn’t work for me was the fact that since the stories are quite short, the collection becomes quite long, and personally, the book was not engaging enough to keep me hooked to keep turning the pages. The language of the book is simple and easy to understand. While the idea is good, the translations individually felt flat for most of the stories and the emotions that were supposed to come out, didn’t jump out. Overall, the collection is unique and for a reader who loves to read short stories and poems, it would be a wonderful read.

The book is recommended for anyone looking to read a collection of translated vernacular works. The book scores a 4.06/5 for me.

Get your copy of the book from a bookstore near you or from Amazon India.