Fantasy Fictions from the Bengal Renaissance : The Make-Believe Prince; Toddy-Cat the Bold

by Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Sanjay Sircar (Translator)

Overview

'Fantasy Fictions from the Bengal Renaissance' presents two masterpieces of Bengali literature by Rabindranath Tagore's nephews, Abanindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore. 'The Make-Believe Prince' is the delightful story of a king, his two wives, a trickster monkey, a witch, and a helper from another world who is not a 'fairy godmother'. Abanindranath deploys traditional children's rhymes and paints exquisite word-pictures in his unusual original rendering of a tale which has its origins in Bengali folktale materials in various genres. 'Toddy-Cat the Bold' sees a group of brave comrades seek help from a young boy to rescue the son of their leader from the Two-Faced Rakshasa of the forest, and has another, more numinous helper. Inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice books, it presents a comic, exciting, and mysterious journey quite unlike Carroll's, with many traditional local touches and an unexpected ending.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199486755
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/10/2018
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	5.65(w) x 8.77(h) x 0.79(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

ABANINDRANATH TAGORE,GAGANENDRANATH TAGORE,SANJAY SIRCAR

Abanindranath Tagore was a renowned Indian artist, author, and folklorist. Gaganendranath Tagore was a famous satirical cartoonist, and a pioneer of lithography and design in India. Sanjay Sircar is a scholar in children's literature and fantasy fiction, and has a longstanding interest in various marginalliterary traditions.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Peter Hunt
Preface
The Make-Believe Prince (Kheerer Putul)
"A Nineteenth-century Fantasy Fiction from the Bengal Renaissance"
—Sanjay Sircar
1. The Two Queens
2. The King Plans a Sea Voyage
3. The Desires of the Younger Queen
4. The Elder Queen's Desire
5. The King's Illusions
6. The Land of Rubies and the Land of Gold
7. The Land of Pearls and the Land of the King's Daughter
8. The King's Return
9. The Younger Queen's Welcome
10. The Arrival of the Monkey
11. The Elder Queen's Welcome
12. The Sorrow of the Elder Queen
13. The Monkey's Consolation
14. The Disappearance of the Monkey
15. The Monkey's Prediction
16. The Elder Queen's Necklace
17. The Royal Quarrel
18. The Monkey's Complaint
19. The Hovel Renewed
20. The New Pavilion
21. The Witch
22. The Platter of Sweetmeats
23. The Monkey Physician
24. The Imaginary Princeling
25. Arranging a Betrothal
26. The Doll
27. The Bridegroom's Journey
28. The Venerable Shashthi and the Aunts of Sleep
29. The Monkey's Blackmail
30. The Dreamland of Children
31. The Monkey's Quest
32. The Wedding
33. Happy Ever After
Bibliography
Toddy-Cat the Bold (Bhondar Bahadur)
"'In the Manner of Lewis Carroll', But a Very Different Matter"
—Sanjay Sircar
1. Bhondar Arrives: The Call to Battle
2. The Attack of the Two-faced Rakshasa of Chutupalu
3. Farewell to Bhondar Mahal
4. Mishap at Kamalapuli Railway Station, but Soldiering on to the Ancient Apothecary
5. In Front of the Mad King's Garden, and What Happened There
6. The Blue Mountain, the Palm-leaf Sentries and Brother Fox
7. To the Secret Chamber
8. The Top-knotted Old Mother
9. Sleeping
10. Waking
Appendices
About the Authors and Translator

Editorial Reviews

"Overall, this is a most welcome addition to OUP's list. Sircar's translations, without appearing enslaved to the source-texts, read fluently, while maintaining an authentic feel. His scholarship is impeccable, chasing down every association that might be of possible interest, such that readers will find the intellectual journey as absorbing as the tales themselves." — David Rudd, Sicar Review

"For readers thirsty to discover the world of Bengali folklore in its theory and tales, this book is definitely a must-read." — Anurima Chanda, Ashoka University , Children's Literature Association Quarterly

"Whatever factors define a 'culture area' and a 'subculture', language is one of them...this Bengal-related volume in English makes accessible materials which are particularly relevant and interesting to folklorists in these adjacent linguistic areas." — Anand Mahanand, Lokranta

From the Publisher