The Essential Tagore, Paperback

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""The Essential Tagore ""showcases the genius of India s Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Laureate and possibly the most prolific and diverse serious writer the world has ever known. Marking the 150th anniversary of Tagore s birth, this ambitious collection the largest single volume of his work available in English attempts to represent his extraordinary achievements in ten genres: poetry, songs, autobiographical works, letters, travel writings, prose, novels, short stories, humorous pieces, and plays. In addition to the newest translations in the modern idiom, it includes a sampling of works originally composed in English, his translations of his own works, three poems omitted from the published version of the English ""Gitanjali,"" and examples of his artwork. Tagore s writings are notable for their variety and innovation. His ""Sonar Tari"" signaled a distinctive turn toward the symbolic in Bengali poetry. The Lord of Life, from his collection ""Chitra,"" created controversy around his very personal concept of religion. ""Chokher Bali"" marked a decisive moment in the history of the Bengali novel because of the way it delved into the minds of men and women. The skits in ""Vyangakautuk"" mocked upper-class pretensions. Prose pieces such as The Problem and the Cure were lauded by nationalists, who also sang Tagore s patriotic songs. Translations for this volume were contributed by Tagore specialists and writers of international stature, including Amitav Ghosh, Amit Chaudhuri, and Sunetra Gupta.