While the entirety of the world is busy devouring mouth-watering delicacies on Eid, we bookworms would like our gorur mangsho with a side of quick, engaging reads. Here are five short and savoury reads you can start and finish in a day.
Upstream: Selected Essays (Penguin Press, 2016)
Mary Oliver
Upstream by Mary Oliver is her profound reflection on nature, her newfound and deep admiration for life and the art of writing. She delves into the joys of a creative profession, the manner in which it enables her to devote time to the wilderness, satiating her evolving curiosity. This, as a work of literature, is passionately intimate, bringing forth the author's luminous compilation, insightful observations, and previously unpublished pieces. And it is definitely something you could finish in a day!
Bluets (Wave Books, 2009)
Maggie Nelson
For lovers of prose poetry, Bluets by Maggie Nelson would be the perfect pick. Bluets explores delicate themes of love and loss through the perspective of the titular shade—blue. In the book, Nelson reflects on her past relationship with a former partner while also caring for a friend who has become quadriplegic. Simultaneously, she examines the visions of other cultural figures on topics such as melancholy, grief, and the significance of blue.
Dokhiner Baranda (Ananda Publishers, 2013)
Mohonlal Gangopadhyay
In this exquisite memoir, Mohonlal Gangopadhyay reminisces about his childhood and youth spent at Calcutta's Jorasanko with his grandfather, AbaninShort books you can start and finish in a daydranath Tagore. The author chronicles how he and his distinguished grandfather spent their early years going on mindless adventures, marking the history that was "Andarmahal"—the fifth majestic house on the Jorasanko lane. There, on its southern verandah, three remarkably talented brothers—Gaganendranath, Samarendranath, and Abanindranath—dedicated themselves to their work, leaving a lasting legacy of artistic excellence. It takes the readers on countless trips inside the house and its surroundings, tracing the author's footsteps, attempting to catch a taste of the days left behind. There is a constant undercurrent of tragedy and melancholy as the bright and happy days of his past slowly slip away.
The Prince and The Dressmaker (First Second, 2018)
Jen Wang
Prince Sebastian is supposed to be looking for a bride, although it is his parents who are actually doing the searching. He would surely dedicate time to this noble pursuit (for the satisfaction of his worrisome initiators) if he were not so busy leading a double life. With the help of his brilliant dressmaker friend, Frances, Sebastian transforms into Lady Crystallia by night, dazzling Paris as a glamorous fashion icon. Frances, one of the few who is aware of his secret, helps him shine with her extraordinary designs. As the prince of France becomes the toast of the fashion world, the question remains: how long can this secret life stay secret? For lovers of romantic graphic novels, The Prince and The Dressmaker is the ultimate pick-me-up.
The Nakano Thrift Shop (Europa Editions, 2017)
Hiromi Kawakami, Allison Markin Powell (Translator)
And lastly, for your translated fiction fix, we have The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami. At Nakano Thrift Shop, the seemingly ordinary objects for sale are as intriguing as the workforce and customers who interact with them. Beneath their commonplace exteriors, these mystic items disclose hidden stories of extravagance, pleasure, pain, and the far-reaching conundrums of the human heart. Hitomi, a young and inexperienced cashier at Mr Nakano's shop, has fallen for her enigmatic coworker, Takeo. Unsure how to capture his interest, she turns to Masayo, Mr Nakano's sister, for guidance. Despite Masayo's own complicated love life, her advice helps Hitomi understand that love, along with desire and intimacy, involves embracing the delicate dance between revealed and concealed secrets.