Saturday, May 16, 2009

Rajshekhar Basu / Parashuram : No Laughing Matter


The achievements of Rajshekhar Basu (Pen name: Parashuram, 1880 -1960), the best humorist in Bengali literature and one of the best among his global peers, are no laughing matter. He was also a pioneering lexicographer, an eminent chemist, a typography savant and a force behind India’s independence movement. His gems of humorous short stories shine with biting social satire, sparkle with accounts of varied human idiosyncracy and above all make you double up with laughter. Now thanks to an excellent translated Penguin anthology, the world will hopefully be a happier place.