Monday 10 February 2014

Review: It Rained All Night by Buddhadeva Bose.


Book: It Rained All Night

Author: Buddhadeva Bose

Pages: 138

How Long It Took Me To Read: One day.

Plot Summary: It’s over—it happened—there’s nothing more to say. I, Maloti Mukherji, someone’s wife, and someone’s mother—I did it. Did it with Jayanto. Jayanto wanted me, and I him … How did it happen? Easy. In fact I don’t know why it didn’t happen before—I’m surprised at my self-restraint, at Jayanto’s patience.’ 

Banned when it was first published in the Bengali in 1967 on charges of obscenity, It Rained All Night went on to become a bestseller. 

Maloti, an attractive middle-class Bengali girl, marries the bookish college lecturer Nayonangshu only to find him insecure, sexually timid and unable to satisfy her. She discovers passion in the arms of the confident, earthy journalist Jayanto whose love provides her solace from the demands of her wifely duties. Maloti and Jayanto’s growing intimacy does not go unnoticed by Nayonangshu, but his pride restrains him from reaching out to his wife. 

Bold, explicit and shockingly candid, It Rained All Night is an unforgettable tale of desire, adultery, jealousy and love. 

General Thoughts and Review: Like I mentioned in my previous post, I picked up 3 books by this author in a recent Flipkart haul. This was the second book of his I read and this was really, like poles apart from the other one. While My Kind of Girl is a sweet little collection of four love stories, this one...is an intense look at a crumbling marriage and an affair that has just been consummated. 

If I liked Bose's writing earlier, this book firmly shows what a talented writer he was. This book is a story of a marriage that is frankly better off dead, it was a raw and very real, non-romanticized look at infidelity. It is about incompatibility, a marriage that never should have been..but it is a lot more than that. It also comes across as a character study of the married couple. 

We start the book with Maloti and see her point of view and her reasons for straying. And I found myself nodding along and being all- You Go Girl! Find your happiness. Leave this insipid little husband of yours. Find your satisfaction with Jayanto.

Then the book slips into Nayonangshu's mind..and unexpectedly I found myself feeling terribly bad for him. He knew pretty much from the get go that Jayanto and his wife are attracted to each other. He watches them flirt, get close, spend time together behind his back and he is a mute spectator to their increasing proximity.

While I didn't really like Angshu very much, I liked how the book messed with my head and I questioned if Maloti was right in doing what she was doing? Of course, cheating is no good...I know that but this marriage really complicated.

I loved that this book gives us both sides of the story and lets us see both the perspectives.

I loved the writing, the raw and very honest emotions of our lead characters. I enjoyed this book and I am so glad I picked it up. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4/5 

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