The Chronicler of Hooghly and Other Stories

Abstract

The Chronicler of the Hooghly and Other Stories by Shakti Ghoshal (Half Baked Beans Literature, New Delhi, 2020) is a collection of stories. A versatile personality, Ghosal has worked in the corporate world for decades, and now has come up with his first book of fiction. But his captivating style of narrating tales bears testimony to the fact that he is an accomplished writer of prose. According to the author, these four stories are inspired by his personal experiences. However, he has woven these stories into a multi-hued fabric of history and societal norms prevailing at that time and linking Bengali culture to modern times. The prominent aspect of the book is that readers get a taste of both the ancient and the modern times, and the switchover is amazing.