Selected Stories of Rabindranath Tagore

“Error will not go away; logic and reason are slow to penetrate. We cling with both arms to false hopes, refusing to believe the weightiest proofs against it, embracing it with all our strength. In the end it escapes, ripping our veins and draining our heart’s blood; until, regaining consciousness, we rush to fall into snares of delusion again.” With these words Rabindranath Tagore ends his short story, “The Postmaster.” It is the tale of a postmaster in British India who takes in an orphaned village girl to do his housework for which he pays her with food. The thread of this story, like those running through all of Tagore’s tales, is the small quiet spaces of the heart, where no other human can see and which we ourselves may scarcely comprehend.Tagore’s Life Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861 in Calcutta, when India was part of the British Empire. He died in Calcutta in 1941. During those 80 years, he produced 90 short stories, books of poetry and numerous paintings. Tagore was the first Asian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, an honor he received in 1913.Tagore’s Short Stories Reading a short story by Tagore is a journey into life’s trials and complexities. In “Selected Short Stories,” translated from Tagore’s native Bengali by William Radice, 30 Tagore classics show his compassion and humanity for the lowly and forgotten. Tagore’s stories do not philosophize or scold. They remind the reader of the frailty and sadness of much of the human condition: A young woman and her family devastated by the debt of an unpaid dowry; a little boy disgraced for playing with his sister on a social holiday; a house servant who’s life is upended by a freak accident; the skeleton in a medical school that once belonged to a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own; an idealistic young man who dreams of changing the world only to look back on his unfulfilled life and cherish one truly meaningful night; an old man living a life of regret because of a terrible mistake. The tales are not hopeless or morbid. Rather, they remind the reader of our frail natures and of the importance and need for empathy and compassion for our fellow humans. Tagore’s tales do not discuss the grand and famous, but focus on seemingly insignificant people whose hopes and dreams, fears and regrets fill an entire world. His stories ask us to consider how our fellow humans must bear life's burdens-and to show them kindness as they do. Mesmerizing with his prose, sincere in his humanity, beautiful in his settings, Rabindranath Tagore’s short stories left us an artist’s appeal to understand the yearnings and dreams of the human heart.

Rabindranath Tagore is best known for his Bengali devotional songs, which were translated to English as poetry. His most famous book of poems, Gitanjali, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. However, Tagore also wrote short stories which reflect the people, customs, social structure, turmoil, and relationships of the times in which they were written. When the stories were written, Tagore lived on a houseboat. He watched the ebb and flow of life in villages along the river. He captured the essential features of Bengali village life. He saw the caste system, the inequality, the struggles and limitations imposed on people. He wrote about the realities he witnessed. He saw that women were treated as second class citizens, despite their intelligence and talents. He witnessed death as a part of life, when antibiotics had not yet been developed, infections killed children and adults alike. Orphans remained to be raised by next of kin. Tagore manages to capture teh feelings and emotions of the disenfranchised, the poor, and the helpless. His stories are often haunting and eery - the reader gets the feeling for where the stories are leading but suddenly an unexpected twist can change the outcomes. Whatever the theme or topic, Tagore maintains a spiritual awareness or presence in all his stories ... he is sensitive to the innocent, the vulnerable, the unprotected ones in society. His characters have unique personalities. He describes family relationships and explores prescribed roles and society's expectations. He also reveals what happens when people challenge their roles and fall outside behavioral norms. Although the stories were written in the 1890s, the message Tagore conveys has meaning in modern times.Expressions of love, respect, and decency toward one's fellow human being are universal, therefore Tagore will be held in high esteem by future generations, just as he has been revered by past and present readers. The content of his stories are not bound by space or culture, they are spiritual and therefore timeless. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Tagore wrote in my mother tongue, so I am well versed with lot of his works since childhood. However, I cannot stop myself everytime I can lay hands to read any of his works. This one is no exception. What was surprising is that apart from Short Stories (30 of them) it also contains selection of letters from Tagore, which is a really good value add. In addition, there is a glossary of translations to English of commonly used "Bengali" terms, which any non-bengali reader will find really helpful. Paperback quality is good. Must read for anyone interested in the works of the great literary genius!!

Its a good book. The characters are highlighted by their uniqueness and yet so typical of the period, region culture and customs - all so brilliantly portrayed. I must point out the marvelous job done in translation. It is very difficult to keep intact the sense of each context when translating and it will never be possible to reflect the stories in its entirety in a translated form. Nevertheless, I felt this was as close as one could get. Tagore is undoubtedly a great poet but what amazes me is how he brings out the poet in anyone who reads his stories or poems. The appreciation does not end with reading his works but endures in your perceptions from then on.

Great writing and translation, but page numbers are all off, and there are many numbers scattered throughout the text, as if referring to another page number that often doesn't exist.

If you want a feel for real India he is a must read. He is a national literary figure and a very spiritual man. His spiritual energy pulls one into his books. There are movies made from some of the stories. A great read on a rainey day.

Touching stories from calcutta , almost felt like I am reading textbooks from school days. It's amazing how small stories like kabuliwalla and the last one could teach you lessons of life. Would love to read more work written by Ravindranath Tagore

Very nice

Amazing stories

I liked it

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Tagore ji doesn't belong to just one region as he is well known for his remarkable contribution in Indian as well as world literature. So the reason I include this book for this particular challenge is because his stories are set in rural Bangali villages which further emanate the spirit of the wider Indian culture.Coming to the part of my experience regarding this book, I liked it so much, specially there are few stories like The Homecoming, My Lord-The Baby, Vision and last but not the least, the nostalgia of our childhood: The Kabuliwala. I loved these stories from the core of my heart. And Yes! There are few stories I found little peculiar, beyond my understanding to be honest. But it's all right. It happens when you are a novice & haven't explored much in Classic. But I must tell you, this book helped me develop my taste buds for Classics as earlier I used to think that Classics are not my cup of tea. And now I can't resist my temptation of reading his work (& other Classic books as well) because his writing is brilliant & I can't stop myself from admiring him writing.