The Home and the World (Penguin Classics)
by Rabindranath Tagore
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rabindranath TagoreEditor: William Radice
Translator: Surendranath Tagore
Introduction: Anita Desai
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-04-26
ISBN: 0140449868
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Home and the World (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: A good introduction to Tagore
Summary: 4 Stars
The Home and the World has been variously praised and criticized for reasons having little to do with its literary merit. To my mind, the praise comes largely from reviewers' admiration for the author and the totality of his life and works, rather than this particular work. The criticism comes largely from reviewers' disagreement with his political views, or what they think were his political views.
It is, of course, always hard to judge the literary value of a work in translation. Many subtleties of language and reference are necessarily lost. Some reviewers have found the language ponderous. I did not. This is a short book and very readable. I would consider this book as a good introduction to Tagore's thought and style.
Some have said that the main character Nikhil is too good to be believable. I think it is true that Nikhil represents a philosophy of life more than a real flesh-and-blood person. However, a main point of the book is that Nikhil's "goodness" also appears to be weakness. Certainly his wife, Bimala, reacts that way to him at certain points. If Tagore wants to explore the relation between goodness and weakness, then creating a character such as Nikhil seems entirely appropriate, even if it makes the book more a novel of ideas than a novel about real people. There is room in this world for many types of novels.
There is no doubt that Tagore's life work as a whole is monumental. His religious poem, Gitanjali, is more widely recognized than this novel as an expression of his views and writing skill. But poetry is even harder to translate than prose and probably not as accessible to the average reader.
Regarding Tagore's political views, some critics felt that The Home and the World pandered to the British because he did not show support for all elements of the anti-British Swadeshi movement. Tagore was definitely not pro-British. But neither did he support intimidation or terrorism against fellow-Indians as means of fighting British dominance in India.
Tagore had a long and public debate with his friend Gandhi regarding India's future. This correspondence is available in book form (The Mahatma and the Poet: Letters and Debates between Gandhi and Tagore 1915-1941). Those who would judge a person for his political views should learn them first-hand and not just through the opinions of others.
Summary of The Home and the World (Penguin Classics)
Set on a Bengali noble's estate in 1908, this is both a love story and a novel of political awakening. The central character, Bimala, is torn between the duties owed to her husband, Nikhil, and the demands made on her by the radical leader, Sandip. Her attempts to resolve the irreconciliable pressures of the home and world reflect the conflict in India itself, and the tragic outcome foreshadows the unrest that accompanied Partition in 1947.Classics Books
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