The Best of Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a towering figure in Bengali and world literature, publishing his first volume of poetry at thirteen. He was a great innovator, breaking with tradition and changing his own style. His themes were varied, including love, nature, philosophy, politics, and the future of mankind. This selection offers a representative overview of his work, including his best-known novel, The Home and the World, and his best-known play, Red Oleander, as well as many short stories, novellas, essays, poems, and songs.

Format: Hardback
Length: 840 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: Everyman

Rabindranath Tagore, a literary giant, embarked on his poetic journey at the tender age of thirteen. His remarkable career soared to great heights, making him a towering figure in Bengali and world literature. Throughout his prolific life, Tagore produced an extraordinary body of work, spanning 32 substantial volumes and comprising an extensive collection of verse, including 60 collections, along with over 2,000 songs. Two of these songs have proudly taken the status of national anthems in India and Bangladesh. Tagore's artistic prowess was characterized by his relentless pursuit of innovation, constantly challenging traditional conventions and evolving his unique style. This volume is a testament to his immense diversity and unexpected brilliance, as it showcases a wide range of poetic forms and themes. While lyric poetry held a central place in Tagore's creative tapestry, he also ventured into realms of devotional, satirical, humorous, and even nonsensical verse. His themes were as diverse as his forms, encompassing love, the awe-inspiring beauty of nature, profound philosophical inquiries, political commentary, his deepest aspirations for his country, and his concerns for the future of humanity. In his fiction, Tagore displayed a deep empathy for the perspectives of women, children, and the marginalized. This comprehensive selection, spanning over 900 pages, provides a representative overview of his remarkable oeuvre. It includes his renowned novel, The Home and the World, his celebrated play, Red Oleander, along with numerous short stories, novellas, essays, poems, and songs. Rudrangshu Mukherjee has relied on the expertise of various translators, including the early renditions by Surendranath Tagore, the author's nephew, as well as contemporary translations by William Radice, Kaiser Haq, and Madhuchchhanda Karlekar. Tagore himself also undertook the translation of some of his works, and all of his essays and lectures were composed in English.

Weight: 840g
Dimension: 208 x 124 x 46 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781841594156