Pather Panchali: Song of the Road

Absolutely beautiful tale of a young boy and his older sister growing up in a poor Bengali household. While they have certain "luxuries" - some schooling, a few books (their Brahmin father has some education but doesn't earn much), life is basic and often a struggle.
Much of the story concerns the rural world around them: "Childen make their own Toys" is the title of the larger part of the book, and Durga and her brother prowl the forest, scrump fruit, participate in festivals and invent games. Young Apu becomes increasingly keen on books and writing.
But life is harsh too: nasty neighbours, poverty...and death.
The final part was just so beautifully written. How many unremarkable peasant children have lived and died, forgotten? This show more autobiographical tale brings such ones to life... show less

This Bengali classic, basis for the famous movie of the same name, is the portrayal of the day-to-day life in an impoverished village at the turn of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of a young boy, Opu, and his adored older sister Durga.

In the forward to the edition I read, the translator states:

"Tagore... Presents village life nostalgically as an ideal condition which the modern age is fast losing. In Pather Panchali the village is not idealized; it is not explained or commented on; it is presented as it is, objectively at times, but more often subjectively, by the people who live in it, and more particularly by the two children. There is little formal description. It is not necessary to describe the things one lives with show more every day; one knows them, as the reader comes to know the village of Nishchindipur, through familiarity."

The novel is episodic; sometimes just an hour has elapsed between chapters, sometimes years. I was fascinated to learn, reading between the lines, what it meant to be of the Brahmin caste in India at that time. Opu's family is Brahmin, but very poor. Their father is a scholar, and earns small amounts infrequently providing his services at religious or other ceremonial events. Most of the time, the family is hungry, and their ramshackle dwelling is falling apart around them. Nevertheless, their Brahmin status gives them certain privileges and status. Again, the poverty and circumstances of Opu's life are just givens--this is not a social document, just the life of one small boy.

Here's a taste of the tone of the book. Opu has been reading in one of his father's ancient volumes a description of the properties of mercury:

"If you put some Mercury in a vulture's egg and leave it in the sun for a few days, and then hold it in the mouth, you can fly high in the sky.
"Opu could not believe his eyes. He read the passage again and again.....
"Astonishing! It was so easy to fly and yet nobody knew about it. Perhaps nobody had a copy of this book except his father. Or it might be that all this time nobody's eye except his own had lighted on this particular place in the book.
"He thrust his nose in the book again and smelt it. That same old smell. It never occurred to him to question the truth of what was written in such a book."

Highly recommended. 5 stars show less

In arcadian surroundings a poor family, oppressed by circumstances and caste, strive to better themselves. It gives a sense both of the rarefied, natural beauty that village life holds, and of the ways in which it grinds people down, holds them in their place. While I enjoyed Pather Panchali immensely, it did not absorb me, I think because of the lack of narrative drive. Told simply, and slow paced, there are anecdotes that describe commonplace occurrences and games seen through the eyes of a child, which just stop... Other scenes are poignant and move the narrative along. All through is a still atmosphere interjected with occasional bouts of violence and repression. A simple, sad tale and fascinating peek at a different culture and show more time. 3.8 stars. show less

It's a pathetic story of life.Heart touching :|

It's a pathetic story of life.Heart touching :|

This is a very good book!

The novel Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay is a classic in Bengali literature. It first appeared as a serial in a periodical in 1928 and was published as a book in 1929. To a great extent, it was based on the author's own earlier life. The novel depicts a poor family's struggle to survive in their ancestral rural home and the growing up of Apu, the son of the family.

The title of the book in English is "Song of the Little Road". Other translations of the title have been used, such as "The Lament of the Path", "Song of the Road" and "Song of the Open Road". The Bengali word Path literally means path, and Pather means "of the path". Panchali refers to a type of narrative folk song that used to be performed in Bengal, and was show more the forerunner of another type of folk song now known as jatra.

Satyajit Ray read the novel for the first time in 1943, when he was doing the illustrations for a new edition of the novel, and contemplated the possibility of making a script around 1947–48. Ray chose the novel because of certain qualities that, according to him, "made it a great book: its humanism, its lyricism, and its ring of truth." The author's widow granted permission for Ray to make a film based on the novel.

About the Author:

Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (12 September 1894 - 1 November 1950) (last name also rendered as Banerjee or Banerji) was a Bengali novelist and writer. His most well known book is the autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road), incorporated (along with Aparajito, the sequel) into the memorable Apu Trilogy films by Satyajit Ray. show less