Nirmala

I am not sure what to make of this, in part owing to the mediocre translation. Premchand is one of the most famous and accomplished short stories writers in Indian literature but I have also read his novels before and been impressed (especially with Godaan). Nirmala has the makings of a great work but it’s hard for me to sort out how much of the melodrama is attributable to the author and how much to the translator (his grandson). It strikes me as yet another exhibit in the endless series of people whose conversational English is fluent but fluency is merely an absolutely basic prerequisite; it is not by any means a sufficient sole qualification. If literary translation were as simple as substituting one word for another, someone show more could simply feed the world’s literature into Google Translate and publish the output. Nirmala is the story of a young woman wed to an older man. At about 15, she is only a few years older than her stepsons and the downturn in the family’s economic fortunes plus her husband’s inability to understand his new wife leads him to unjustly suspect his bride of a secret liaison with the eldest son. As catastrophe, misfortune, and bad luck build on each other, trust and love disappear. Premchand chronicles the calamities with a nuanced, sensitive understanding. Considering the date of its publication, 1926, the novel is remarkable for its recognition of and attention to the place of women and the evils of the dowry system. Unfortunately, the translation seems to heighten the melodrama, leaving the overall impression of an overly sensational work. (There is another older translation by David Rubin, a frequent translator of Premchand’s works into English. Based on my reading of Rubin’s work with Premchand’s short stories, that version may be far preferable to the version I read, translated by Alok Rai. Finally, there is a third translation by Surendra Singh, a translator I am not familiar with.) An important work despite its infelicities. show less