Grain Of Sand: Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me begin this review with a simple truth:Binodini is a temptress. No, not just for the two men in the novel, but also for the Reader. If, like me, you, too started this book right before your exams, she's going to pull you in until you finish it, making you incapable of reading everything else.

Now, coming to the book: If you've not read Chokher Bali for whatever reason and do not know Tagore, trust me, you're on the losing end! This book is a true classic and there's beautiful poetry interspersed between scenes and dialogues, some really fluid description that's worth reading and some true philosophy and life lessons buried deep within.

For the archaeologist in me, this is a true treat because there's so much to take out from it than just the story. You can almost see the whole thing happening in front of you. You can feel every emotion even that which a minor character may be experiencing and there's this deep lingering scent of incense that seems to waft from the story towards you, at once intoxicating and purifying.

Seriously, no review can recreate what Chokher Bali brings to you when you read it. The vast range of perspicacity Tagore's storytelling possesses is enchanting, exhilarating. It lingers in the air like that incense I just spoke about. It's calming. It's profound. You shouldn't even be reading this review anymore. No, you should be searching for the book on Amazon as I go on rambling about it like a mad person.

View all my reviews