Book review
A timeless love story from the master storyteller of Bengal

Set in early twentieth century Kolkata, Parineeta (Espoused) is the unforgettable story of a child-woman’s intense and bittersweet romance. Lalita, an orphaned girl who lives with her uncle, considers herself betrothed to Shekhar, her benefactor and guardian. After several failed attempts, Lalita finally gets the egotistical Shekhar to admit that he reciprocates her feelings. However, tensions erupt between Shekhar’s prosperous father and Lalita’s poor but principled uncle, and the situation is further complicated by the arrival on the scene of Girin, a mild-mannered and eligible bachelor, who is attracted to Lalita. The lovers’ world is turned upside down, and Shekhar and Lalita find themselves estranged. Years later, they meet again, and the story takes another unexpected turn…

Parineeta is a classic that has captured the imagination of generations of readers. This new translation, published to coincide with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film, will delight Saratchandra’s fans, as well as those who are not familiar with the writer’s works.


• Published: June 2005
• ISBN: 0143033565
• Edition: Paperback
• Format: A
• Extent: 112pp
• Classification: Fiction


About the author Saratchandra Chattopadhyay was born on 15 September 1876 in Devanandapur, a village in West Bengal. He grew up in dire poverty and received very little formal education. After spending some of his youth in Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur, Saratchandra left for Burma in 1903, and it was from Burma that he began to send his stories and novels to magazines in Kolkata. Sensitive and daring, Saratchandra’s writings captivated the hearts and minds of readers, and he soon became Bengal’s most popular novelist. Saratchandra returned to Kolkata in 1916, and dedicated himself to writing. He was India’s first successful professional writer—a person who earned his entire livelihood only from writing. He died in 1938. Saratchandra remains one of the best-loved Indian novelists of all time; his works have been translated into various languages and made into films as well. Among his best-known novels are Srikanta, Devdas, Palli Samaj, Parineeta, Charitraheen, Grihadaha and Pather Dabi.