GORA

In a seminal work on the backdrop of the Bengal Renaissance, Tagore takes a couple of intelligent & slightly dreamy young men, two erudite & purposeful young women & plunges them neck deep in social disruption. This isn't much of a love story. This is a story of individuals on crusades of their own making, battling traditions & reform at the same time, fighting reason & romance in simultaneous duels, & coming up short time & again.At the heart of it though is the old battle of individuals against the collective, or many collectives. The Hindu society & Brahmo society - the latter, more rational, spiritual, even westernized - constantly battle for the hearts & minds of our protagonists. A hundred & fifty years earlier, Tagore was prescient enough to show that religions - whether palpitating with dogma or resplendent in their philosophical construct - are simply a us versus them after all. They define themselves by how they differ from other religions & they hold you down as a collective with scant regard to your individuality. Add to this, the complexity of nationalism at battle with cronyism, visions & beliefs constantly at odd with experience, & you get a tapestry of undercurrents that swept through the late 19th century Calcutta.Brilliant, complex & compelling.

Still, there are some small flaws at the level of the narrative composition. Namely: some important events are left aside, when this should not have been the case. Also, some parts (among which the ending, imho) are a bit abrupt. But, nonetheless, this book is a wonderful read and I would highly recommend it.

I recently re-read Gora after many years. It is still one of my most favourite books on India. The conflict between religion and society, the difficulty of taking a balanced midpath amongst extremism, is still as relevant today in India, as it was 100 years ago. The characterisation of Gora, Binoy, Paresh Babu, Anandamoyi Ma, Sucharita,etc.is so beautiful. The maturity of the young girls in their thoughts and actions and the way they are guided by Paresh babu, is simply superb. One of the best reads of all time.

A friend of mine recommended this book to me. I found it to be a bit confusing. I don't know if it was because I purchased the Kindle version or not.

This was my first non-Western novel and was it worth it. Tagore is a master of language and character portrayal, drawing the reader in with every new chapter.I will say however, that without some knowledge of India and Indian history the rich meanings and tensions in this book would be lost on the reader. This doesn't mean that you wouldn't enjoy it, just not to its fullest. Tagore is truly one of the greatest Indian writers of all time and this is one of his finest works.

Arrived on time. I have read this book several times. Always a great read.

The translation to English is so bad it’s difficult to believe it was published. This book is a classic and well-read in English. Just not by this particular translator. Waste of money.

It took me 5 days to read and complete this book. It captivated me through and through. It is fascinating how the two main male figures in the book, both Gora and Binoy are aspects of the same consciousness. Every thought, reflection and exchange between these two and with others arise from the same core. Only a master story teller can assume two equally important roles and keep them playing until the end. The women in the book reflect old patterns, newer thoughts, hopes and self discovery, all over the book. Extreme personalities of the complete mother who has formed a religion of her own based on motherhood, and ignorance of foolish and greedy unwise womanhood - all fearful reflect the conscious and unconscious mind. A great psychological book, where the collective assume a persona and the individual reflects the collective. The younger women-children in the story make me wonder how easy it is for women of today and yet how much we complain. They were perfect and had to be ever vigilant and are even today inspiring. Amazing work, extremely fascinating until the end.

Excellent and still very relevant today.

I bought the Kindle edition. I really should have checked the "Look Inside" feature before buying.The kindle version is a horrible translation. I am positive, Google Translate would do a much better job.After seeing the sentences like"for those who will go to court on the court in the court, there has been a lot of fish in the house and the smoke...""By taking Monoya letter, at the top of the Lepafha she saw, writing her name in the English letters of the fair feminine letter. There is nothing the letters, there are only a few money."I have decided to return and go for the refund.

Tagore was a visionary and a lucid writer. His ability to portray serious and watershed events is amazing. Gora is one such account where Tagore has written about the social, political and religious scene of Bengal and the rest of the country. Tagore has challenged them all in a narrative that is full of everything - be it emotions, ideologies, philosophies and behaviour of people. The societal changes that come and go and those which stay with us are described beautifully by Tagore in the book. Not just the changes but the entire process of how these changes come about, with examples from Indian history which he has written about. This work is tremendous. This is written once in a lifetime.The descriptions are detailed. Tagore has not left it to chance and to the reader to draw inferences from his thoughts, but explained them in as detailed a manner as possible. And first time in my life, I found the details engrossing to the point that I want more from Tagore, more of his analysis and description of the society. Tagore has brought forward an idea which has remained current all throughout the history of India. He, not just merely observed something, but viewed it as a structural fabric of the Indian society and the dilemmas that will always remain no matter how much we try to resolve the same.The dilemmas that he has talked about and depicted in the story are so rational and explicable that the reader can relate to them through the beginning till the end. The story is weaved in a fashion that it balances out the issues from all perspectives yet leaves the question in the minds of the readers as where exactly the solution lies. Tagore has written it so masterfully that I'm still searching for answers and I bet you will too. This is the societal equation he has thrown in front of us. He is showing us the mirror in a very subtle manner and leaving it to our judgment on whether we wish to see the truth in the mirror and confront it or shy away from it yet not escape it entirely.The times were different but the ideas were not and Tagore's question is relevant even today.

Gora is a masterpiece and a monumental work in the history of Bengali fiction, rich in thought and reflection of the social, political and religious scenario of 20th century Bengal. The canvas of the novel is very vast with lots of characters woven together beautifully. Although there are so many characters in the novel, yet each one of them have their own identity and individualism. The backdrop of the story is Bengal at the time of turn of the century when it was witnessing the conflict between intense nationalism & revival of ancient spiritual values and also influence of the liberal western thought.Gora beautifully illustrates the struggles faced by educated Indians in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The novel is not only about socio-political scenario of Bengal of pre-independent era; but the story is also about self-searching, of resolution, of conflicts and of self discovery that has been told brilliantly by Tagore. Some of the characters are way ahead of the times when this epic was written. In fact, it’s through these different characters and their stories only, Tagore has woven almost every single concern of the society. For this, several sub-plots and intermediary stories and events have been added in the story which have added to its beauty. Each of the characters contributes and justifies the current status of the society in its own way.It is a journey of a development of soul within. It is very difficult to craft an interesting and engrossing storyline with plenty of material that compel you to think about religion, fanaticism, nationalism, caste and spiritualism; and this is what sets Gora apart from other fictional novels. It questions the identity of India as a nation as well as each of its characters. Tagore, in this masterpiece, observes the difference between religion and religious fanaticism. The transition of the characters with the development of the story is so subtle and natural that you feel the complexity of it.Gora might also be called a mirror of the Indian Renaissance and is a revisit of the Brahmo Samaj and the disruptive times when the Bengali society in Calcutta (Kolkata) ) was blatantly divided into the traditional orthodox Hindus and the liberal thinking Brahmos. Of these two, the Hindu Samaj strictly followed their renascent practices and ceremonials taking pride in it, and the Brahma Samaj, the liberal and reformed societal component of Brahmoism, a monotheistic reformist and renaissance movement of Hindu religion that was started by Raja Rammohan Roy. This awesome piece of literature does not preach or advocate any principle but is full of debates, arguments, thoughts and observations that may be interpreted in various ways. The story does not thrust any definite conclusions upon the readers anytime, rather it provokes you to think and introspect your self-being, your religion and the integrity with which you follow what you perceive is right. Even the end of the novel is also a new beginning of the concept of secularism.Today I am Bharatiya. Within me there is no conflict between communities, whether Hindu, Muslim or Krishtan (Christian). Today all the castes of Bharat are my caste ……is the ultimate realization that strikes Gora , the central character of the novel.Gora is a powerful story, with its perfect detailing, twists and turns through the disruptive and cultural confusion era of pre-independent Bengal which would definitely make every reader think.

Gora is a fantastic novel by the maestro. It is a must read for anyone who loves literature and it is entertaining as well as educating since it presents the societal picture of the then Bengal like no other book. Needless to say it’s universality lies in the fact that you can connect it to the present picture of the surrounding that is bound to make you think, introspect, cringe, judge and get surprised as well as awestruck.Also, not only it captures the society and culture, it also revolves around plots that highlight the act of falling in love, of realizing the compulsion that love is. It is a thorough account of what we desire and deserve, and destiny. It will remind you the taste of that first love that made the leaves look greener and made you play music that had more violin in it, making an ass of yourself by finding romance in places hostile to it. What is mentionworthy is the subtlety and the implicit sarcasm that is spread throughout it not letting your mind take a detour from the book.Ps- the best is if you can read it in Bengali for translation won’t be as magnificent as the original . But in whatsoever language, Gora is a gripping read that can make your nails go shorter in shortest time.