Bipanna Jahajer Ek Nabiker Galpa (Bengali Version)

Book Details

• Author: Gabriel García Márquez (Original), Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (Translator)

• Category: Classics

• Publisher: National Book Agency Private Limited

• Language: Bengali

• First Publication Year: 1994

• Publication Year: 2023

• Edition: 2nd Edition

• Binding: Hardcover

• Number of Pages: 88

• ISBN: 978-93-92593-66-6

About The Book

Bipanna Jahajer Ek Nabiker Galpa (The Story of a Sailor on a Stricken Ship) is a gripping tale based on a real incident that occurred on February 28, 1955, when the Colombian Navy’s ship Caldas was caught in a storm in the Caribbean Sea. The ship, which was en route from the United States' Mobile Port in Alabama, was heading to Colombia's Cartagena port. While the ship made it back, eight sailors were lost at sea, and only one, a 20-year-old sailor, survived.

The story's hero is this lone survivor, and the narrative focuses on his harrowing journey to stay alive. Gabriel García Márquez, at the time a journalist, conducted daily interviews with the sailor over the course of 20 days, each lasting six hours. His first-hand account of the sailor’s struggle in the vast and merciless sea forms the essence of this story.

The translation by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and a prominent CPI(M) leader, adds a unique dimension to the narrative, enriching the original text with a powerful linguistic touch that resonates deeply with Bengali readers.

This book captures the intensity of human survival, the resilience of the spirit, and the drama of one man’s fight against the elements, making it a timeless classic in the literary world.