Shyaola

• Author: Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
• Genre: Novel
• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: 9788170664444
• Pages: 96
• Weight: 206 grams
• Publisher: Ananda Publishers

Synopsis:
Set in Jadavpur, Shyaola explores the lives of the lower-middle-class and refugee communities, from which inevitably emerge the gangs of young "mastans"—outcasts from society's banquet of privilege, and as a result, violent, crude, and anarchic.

The protagonist, Hironmoy, was once a radical extremist but later turns into a detached, indifferent, and unmotivated individual. The novel follows the gripping journey of how a once-passionate political youth transforms into an "outsider." This intense narrative makes Shyaola a significant and thought-provoking novel.

About the Author:
Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay was born on November 2, 1935, in Bikrampur, Dhaka (now in Bangladesh). His childhood was spent in various places due to his father's job in the railways, leading to a nomadic life across Bihar, North Bengal, East Bengal, and Assam. His early memories often appear in his writings.

In the early 1950s, he studied at a missionary school in Cooch Behar, later completing his IA from Victoria College and BA from a college in Kolkata. He pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Calcutta. His professional career began as a school teacher, but he later transitioned to journalism and has been associated with Anandabazar Patrika.

His first story was published in Desh magazine, and his first novel, Ghurnopoka, marked his literary debut. His first children's novel, Monojder Adbhut Bari, gained immense popularity. He was honored with the Vidyasagar Award in 1985 for his contribution to children's literature, the Ananda Puraskar, and the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1989 for his novel Manabjamin.

Shyaola is a deeply insightful novel that delves into the complexities of political extremism, societal rejection, and personal transformation.