BOOK REVIEW
LIFE is a diary of memories, both sweet and sad! We live in time upon which life rolls on. At one stage of life one gets nostalgic when one wishes to recall and record one’s memories.NOSTALGIC – the book under review is actually based on the personal events and experiences recorded by the author, Begum Farzana Chowdhury in her diary. It is an account of her memories. The author who born in the then undivided Bengal, witnessed the last part of the British regime, Pakistan period and the birth of Bangladesh through a bloody war in 1971. She is now 77. During the long journey of her life till date, she passed through various events and gathered a huge volume of personal experiences and golden memories which she has presented in her book NOSTALGIC in a very lucid and facile language.
The author lived in Kolkata for a long time with her father who was an Excise Commissioner in the British India and later came to Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) on the basis of option. Her husband late S. A. Chowdhury was a BAF personnel with whom she travelled to different countries and interacted with different culture. In the book she has nicely drawn pen picture of experiences she had gathered during her trips plus personal sentiments.
The book contains 112 pages with 20 different captions which include—“Moymonshingher Smritir Kichu Kotha”, “1971 Shaler Ekti Raater Kotha”, Bharoter Utir Smriti”. The author has mentioned about Thomas Ansell who was an English Poet and the Principal of Don’s School, Dhaka. All her four children were admitted to this school. At the end of the book, some abstracts in English from her father’s diary have been incorporated.
Nostalgic is the first venture of Begum Farzana Chowdhury who is blessed with literary talents and writing skill. Although she had been a housewife yet she used to take interests in literature. Some of her Bangla articles and poems were published in different newspapers and magazines.
Nostalgic in the white print is well composed. As the book has been written from her diary’s record, the book could therefore be made more impressive had this been edited by some expert hand.
Meanwhile this reviewer sincerely hopes that Begum Farzana Chowdhury will create some more literary works in the near future and wish greater success of her literary pursuit.
Nostalgic
Begum Farzana Chowdhury
First Print :January 2017
Cover: Nusrat Farhana
Printer: Vectorus
Price: Taka 200/-
Available at: 3/4 Purana Paltan (5th fLoor), Dhaka. Ph. 01819238103
(Reviewed by: Professor M Zahidul Haque, Department of Agricultural Extension & Information System, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka. Email: prof_haque@hotmail.com)
