Tales of beauty and travel
Md. Takir Hossain admires a world of dreams and fantasy
14 December 2007, 18:00 PM
The Romantic
M.Wahiduzzaman
Crane Books
The Romantic is the title of this book. Most of our readers, indeed most people in general, are very familiar with this word. This word carries a meaning, which is that relating to the person who likes to voyage through the imaginative and artistic world which is so far removed from the realistic world. But it is true that romantic people as a rule want to stay in their dream world. One can see that dreams are essentially part of the natural world.
The writer of this book is a dream-driven and fantasy-loving person. Apart from being a visionary, in that broad sense of the meaning, the writer has in this work tried to express the real picture of our rural people; in other words, the deprived people in our country.
The book in question comprises forty stories where the readers will get the chance to enjoy a romantic person's view about many different areas of life. M. Wahiduzzaman has travelled to many parts of the world and his curious, observant eyes have looked through the most naturally beautiful sights. Evidently the writer is a keen observer and wants to see his surrounding ambiance and having gone through the experience gives it a dream-enveloped and impressive look in the book. One point that may be mentioned here is that the stories in the collection not only emphasise the beautiful context of the writer's beloved motherland, but also give the reader an opportunity to cast a glance at the world overseas. The writer is greatly enamoured by rural Bengal and its unique beauty.
A reasonably large number of books have been written on the dazzling beauty of this land and its simple and kind-hearted people. But this writer has tried to focus on his beloved motherland in a unique and distinctive way. Readers can take the book as a travelogue. Wahiduzzaman has been fond of travelling since his childhood. His range of travelling has been from district to district, country to country and from one continent to another continent across the world.
The writer has a soft corner for the deprived people of our country. "Saria Now Rings School Bell" is one of the thought-provoking stories where the writer has tried to highlight a maidservant's way of life. Their numbers are not small in our society. But nobody tries to hear their pains and agonies. That is the theme emerging from the tale.
"Aimon" is another of the stories in this work. This story is on one of the poor women of rural Bangladesh. Ameer is her husband's name. He has lost his home to the ravages of a river. After that event, Ameer moves to the city of Dhaka with his wife searching for a better life. And they only come by a polythene-roofed shack in the city to live in. For about fifteen years Ameer and Aimon have lived in Dhaka. Their children have also grown up. But the family's way of life has remained the same as before, with nary a change in fortune.
"From Thailand with Love" highlights a composite picture of Thailand, one of the countries acclaimed for their culture and heritage. The country is also famous for its exquisite natural beauty. Farming is one of the major occupations for the people of Thailand. Of late, though, the Thai people have been adopting Western ways of living. Another piece by the writer, this one on Chiang Mai, is really underpinned by the attractive expressions used in the narration. There are reasons to suppose that the writer has a deep personal attachment to this country.
"The Knights of Dhaka Nights" is one of the delightful stories where the writer has tried to express the beauty of Ramna Park. This park holds a special kind of beauty both during the day and at night. The park is also acknowledged to be a place for a demonstration of the lifestyle of our floating people.
The writer visited Malaysia in 1979 and Sri Lanka in 1984. Wahiduzaman's "The Joy of Travelling in Malaysia and Sri Lanka" clearly falls in the category of travelogues. From this article, readers will know of the previous socio-economic conditions of the two countries. Wahiduzzaman offers a good, nearly sweeping view of the way life is conducted in Malaysia and Singapore.
The book ought to be appreciated for its lucid and simple language. Readers will quite likely want to finish going through the book in one sitting. The cover image is eye-catching, representing as it does the rivers of Bangladesh. Some black and white photos have enhanced the book's aesthetic quality.
Md. Takir Hossain is a journalist and reviews books.
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