A review by jsingh
देबदास Devdas by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

4.0

I loved how real the author made Devdas; he is flawed, raw, and child-like. Then again, does Devdas represent something? To me, he is an extreme state of living in the face of not getting what his heart desires. Similar to Hamlet, Devdas is prone to inaction. However, unlike Hamlet, Devdas rarely introspects or contemplates his future actions. Devdas fails to act because it's his nature. Like that of Shiva (as the prelude aptly discusses), Devdas' nature is to remain a witness to the destruction he causes while his consorts (Parvati and Chandra, both of which are Shiva's real wives) are active in the world, creating a play. As one reads in "Devdas," Parvati and Chandra serve as nuclei in society--they are central to and drivers of societal functions (e.g. charity, family life).