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The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
10 posts | 6 read | 9 to read
At eighteen, Somlata married into the Mitras: a once noble Bengali household whose descendants have taken to pawning off the family gold to keep up appearances. When Pishima, the embittered matriarch, dies, Somlata is the first to discover her aunt-in-law's body - and her sharp-tongued ghost. First demanding that Somlata hide her gold from the family's prying hands, Pishima's ghost continues to wreak havoc on the Mitras. Secrets spilt, cooking spoilt, Somlata finds herself at the centre of the chaos. And as the family teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, it looks like it's up to her to fix it. The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die is a frenetic, funny and fresh novel about three generations of Mitra women, a jewellery box, and the rickety family they hold together.
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Texreader
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Pickpick

Aunt Pishi married an elderly man when she was 7, and she was widowed at 12. Our main character Somlata comes from a poor family and marries into the once-wealthy Mitra family. Somlata comes into possession of Pishi‘s box of gold jewelry when Pishi dies, gold that would help the family maintain its life of luxury but Pishi‘s ghost threatens Somlata with death if the gold is given away. So, Somlata must find another way to help this family ⬇️

Texreader having to convince (and teach) the family that the solution will have to break generations of classism and entitlement. Pishi dies in old age but her ghost is annoyingly childish, and Boshon‘s story is childish because she is a child. These issues—and an abrupt ending—make this a bumpy read. But Somlata‘s story makes this very short book worth reading. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @catsandbooks (edited) 3w
Catsandbooks 👍🏼🇧🇩 2w
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Texreader
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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This is a hard book to process as I think on reviewing it. I suspect a large part has to do with cultural differences that the translator described in a note at the end of the book. I appreciated learning this. In addition, the people of #Bangladesh have such very different priorities than I‘m accustomed to. But that‘s the benefit of reading books from around the world-learning the vast differences in our people live their lives. #foodandlit

Catsandbooks ❤️🇧🇩 2w
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Texreader
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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All about food in this exchange between a ghost and the main character. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

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Texreader
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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AnnCrystal 👏🏼🤩👍🏼💝. (edited) 3w
Catsandbooks 💖🧙🏼‍♀️ 3w
48 likes2 comments
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Texreader
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Thanks to a review by @Bookworm54 I‘m reading this book for my next audiobook. #Bangladesh #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

Bookworm54 Hope you enjoy it! 3w
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Bookworm54
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Pickpick

This was a short novel for #FoodAndLit #Bangladesh

Somlata marries into a family of old wealth (that are going broke). After her elderly aunt-in-law dies, she haunts Somlata, forcing her to hide her jewellery from the family. It also follows Boshon, a teen who doesn‘t believe she needs a man to enjoy life.

This had an abrupt ending, but I did enjoy it!

Texreader Very interesting!! 3w
Catsandbooks 🇧🇩👏🏼 3w
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monalyisha
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Pickpick

A short novel-in-translation about family, power, tradition, & the winds of change. A tragic & bitter Auntie, married at the age of 7 & widowed by 12, dies suddenly. She haunts the newest daughter-in-law in a floundering, aristocratic Bengali family. We also get a tale of stubborn independence & first love, focusing on the struggle between the two, told from the POV of the daughter-in-law‘s only child. 👇🏻

monalyisha Though I arrived at a fondness for the story by the (very open) ending, I never quite got the hang of defining who the family members were to one another. This bothered me at first (& I probably could have taken steps to rectify my ignorance)…but I settled into it (it‘s a sick day; forgive me). Ultimately, what hooked me & kept me going was a pervading sense of melancholy, moon-glow, & the distinct & confident personhood of each female character. (edited) 3y
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charl08
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Baroma is an open book.... Her affection for me includes force-feeding, anti-slimness propaganda, even opposition to feminism. Still, I can win her over whenever I want. I can ask for anything and get it too.

Baroma almost fainted when Jethu bought me a scooter a year and a half ago. She had a huge fight with him. Apparently she had never seen such a thing in her life. Now she rides pillion behind me.

Photo Tin Nguyen - Unsplash.

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Bookwormjillk
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this short novel about an extended family in Bengali. Somalta is poor when she marries into the Mitra family but her smarts and determination help her husband‘s family create a successful business. The only problem is she‘s being haunted by her husband‘s aunt. I was interested in the afterward by the translator, and the tales of struggle to translate Bengali swears into English.

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IReadThereforeIBlog
The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die | Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
Pickpick

Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay‘s literary horror novel (published in India in 1993 but translated into English from Bengali for the first time by Arunava Sinha) is a domestic drama pitting the genuinely malevolent Pishima against the virtuous, obedient Somlata and I liked the alternating sections following her daughter, Boshon, a restless teenager who has forsaken love but the open ending is very frustrating and may alienate some readers.