• Joy Baba Felunath

The Complete Adventures of Feluda. The bengali version of the stories will always. I used to read Feluda books when I was in school and after reading his. Feluda (Bengali: ফেলুদা), or Prodosh Chandra Mitra, (Bengali: প্রদোষ চন্দ্র মিত্র), who also uses the Anglicised name Pradosh C. Mitter, is a fictional Bengali private investigator starring in a series of Bengali novels of Indian fictional detective novels and short stories written by Indian Bengali film director and writer Satyajit.

Between 1965 and 1992, Satyajit Ray wrote a total of 35 Feluda stories, featuring the master sleuth Pradosh C. Mitter, AKA Feluda. The plots involve murder, mystery and adventure, most of the times in exotic locations, narrated in a racy, humorous style by the detective's cousin-cum-assistant Topeshranjan Mitter AKA Topshe, and in most cases, accompanied by the funny Lalmo Between 1965 and 1992, Satyajit Ray wrote a total of 35 Feluda stories, featuring the master sleuth Pradosh C.

Mitter, AKA Feluda. The plots involve murder, mystery and adventure, most of the times in exotic locations, narrated in a racy, humorous style by the detective's cousin-cum-assistant Topeshranjan Mitter AKA Topshe, and in most cases, accompanied by the funny Lalmohan Ganguly AKA Jatayu, who himself was a famous crime writer. All of this makes for enormously entertaining fare - and it is no wonder that each Feluda book has been a best-seller. All the stories are now available together in this two volume omnibus. For the first time ever, the stories are arranged in chronological order of composition, and one can note Feluda's development from an unknown amateur detective to a famous investigator. This first volume contains some of the best Feluda stories ever written. Feluda was recommended to me by many including my parents who had read the stories when they were kids.

Written by master film maker Satyajit Ray in the 1970s, the first Feluda adventure was published in Ray's Bengali magazine for kids 'Sandesh'. Meant originally for children and teens,the series soon became hit with the adult readers as well and everyone wanted a Feluda adventure to read and share right from 8 year olds to 50 year old adults. My first reaction on hearing the name Feluda was 'oh Feluda was recommended to me by many including my parents who had read the stories when they were kids. Written by master film maker Satyajit Ray in the 1970s, the first Feluda adventure was published in Ray's Bengali magazine for kids 'Sandesh'.

Meant originally for children and teens,the series soon became hit with the adult readers as well and everyone wanted a Feluda adventure to read and share right from 8 year olds to 50 year old adults. My first reaction on hearing the name Feluda was 'oh no, some stupid teenager who wants to solve some kiddish mysteries!'

Obviously i was proved wrong. The stories start from Danger in Darjeeling to the The curse of the goddess (in vol.1) and each holds the reader in spell binding suspense. As i had read Byomkesh Bakshi before staring on Feluda, The first two stories did seem a bit lame but the pace begins to pick up as you start ' Trouble in Gangtok' Talking about the characters, Feluda aka Pradosh C Mitter is a 27 year old (nah, he is not a teen!) who has a photographic memory and a great deal of knowledge of about everything in the world! He knows only Bengali and English, uses Greek to write in his personal notebook, is valiant and brave and is very secretive. Not even Topshe, his cousin and aide and our narrator, comes to know about his intentions right till the end.

Topshe or Tapesh is a 15 year old teen (who is shown to be 13 at the start) who is the narrator of our story and a great admirer of his cousin. Infact you get so used to Topshe narrating the stories so well, that you feel him to be a part of yourself and watching the action at the battle scene rather than only reading about it. Lalmohan Ganguli or Jatayu is a writer of crime thrillers whose physical appearance is completely opposite to that expected from a writer of crime fiction.

His under developed persona and slow mind provide comic relief throughout the book. It is difficult to think about Feluda without Jatayu. Every lover of mysteries and crime fiction should and must read Feluda. I finally got around to starting the Around the World tour I had been promising myself for a few months now. And where better to start than my own country, especially considering I haven't really read some of the literary gems from India. The author is well known for his films and has received numerous awards.

But it came as a surprise to me that he also wrote short stories and essays. The Complete Adventures of Feluda is a collection of short stories written in the Sherlock Holmes tradition, wi I finally got around to starting the Around the World tour I had been promising myself for a few months now. And where better to start than my own country, especially considering I haven't really read some of the literary gems from India. The author is well known for his films and has received numerous awards.

But it came as a surprise to me that he also wrote short stories and essays. The Complete Adventures of Feluda is a collection of short stories written in the Sherlock Holmes tradition, with Indian settings and a far nicer detective than Holmes (though I love the narcissistic Holmes to pieces). The author freely admits that he has been inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. The narrator is Topshe, or Tapeshranjan, Feluda's cousin. He is younger than Feluda and chronicles all of Feluda's cases in detail.

The device works very well, and perhaps one of the rare cases where a young narrator is not irritating. Feluda, of course, is the detective who loves riddles and puzzles and is smart and intelligent. He is well-read and enjoys having different experiences. Lalmohan Ganguly aka Jatayu is their friend and accompanies them everywhere on their cases. He is a famous writer of mystery stories and gets his ideas from their trips and investigations. The trio make a wonderful team and work well together.

The stories were originally written for children, but they are far more than children's stories. They are a chronicle of life in the 60s and 70s.

The cases take Feluda and his friends all over India. Ray has a way with words when it comes to describing a place or an event. He dragged me right inside the pages and I ended up actually visiting these places with the trio. Over the reading of this book, I visited cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, Gangtok, Aurangabad, Agra, Ranchi, and of course, Calcutta with the author. It was a beautiful experience. The plots were simple but not boring. It is in the plots that a strong influence of Doyle is seen.

Things like buried treasures and family squabbles over inheritance were imported straight from England to India, but they were not damaged in transit. Ray managed to make these stories intensely Indian. My favourite story was Bandits of Bombay which satirised Bollywood. There is a thread of humour running through all the stories and usually in the form of the bumbling and nervous Jatayu. I love Jatayu's character so much! In spite of being a crime writer, he could hardly survive the adventures.

Definitely a touch of Hastings there! Jatayu's books are outlandish and Feluda consistently points out mistakes in his research.

Well, I say research, but Jatayu does nothing of that sort! A lot of the humour arises from this simple device. There are, of course, a couple of drawbacks. There are hardly any woman present in the book. Not just the trio, but the world they live in seem to be populated entirely by men.

I don't know why this should be so because Bengali literature is scattered with strong and powerful female characters. So it is intensely disappointing that Ray left out women entirely from the lovely world of Feluda. I was a little annoyed at the glorification of hunting in The Royal Bengal Mystery as well. However, these are but small irritations in a book that is consistently interesting and well-written.

I am a probasi bengali. As probasi as it can get. I've born, brought up and ruined in Kanpur. Neither of my parents have any deep roots whatsoever in Kolkata. I've been to Kolkata just once(for a month though). I don't like fish(you can facepalm now) and can neither read or write my mother tongue.

So I've been told that essence of Satyajit Ray's writing has been lost somewhat in translation and no matter how much I like it, the bengali version of the stories will always be better. But even then, I am a probasi bengali. As probasi as it can get. I've born, brought up and ruined in Kanpur. Neither of my parents have any deep roots whatsoever in Kolkata.

I've been to Kolkata just once(for a month though). I don't like fish(you can facepalm now) and can neither read or write my mother tongue. So I've been told that essence of Satyajit Ray's writing has been lost somewhat in translation and no matter how much I like it, the bengali version of the stories will always be better. But even then, I was completely mesmerized by the first half of Feluda's adventures. I am now itching to travel to Kolkata and discover all the places that Ray mentions in his stories, do a Feluda walk if you'd like to call it. Of late, I've been reading a lot of detective fiction(and the next set of books that I'll be ordering from Flipkart has a few of them as well).

But these stories have been the most engrossing ones so far. The book has been unputdownable. Mind you that these stories were originally meant for kids(even teens) but Feluda is every bit your Sherlock Holmes and Topshe your Watson. The stories are even more enjoyable thanks to the bumbling Lalmohan Babu or Jatayu as they know him. This collection, this particular edition, though poor in print quality, has the stories in chronological order.

So you can make sense of all the references and actually see the characters develop in front of your eyes. Satyajit Ray also takes you around the country, to the desert, to the mountains and to every nook and corner of Calcutta. To round off the experience, watch the Feluda movies once you've read the stories(Sonar Kella, Bombaier Bombete, Jai Baba Felunath to name a few).

I am also planning to buy a set of Bomkesh Bakshi stories but am still looking for a complete collection and not scattered translations. May the force be with me. Jai baba vishwanath! Summary – Feluda, the razor sharp and witty young detective investigates some very curious cases along with his cousin Tapesh and friend Jatayu through the length and breadth of India.

Review – A recent article about the release of a new Feluda movie brought back happy memories of this childhood series. We know Satyajit Ray as the Oscar winning filmmaker but not many Indians, especially non-Bengalis know that he was also an author par excellence. Fortunately I Summary – Feluda, the razor sharp and witty young detective investigates some very curious cases along with his cousin Tapesh and friend Jatayu through the length and breadth of India. Review – A recent article about the release of a new Feluda movie brought back happy memories of this childhood series. We know Satyajit Ray as the Oscar winning filmmaker but not many Indians, especially non-Bengalis know that he was also an author par excellence. Fortunately I became familiar with the “Author” Ray through his translated short stories in “Kishor” magazine much before I had watched any of his films. So when one day my local librarian showed me a new book titled “The Golden Fortress” by Satyajit Ray, I immediately lapped it up and since then became a huge fan of Feluda, Topshe and Jatayu.

In 1961 Ray revived children’s magazine “Sandesh” started by his grandfather. He started writing Feluda stories in 1965 and between 1965and 1992 wrote 35 stories featuring Pradosh C. Mitra, nicknamed “Felu”, a young, athletic and brilliant detective.

Feluda (‘da” in Bengali means elder brother) is accompanied in his adventures by his 14 year old cousin Tapesh. Tapesh or “Topshe” as he is fondly called is the young Watson to this modern day Indian Sherlock Holmes and chronicles the mysteries for us. Like all the children who have read these stories, Topshe is in awe of Feluda’s deduction skills and knowledge and Feluda is his idol though Feluda teases him a lot. Feluda is very choosy in his cases and accepts only the ones that intrigue him most.

Their cases take them all over India from Sikkim to Rajasthan and Darjeeling to Maharashtra and also to Nepal and England. Many of the stories are set in Feluda’s hometown Calcutta. Ray introduced Lalmohan Ganguli a.k.a. Jatayu, writer of bestselling thrillers whose hero – Prakhar Rudra is nothing short of a superman. In Ray’s own words Jatayu offers “dollops of humour” in the otherwise sombre stories. Jatayu is a fumbling caricature with his misspelt English and love for rhyme-less poetry, who almost always makes wrong deduction, a male version of Ariadne Oliver from Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories.

In fact we can see the influence of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot throughout the series. As Feluda himself says “we have nothing new to do, we just follow the paths of the past masters Holmes and Poirot”. Ray had to walk on a tightrope as the stories were meant for children. He had to keep the violence to the minimum even in case of murder mysteries and the fair sex is conspicuously absent in almost all the stories. Despite this constraint Feluda became instant hit among children and grown-ups alike due to stimulating plots and twists in climax. All the stories are riveting though some of them are clearly a class apart.

My particular favourites are The Emperor’s Ring, Trouble in Gangtok, The Golden Fortress and Tintoretto’s Jesus. Reading the stories takes us back in time and it’s a pleasing ride worth taking especially in the city of Calcutta due to Ray’s minute attention to details. Reading about the by lanes of Calcutta is reminiscent of Sjowall and Wahloo’s Stockholm during the same period.

Read it to your children or read it for yourself; I am sure you will definitely enjoy it. As this is collection the review will be more about the characters that make up this string of stories rather than any specific story. The character of Feluda is no doubt inspired by other famous fictional detectives, primarily Holmes and Poirot; a point which the character himself points out in on of the tales.

Satyajit Ray's genius is in realizing the true magic of Holmes lies not in the characterization of the main characters but in the detailed environment that exists around them. Reading th As this is collection the review will be more about the characters that make up this string of stories rather than any specific story. The character of Feluda is no doubt inspired by other famous fictional detectives, primarily Holmes and Poirot; a point which the character himself points out in on of the tales. Satyajit Ray's genius is in realizing the true magic of Holmes lies not in the characterization of the main characters but in the detailed environment that exists around them. Reading through the various stories it is so easy to pulled into the locales that Mr. Ray so beautifully portrays. It is a must read for any fan of popular detective stories.

There are two regrets whenever I read these stories. One, I wish I could read it in the original Bengali. While my friends tell me that the translation is quite competent I am sure that the original would have had an even more magical touch, especially since the master wrote it. The other regret is that I could not read it in the original form of each story/chapter coming out in consecutive issues of the magazine. How magical it would have been to wait for the next issue to come. All in all a good book to own. Satyajit Ray – I have fallen in love with the author with each book.

I have read most of his books and thoroughly enjoyed them. So when I picked up Feluda his greatest and most popular creation, I was doubtless that this will be another feather in his cap.

But sorry to say I am too grown up to read Feluda. It has never taken me so long to finish a book – I started reading it in December 2011 and could only finish it in early August 2012 – 7 long months. Agree it was big with multiple stories in Satyajit Ray – I have fallen in love with the author with each book. I have read most of his books and thoroughly enjoyed them.

So when I picked up Feluda his greatest and most popular creation, I was doubtless that this will be another feather in his cap. But sorry to say I am too grown up to read Feluda. It has never taken me so long to finish a book – I started reading it in December 2011 and could only finish it in early August 2012 – 7 long months. Agree it was big with multiple stories in one and 700 page long.

I kept leaving it and picking it up back again and again in between other books. Finally when I finished it I wondered if I should actually pick its part 2 with remaining stories. But nope, I don’t think I can do any justice to that. In no ways is this book bad or substandard. It’s just that it can’t be anything but meant for kids. It reminds you of the children’s movies which used to be broadcasted on Doordarshan every Sunday afternoon, where common kids show courage and smartness to defeat the local gundaas and villains. I would have loved to read it as a kid and enjoyed the movie made by Satyajit Ray.

The detective is smart but it’s quiet obvious that mysteries just erupt wherever he goes. Some of the stories are so basic using nursery rhymes as the key to the mystery. The villains and comedians are straight out of Bollywood, which will amuse children and bring the required drama for a masala film.

So just to be fair to one of my favourite authors I would give it 2.5 stars. Read it if you have love for children detective stories or buy it if you have to gift it to younger cousins or friends of yours. I read some few stories of Feluda during my school days. I enjoyed those few stories and at that time I thought there are only few stories but recently when i saw the book The Complete Adventures of Feluda, i suddenly remembered that this was the same stories which i had read some 5 or 6 years ago. Without any hesitation i picked it up and started reading stories. The main character is Feluda who is an amateur sleuth and is accompanied by his cousin Topshe. The sharpness of Feluda's mind and the I read some few stories of Feluda during my school days.

I enjoyed those few stories and at that time I thought there are only few stories but recently when i saw the book The Complete Adventures of Feluda, i suddenly remembered that this was the same stories which i had read some 5 or 6 years ago. Without any hesitation i picked it up and started reading stories. The main character is Feluda who is an amateur sleuth and is accompanied by his cousin Topshe. The sharpness of Feluda's mind and the light humor makes this stories worth of your time.

There is no doubt that Satyajit Ray is regarded as one of the best person in cinema industry in not only In India but in world too and when he was given a task to write murder mystery stories intended for children which includes no violence, sex and drugs. He took this task masterfully and wrote some of the best murder mystery stories which can surpass some of the great works on murder mystery. The first volume mainly deals with Feluda rising to become a professional detective and Satyajit Ray takes his readers to different landscapes and environment in India. Nevertheless, stories are not drifted away from its main plot and does not become like Travel book.

These stories will always remain my favorites and I recommend it to anyone who likes such type of murder mystery books. Must read stories.

3.5/5 As a child, i had read Holmes, Tintin, Hardy Boys, a bit of Nancy Drew, even Chacha Chaudhary:P in crime fiction. I wonder how i never heard of Feluda until recently? Good clean fun, suitable for all ages 10+, and ofcourse, lucidly written. The stories have just the right balance and depth to appeal to children and adults alike. Some stories - Gangtok, Royal Bengal tiger, Elephant god were genuinely good and apart from a couple of hurriedly written ones, most held my attention.

The 35 stor 3.5/5 As a child, i had read Holmes, Tintin, Hardy Boys, a bit of Nancy Drew, even Chacha Chaudhary:P in crime fiction. I wonder how i never heard of Feluda until recently? Good clean fun, suitable for all ages 10+, and ofcourse, lucidly written. The stories have just the right balance and depth to appeal to children and adults alike. Some stories - Gangtok, Royal Bengal tiger, Elephant god were genuinely good and apart from a couple of hurriedly written ones, most held my attention. The 35 stories were written over a period of 25 yrs and perhaps are our only piece of quality children's crime/adventure fiction? Hats-off Ray once again.

I used to read Feluda books when I was in school and after reading his adventures again after a long gap of almost 20 years I still feel the same thrill and excitement. I was so engrossed and immersed into the world weaved by Satyajit Ray that I become completely indifferent to my surroundings. Such is the affect of Satyajit and his iconic and immortal character Feluda that even I began to observe minute details and started drawing conclusions. Satyajit Ray had shown that there is no need of bru I used to read Feluda books when I was in school and after reading his adventures again after a long gap of almost 20 years I still feel the same thrill and excitement. I was so engrossed and immersed into the world weaved by Satyajit Ray that I become completely indifferent to my surroundings. Such is the affect of Satyajit and his iconic and immortal character Feluda that even I began to observe minute details and started drawing conclusions. Satyajit Ray had shown that there is no need of brutal murders or complex threatening situations to write mysterious novel.

A simple riddle or puzzle is also enough to keep readers hooked to the mystery till the end. The author had never hidden the real culprit in the crowd nor refrain the details of investigation. Everything was in front of the readers was like an open challenge to the readers to guess the real culprit before Feluda; to use brain just like Feluda to solve the mystery. Satyajit Ray's neat and clean mysteries, Feluda's character made this series a treasure which could be pass on from generation to generation.

Follow the link to read full review. I am short of words after reading this EPIC book of 788 pages.

This is the first time I have picked up a book by the great 'Satyajit Ray'. He is an extraordinaire writer and I dont think there can be anyone like him ever. The book is excellent with fantabulous twists and turns. Its a clean book (no crime passionnel) with mind blowing ending for every story. The characters are intricately woven in the whodunnit plot which will keep you glued to the book.

If you happen to put down the book for som I am short of words after reading this EPIC book of 788 pages. This is the first time I have picked up a book by the great 'Satyajit Ray'. He is an extraordinaire writer and I dont think there can be anyone like him ever. The book is excellent with fantabulous twists and turns.

Its a clean book (no crime passionnel) with mind blowing ending for every story. The characters are intricately woven in the whodunnit plot which will keep you glued to the book. If you happen to put down the book for some godforsaken reason, your hand, mind and soul would be itching to get back to the book as soon as possible. The plots are way ahead of its time. His intelligible writing transports you to the world of FELU MITTER and the numerous places he visits during his expeditions (the images start to float and there is nothing like when a book comes alive to the reader and captures ones body and mind).

The book depicts that Satyajit Ray was a traveler by heart and a voracious reader (the knowledge the book imparts on different subjects is astounding). The book is for all age groups. Felu Mitter rocks!!! I am waiting to get lost in the second volume of the book. A special and heart warming mention for the translator Gopa Majumdar who has done a splendid job. Thanks for bringing Mr. Satyajit Ray to the non-bengalis.

These adventures had not only given us the only full-fledged Bengali detective since Byomkesh Bakshi, but had also given us our very own Sherlock Holmes (Feluda is as closely modelled on Sherlock Holmes as is possible, and yet a lot more easily accessible for us). The adventures are brilliant and compact pieces of mystery-solving, but it is the combination of Feluda-Topshe and Jatayu that had caught our imagination, and has kept us in its grip even after the demise of the creator. But once again These adventures had not only given us the only full-fledged Bengali detective since Byomkesh Bakshi, but had also given us our very own Sherlock Holmes (Feluda is as closely modelled on Sherlock Holmes as is possible, and yet a lot more easily accessible for us). The adventures are brilliant and compact pieces of mystery-solving, but it is the combination of Feluda-Topshe and Jatayu that had caught our imagination, and has kept us in its grip even after the demise of the creator. But once again, ANANDA has not provided us with any additional information or annotation that could have enhanced the importance of this edition. Otherwise, recommended.

Great book but HORRIBLE PAGE QUALITY by PENGUIN Feluda stories are good; I will read all of them sometime soon. About this volume: shame be on Penguin! They have dishonored Satyajit Ray by providing the two volumes with abysmal pages! The page quality is really poor; you will feel outraged. Where did I buy it?: I bought it online from HomeShop18 with almost 50% discount (also using a discount code).

They source from reputed dealers. So it is an original copy from Penguin and not a spurious copy fr Great book but HORRIBLE PAGE QUALITY by PENGUIN Feluda stories are good; I will read all of them sometime soon. About this volume: shame be on Penguin! They have dishonored Satyajit Ray by providing the two volumes with abysmal pages! The page quality is really poor; you will feel outraged. Where did I buy it?: I bought it online from HomeShop18 with almost 50% discount (also using a discount code). They source from reputed dealers.

So it is an original copy from Penguin and not a spurious copy from the flea/gray market. এক কথায় অসাধারণ!! ইনটারের পর যখন এই বই পড়েছিলাম তখন আর বই ছেড়ে উঠা যাচছিল না। যদিও ছোট থাকতে ফেলুদার ধারাবাহিক সিরিয়াল দেখতাম। আর সবচেয়ে ভাল লাগত এর সূচনা সংগীতটা। আর ফেলুদার সব সিনেমা'ত দেখাই। সতযজিৎ রায় এর লেখনী এবং চিতরায়ণ দুটোই অসাধারণ!! I say only excellent, when i am read in class twelve, then i read it. I saw serial in childhood and i saw also feluda's all movies.

এক কথায় অসাধারণ!! ইন্টারের পর যখন এই বই পড়েছিলাম তখন আর বই ছেড়ে উঠা যাচ্ছিল না। যদিও ছোট থাকতে ফেলুদার ধারাবাহিক সিরিয়াল দেখতাম। আর সবচেয়ে ভাল লাগত এর সূচনা সংগীতটা। আর ফেলুদার সব সিনেমা'ত দেখাই। সত্যজিৎ রায় এর লেখনী এবং চিত্রায়ণ দুটোই অসাধারণ!! I say only excellent, when i am read in class twelve, then i read it. I saw serial in childhood and i saw also feluda's all movies.

Surprisingly, I have (had) read quite a few 'on' Satyajit Ray but never one 'by' him so far. Blame the availability in the book stores or getting my Kindle too late or may be too few Bengali friends around;) whatever it may be! Till, I praised Agatha Christie's and Arthur Conan Doyle's works in front of a Hardcore Patriot, that I had read recently finished and also showed him what all I had from them. He just said one thing which got me thinking big time that 'You are one of those quite a few I Surprisingly, I have (had) read quite a few 'on' Satyajit Ray but never one 'by' him so far. Blame the availability in the book stores or getting my Kindle too late or may be too few Bengali friends around;) whatever it may be! Till, I praised Agatha Christie's and Arthur Conan Doyle's works in front of a Hardcore Patriot, that I had read recently finished and also showed him what all I had from them.

Joy Baba Felunath

He just said one thing which got me thinking big time that 'You are one of those quite a few Indians who haven't been to Leh - Laddakh but praise Grand Canyon to no end', and I was like 'Whats the point dude?' It took me quite a while to actually decode (You see I am no Feluda) but when I got the point, I vowed to not to read a Christie ever till I finish 'Feluda' completely. To my shock, amazement and ashamed confession - I even had the first of the two book series already on my Kindle which I picked I guess quite a while ago when it was being sold at a paltry 99/. But as a true Satyajit Ray fan I have already got the second of the series too, all thanks to a friend who almost has every book that I can think of or at least he can source one at the drop of a hat:) (You know who you are and I love you for that). And am I glad? I am super happy to have come across these gems, guys!

If you haven't read these yet, you have no idea what you have missed. Although Satyajit Ray claims to have written them for children but no ways, these are too good to be ignored by adults or for that matter anyone who loves thrillers.

Supremely clean of Violence, Blood and Gore stuff, it doesn't even have a female character in any of the stories - just imagine. The Author himself is a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and he mentioned the same at the very start in the opening note that he has read all Sherlock Holmes stories when he was a kid himself and the inspiration is quite evident.

Not only that I will even say that his works are not in league with Doyle or Christie but the audience that he was catering to, seeing from that angle I can very well say they are not only fantastic but mind-blowing with ample of comic moments to keep one not only engrossed but happy too. The three main characters in all stories are Feluda (The Detective, real name Pradosh C Mitter), his side kick Topshe (Watson, real name Tapeshranjan Mitter - Cousin) and the hilarious Lalmohan Babu without which no story goes any further, who happens to be a B grade thriller writer who writes under the pseudonym 'Jatayu', gets all his plots from Feluda and Topshe's adventures. The Adventure stories are written from the perspective of Topshe (a teenager) who sees it all happening in front of his eyes as his cousin Feluda not only takes him and us on the thrilling rides but makes him understand it all too. Among-st the three lead characters my favorite will always be Jatayu, the way he cracks the situation up is simply amazing and always had me in splits, may it be the way he screws it all up or the way he talks, the use of words, his vocabulary which keeps getting better with time and so much more. And of-course my favorite story will always be 'The Golden Fortress' not only because I have seen the movie and I could visualize it all but because the way the entire chase and sequence is written that too with Rajasthan as background is simply superb. In all its a huge collection of Fifteen stories each almost equally good.

What is more outstanding is the way he has covered not only Bengal but the other cities and states like Rajasthan, Assam and even Bombay in the stories is superb. They are always travelling, either on a Train, or an Airplane or later half on Jatayu's new acquired car that he buys from his books selling so well:). Solving the cases of Emperor's Ring (a ring from Mughal Era) to solving the cases of Bandits of Bombay, Feluda gets to do it all and in style. From the bylanes of Calcutta to Mumbai, Benares, Lucknow, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Jaisalmer and even on moving trains. How Feluda starts from a mid 20's inexperienced unknown guy next door to a full-fledged very well known Detective almost all across is the book all about. His body language, mannerisms, book that he reads, movies that he watches and what not is simply amazing.

For some reason young Satyajit Ray's face kept coming in front of my eyes as I kept reading the Feluda stories. One thing I missed in these stories may be in the first part is that they don't go out of India anywhere. Who knows, may be in the next they get to go out, I so much wished that Feluda at-least gets to go to England once:). If you have read Feluda's adventures, do let know how you liked them but if you haven't, you exactly know what to do now. As I move on eagerly to the second part to see if Feluda goes out and solves some International cases too.

It's a trip down memory lane, into places you had long forgotten about in the dusty corners of your own mind. As mystery stories go, it's pretty good - reasonably accurate and realistic without being overly complicated. It's made additionally charming because of one of Satyajit Ray's own stated restrictions - in writing for a young adult audience, you can't afford to get too slow, too long, too complex, too gritty, nor too violent / dark. The result is a delightfully light, fast, fun romp throug It's a trip down memory lane, into places you had long forgotten about in the dusty corners of your own mind. As mystery stories go, it's pretty good - reasonably accurate and realistic without being overly complicated.

It's made additionally charming because of one of Satyajit Ray's own stated restrictions - in writing for a young adult audience, you can't afford to get too slow, too long, too complex, too gritty, nor too violent / dark. The result is a delightfully light, fast, fun romp through a world that's bright, fun, exciting, and just dangerous enough to be really interesting. In terms of characters, between Feluda and Jatayu, there's a very good balance of the serious and funny, reason and emotion, mind and heart - Tapesh as a narrator stays completely neutral, a perfectly clear window through which readers can look into this world without the coloration of judgement or another's opinion overlaid.

And what a world it is! More than the protagonists and the plots, it's the places. It's a world only 70s and 80s kids will identify - a world of letters, libraries and librarians, transistor radios, dak-bungalows and havelis, circuses and forts, binaca toothpaste and Mark-2 ambassadors. It's a vision of a sepia painting in glorious living color, an India seen through train windows and summer holidays, from modern metropoli to dark hamlets in a time warp from the sixteenth century - it's a world you forgot decades ago, only to find in these pages as pure, clean and alive as you ever remembered. It takes you back like you had never left, with a profusion of detail that never gets in the way of the stories, and it takes you back with a style that's optimistic, light, and free of the weight of growing up. It's the last time it'll work, though - anyone born after 1990 will not see this again.

The opportunity to read the Feluda stories arose when a cousin from India brought this collection to me as a gift. Being Bengali American doesn't mean I know anything about Bengali culture - apart from growing up eating Bengali food, attending pujas, and seeing a half-dozen of Satyajit Ray's films. In fact, I was not fully aware of the degree to which Ray was a writer, apart from being a world-renowned filmmaker. Reading this collection seemed a good opportunity to pick up a little more of what The opportunity to read the Feluda stories arose when a cousin from India brought this collection to me as a gift. Being Bengali American doesn't mean I know anything about Bengali culture - apart from growing up eating Bengali food, attending pujas, and seeing a half-dozen of Satyajit Ray's films. In fact, I was not fully aware of the degree to which Ray was a writer, apart from being a world-renowned filmmaker. Reading this collection seemed a good opportunity to pick up a little more of what it means to live and read in Kolkata.

It's possible that a lot gets lost in translation, in the passage of time, and in a different context. These stories were originally published in Bengali periodicals 40 years ago.

I certainly don't know what it took to create suspense and drama among the periodical's readers then, and whether the Bengali language managed to do so better than when translated to English. What I can say now, is these stories did not strike me as either mysterious or particularly clever. The stories are told from the perspective of Tapesh Ranjan ('Topshe'), the first cousin of the main character and professional detective Protosh Mitter ('Felu' or 'Feluda,' both nicknames used by those who are familiar). They are accompanied in their adventures by adventure novelist Lalmohan, who serves as comic relief. Neither Tapesh nor Lalmohan play any useful role in solving any of Feluda's mysteries.

They exist only to serve as an audience for Feluda's keen observation skills and brilliant deductive and reasoning powers. Indeed, the effort to portray Feluda as some sort of super-detective is the aspect of these stories that prevented me from accepting them with more credulity. If I could analogize, Feluda is some sort of mixture between Encyclopedia Brown and Sherlock Holmes, with a dash of James Bond thrown in.

Feluda, we are to believe, is a master marksman and a specialist in martial arts. Picturing a Bengali Daniel Craig is challenging enough - one that solves mysteries by executing implausible Jeeves and Wooster-like schemes involving expert make-up and absolute precision in the anticipation of how others will react is just too much. It would be one thing if these stories were meant to be comical or like a comic book, but I don't think that was the intent.

Or maybe that's what's being lost to me in translation. About half-way through this collection, you'll start getting the pattern. Scooby-Doo like, the one character that doesn't seem to serve a purpose is the culprit.

So really, that's what Feluda is: an utterly unpersuasive amalgam of Encyclopedia Brown, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Jeeves, Wooster and Scooby Doo. That's no small feat, I suppose. One final point is this: This collection contains not one single female character until the very last story. I know Ray knows how to write female characters; I've seen some of his films. A strong female voice would have diminished some of the monotony.

I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. There is no parallel to it. But now, I am a fan of Feluda too.

Not that it comes anywhere close to Sherlock Holmes, but that it has made its mark in my mind as a unique, powerful and specifically Indian story. Holmes had a Watson and Feluda has Topshe.

Holmes is an excellent observer of facts and a repository of knowledge. So is Feluda. The similarities stop here. The stories are set in different parts of the country. Whenever Feluda visits any place, he doesn't st I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes.

There is no parallel to it. But now, I am a fan of Feluda too.

Not that it comes anywhere close to Sherlock Holmes, but that it has made its mark in my mind as a unique, powerful and specifically Indian story. Holmes had a Watson and Feluda has Topshe. Holmes is an excellent observer of facts and a repository of knowledge.

So is Feluda. The similarities stop here. The stories are set in different parts of the country. Whenever Feluda visits any place, he doesn't stay at one place, he roams around and through the story we know about the place and a bit of its popular history.

The introduction of India through these stories is a unique idea and it does very well. There's enough physical as well as mental adventure. Each story is unique and highlights the problem solving ability of Feluda. In one of the stories we are introduced to film making too.

It's a light read and entertains as much as it informs. My admiration for Satyajit Ray has gone up by several notches after this read.

Satyajit Ray (Bengali: সতযজিৎ রায) was an Indian filmmaker and author of Bengali fiction and regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker and watching Satyajit Ray (Bengali: সত্যজিৎ রায়) was an Indian filmmaker and author of Bengali fiction and regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of world cinema. Ray was born in the city of Calcutta into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker and watching 's Italian neorealist 1948 film, Bicycle Thieves. Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts.

He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, primarily aimed at children and adolescents. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including Best Human Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival.

This film, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959) form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a number of awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Award in 1992.

The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992. Early Life and Background: Ray's grandfather, was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal., Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali author and poet of nonsense rhyme and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.

Ray completed his B.A. (Hons.) in Economics at Presidency College of the University of Calcutta, though his interest was always in Fine Arts. In 1940, he went to study in Santiniketan where Ray came to appreciate Oriental Art. In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das and the couple had a son, who is now a famous film director. Literary Works: Ray created two of the most famous fictional characters ever in Bengali children's literature—Feluda, a sleuth in Holmesian tradition, and Professor Shonku, a genius scientist.

Ray also wrote many short stories mostly centered on Macabre, Thriller and Paranormal which were published as collections of 12 stories. Ray wrote an autobiography about his childhood years, Jakhan Choto Chilam (1982). He also wrote essays on film, published as the collections: Our Films, Their Films (1976), Bishoy Chalachchitra (1976), and Ekei Bole Shooting (1979).

Awards, Honors and Recognitions: Ray received many awards, including 32 National Film Awards by the Government of India. At the Moscow Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded for the contribution to cinema.

At the Berlin Film Festival, he was one of only three to win the Silver Bear for Best Director more than once and holds the record for the most Golden Bear nominations, with seven. At the Venice Film Festival, he won a Golden Lion for Aparajito(1956), and awarded the Golden Lion Honorary Award in 1982. In 1992 he was posthumously awarded the Akira Kurosawa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Directing at the San Francisco International Film Festival.