Rhyme-accurate, line-accurate English translations of all 53 nonsense-verse poems from Indian Bengali author Sukumar Ray's Abol Tabol, with groundbreaking analyses of hidden satire against British rule in colonial India. Suitable for enthusiasts of humorous poetry, as well as students and academicians engaged in South Asian literature studies.

The Bengali language has never been quite so much a living, breathing creature of whimsy as in Sukumar Ray s hands, and his creations wild and wicked, dreamy and delirious have thrilled children and adults alike. This selection offers you the best of his world pun-riddled, fun-fiddled poetry from Abol Tabol and Khai-Khai, stories of schoolboy pranks (Pagla Dashu) and madcap explorers (Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary), and the unforgettable harum-scarum classic of Haw-Jaw-Baw-Raw-Law, presented here for the first time in its entirety. All the stories and poems are accompanied by Sukumar Ray s inimitable illustrations.

‘If you hear this, you will find your heads are getting muddled. Some of you will fathom fully, some will stay befuddled’ The Bengali language has never been quite such a living, breathing creature of whimsy as in Sukumar Ray’s hands. His creations—wild and wicked, dreamy and delirious—have thrilled children and adults alike. This selection offers you the best of his world—pun-riddled, fun-fiddled poetry from Abol Tabol and Khai-Khai, stories of schoolboy pranks from Pagla Dashu, of madcap explorers from Heshoram Hushiyarer Diary and the unforgettable harum-scarum classic Haw-Jaw-Baw-Raw-Law—for the first time in its entirety. All the stories and poems are accompanied by Sukumar Ray’s inimitable illustrations. Sampurna Chattarji’s vibrant translation captures the freewheeling play of sound and sense we associate with Ray’s writings, and promises to win him a whole new generation of admirers.

The Essence of Nonsense is a compilation of Nonsensical Rhymes which have been translated by the Author into English from a select few of the exceptional Poems present in the hilarious Abol Tabol, which had originally been composed in Bengali by the legendary but Late Sukumar Ray, in an attempt to convey at least a fraction of the side splittingly funny but yet incredibly provocative satire of Abol Tabol" to those readers, especially Children, who have so far been deprived of the satirical humor inherent in the magnificent verses of the marvelous Abol Tabol

A classic Bengali children's story filled with funny characters and bizarre happenings.

"Essence of Nonsense" is a compilation of Nonsensical Rhymes which have been translated by the Author into English from a select few of the exceptional Poems present in the hilarious "Abol Tabol", which had originally been composed in Bengali by the legendary but Late Sukumar Ray, in an attempt to convey at least a fraction of the side splittingly funny but yet incredibly provocative satire of "Abol Tabol" to those readers, especially Children, who have so far been deprived of the satirical humor inherent in the magnificent verses of the marvelous "Abol Tabol".

Sukumar Roy is undoubtedly the finest writer of nonsense tales and verse in Bengali. This book presents his chief works--Rhymes without Reason and A Topsy-Turvy Tale--in English. The skillful translations convey the genial intimacy of Ray's creations and his original illustrations accompany the text throughout.