Gaban - Hindi - Premchand (Maple Classics)
Munshi Premchand's 1931 masterwork offers a searing portrait of aspiration gone awry in colonial India. At its heart sits Ramanath, a charming yet spiritually hollow man caught between his desire to impress and the crushing weight of his circumstances. When he showers his wife Jalpa with jewels he cannot possibly afford, a cascade of financial ruin unfolds. What begins as a quest for respectability spirals into something far darker: the protagonist finds himself trapped in a labyrinth of mounting obligations that ultimately push him towards dishonesty. Premchand scrutinises the precarious lives of lower-middle-class Indians during British rule, exposing how the hunger for status can corrode one's integrity. The novel raises uncomfortable questions about class, desire, and the lengths people will go to maintain appearances. It's a haunting exploration of moral compromise that remains startlingly relevant. Widely regarded as among Premchand's finest achievements (second only to Godaan), this work demonstrates his gift for transforming personal failings into universal truths.
- Author: Munshi Premchand
- Publisher: Maple Press
- Genre: Indian Writing
- ISBN: 978-9350336564
- Pages: 352 pages