Review Details

BOOK REVIEW by Sayobani Roy

Title    : ‘Quest for Uncertainty’

Author : Avik Gangopadhyay            Published by Sahityasree

sayobaniroy2101@gmail.com

Uncertainty is probably the most strangled feeling from which a person suffers in his or her life. Avik Gangopadhyay has once again proved his nature of choosing rare topics and justifies it through his wide range of knowledge and research. No one could ever think of relating uncertainty with the opinions and theories of literature and aesthetics. 'Quest for Uncertainty' revives that strangled feeling which Socrates to Tagore had suffered from. Uncertainty, thus, percolates through ages in literature and that is what Gangopadhyay mainly deals with in this piece of work.

To all book-lovers and that to about books on literature and aesthetics, title is something which always grabs the former attention. Thus, anyone who is thrown aback by the title of the book, will surely eliminate such thought once he or she goes through the lines. The author has made an extraordinary effort in composing the uncertainty through the ages in literature. That is why Classical, English, Amrican, Norwegian- all sorts of literature are united by the author through his 'Quest for Uncertainty'.

Gangopadhyay had shown his excellence in dividing the book into sections according to the contribution of different places on literature. He was tempted to bring out the theme of uncertainty inherent in the study of aesthetics. To break the norms of uncertainty within the society, he chose for such a topic. All throughout the writing, he comes up with the theme in all possible poets and writers that the world has ever seen. Dividing the book into various sections has helped the readers to gain an overall distinctive idea about the sources of uncertainty that has survived in the minds of the great literators.
It is quite fascinating for beginners like me to discover such an unexplored area of similarity among writers of all age. Be it Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' where he is torn between "inevitable uncertainty and an improbable certainty" or Milton's genius that brings "conformity between the uncertainty in the concept of 'free to Fall' and the certainty asserted in the 'Bond of Nature' ", be it Keats' and Coleridge's 'imaginative' uncertainty which even goes to the extent of a pleasure-dome for the later. He maintains his 'quest' in the works of Rossetti, Hardy, Shaw, Conrad and many others.

On American literature too, the theme of uncertainty spreads its roots through Faulkner's stream-of-consciousness where he has the ability to strike our intellect and Hemingway's theme where 'uncertainty is stretched to its extreme'. However, he has blended the essence of uncertainty to Norwegian, French, German and literatures of other countries too.
Most surprisingly, for Tagore and Wordsworth, one could hardly define the traces of uncertainty in their works. But, he had witnessed the core of it that Tagore had substituted the most, that is the most uncertain domain of modern living- doubt with a forceful yet very simple certainty of faith. Wordsworth-where words take the disguise of lyrics, for the first time felt the poet's romantic longing for its 'uncertainty and glorification'.

Being a student of literature, it is always interesting to know the already known in a new way. Those lines which once carried with it the 'certainty' of our future is now itself standing with a new theme of 'uncertainty' attached to it ,which had eventually gained strength through the words of the author.

  Similar to Gangopadhyay's other works 'Quest for Uncertainty' also offers simple language which are not only a treat to the mind but helps readers of all age for an easy interpretation. In fact, the brevity and simplicity of the matter enhances the readers' attention without spoiling its value and true essence. Well, it is also need to be mentioned here that since it is not a book that is meant only to be read but it is meant to be understood. That is why, a pre- knowledge in this field will surely attract the readers and will also retain their attention.
My point of view, on the basis of my present status of being a student this book will definitely allow the readers to get out of a unidirectional meaning of any poem and try to find out the different strata by which it is formed. Uncertainty is felt because certainty also persists. Anyone of them missing lessen the impact of others. When the society is solely in search of some certainties of life, people are feared of the uncertainties. Thus, by conquering his fear Gangopadhyay probably took the toughest task of 'Quest', that too of uncertainty. It is certain that Avik Gangopadhyay has really surprised the readers with his skill and presented such a book which generations would cherish. So long the earth remains, quest will continue with the outcome to be - either certainty or uncertainty. So, 'Quest for Uncertainty' can act as a parallel reading for the students and an explorer of thoughts for others.