The Home and the World

Idealistic Nikhil, a wealthy Bengali landowner, encourages Bimala, his tradition-minded wife, to venture out into the world. Bimala's gradual political awakening leads to her attraction to charismatic Sandip, a revolutionary who stops at nothing — neither robbery nor murder — to achieve his ends. Their love triangle unfolds against the backdrop of the 1905 Partition of Bengal, during India's long fight for independence from British rule. This brilliantly poetic novel explores the psychology of its three protagonists, capturing the turmoil that results when personal relationships and family life are exposed to the chaos of social and political change.
Originally written in Bengali and published in 1916, The Home and the World is the vision of Rabindranath Tagore, Asia's first Nobel laureate. The novel reflects Tagore's own inner conflict between embracing modern ideas and rejecting Western domination. His vivid historical setting, realistically portrayed characters, and philosophical insights form a compelling drama of the clash between old and new, realism and idealism, and good and evil.

When Calcutta native Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, he became the first Asian to be awarded the honor. Tagore wrote in Bengali and often translated his poetry, fiction, essays, dramas, and songs into English. His works were highly influential both in the shaping of Bengali literature and in introducing Indian culture to the West.