Once Upon a Time in the Forest

«Once Upon a Time in the Forest» — a semi-autobiographical novel by the Bengali classic Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (1894–1950). It tells the story of a young man, Shottochoron, from Kolkata, who cannot find work and goes to the neighboring state of... Bihar, where he becomes the manager of a large forest tract. The more Shottochoron becomes enchanted by the beauty of the local forest, the more he is burdened by the obligation to clear this land for cultivation. The forest in the novel — is not just the setting for the main events, but a central character, active and multifaceted, powerful and formidable, endowed with authority over people and subduing their will. In Russian, «Once Upon a Time in the Forest» is published for the first time.