Amit Chaudhuri’s newest literary marvel was launched on the 28th of April in Kolkata’s Oxford Bookstore. The novel’s title ‘Friend of My Youth’ is an evocative one, as said by the author himself, and inspired from a piece by Alice Munro, with the same title.

The tale is one where the narrator revisits his childhood home, as he was invited to Mumbai to promote his most recent novel, ‘The Immortals’, while the city was still recovering from the harrowing terror attacks of 2008. He also longs to see his best friend, Ramu, who had been tussling with a drug problem for quite a while. However, upon his return, the narrator discovers that his friend had been placed in a rehabilitation center in Alibagh, away from Mumbai by his defeated family. It dawns upon him when his friend is inaccessible, that he had taken Ramu, the only link between himself and his oldest home, for granted. As the story progresses, he revisits Membai, inviting new subjects to ponder upon. Introspection is interlaced with reminiscing in this novel. There are impulses and images associated with the Taj, and the sea, accompanied by vivid descriptions of the effect they have upon the protagonist.

The launch of this novel took place in conversation with Presidency University Professor Swapan Chakravorty, and Jean-Frederic Chevallier, a renowned French academic, philosopher and co-founder of the Trimukhi Platform. Both panelists expressed their admiration for Chaudhuri’s most fresh creation, the latter stressing upon how the work was shrouded in mystery and contained within it a very personal element, despite being devoid of any romance or drama.

Amit Chaudhuri, upon being questioned by Chevallier on the brevity of his chapters, offered an intriguing reply, saying that each paragraph, to him, was a beginning and had its own integrity. Hence, every paragraph had the scope of turning into a new chapter, for it had a fresh start. The author insisted that although the story’s protagonist was also a writer named Amit Chaudhuri, the narrator and author were different entities entirely. The launch was an evident success, the talk being an insightful, engaging and enjoyable one. Amit Chaudhuri’s skill was acknowledged, and his work was well received.

Amit Chaudhuri’s newest literary marvel was launched on the 28th of April in Kolkata’s Oxford Bookstore. The novel’s title ‘Friend of My Youth’ is an evocative one, as said by the author himself, and inspired from a piece by Alice Munro, with the same title.

The tale is